Indian Antiquary Vol 07

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 33

JANUARY, 1878.]
ARCHÆOLOGICAL NOTES.
23
And meet me in fight before it, and so this feud his opponent, all show him to have been what be stayed.'
old Chancer would have called "a very parfait The five chiefs hearkened together, and thus reply gentil knighte." Nor was knightly feeling made they :
lacking in his opponents, rebels though they *For one to fight with five men it were no equal
were, as proved by their repeated refusal to fray; Better it were that one this quarrel with thee
accept his challenge at great advantage to themshould try.'
selves, and obedience to their vow on defeat. So answer they sont; and thus Visvanatha made
| King Visvanatha reigned till A.D. 1438, in the reply :
days of our Henry VI., when, though men could Look now; yo are five rulers and o'er oountries remember the heroic deeds of Jeanne d'Arc, the five bear sway,
institutions of chivalry were beginning to wane. And I, one king, come hither to force ye to obey, About two centuries later, when the old And to me alone yield homage: 'tis therefore meet Påndya dominion had become broken up into and right
lesser states, and the Muhammadan power had That ye five all together with me alone should
begun to overshadow the peninsula, Sri Raja fight."
Ranga Krishna was raling in Trichina palli, Howbeit they would not hearken, but chose the
which the great king Visvanatha is said to mightiest lord In chain-mail dight, and girded with the goodliest
have first fortified. He was a gay and gallant tempered sword,
monarch delighting in bold and adventurous Mounted upon a war-steed; and go in the midway exploits, not a little after the fashion of the fifth space
James of Scotland. In those days, it is said, The chief met Visvanátha by the pillar face to the Mughul Pádishah used to send to all counface.
tries one of his slippers, which was placed in Lightly the great Pandion said to that champion a state howdah on an elephant, attended by lord,
two Nawabs and several thousand cavalry and * Strike first,' and he smote, but deftly the monarch
infantry. It was fanned by chauris, shaded turned the sword.
by a royal umbrella, and attended by banners, Now strike in thy turn,' undaunted the rebel
kettledrams, and music. On reaching the foeman cried. • Be sure thou need'st not hasten,' the warrior-king
boundaries of the various kingdoms the proreplied,
cession halted, and the attendant Naw&bs sent But three more blows yet strike thou, nor stint word to the king of each country. These kings to strike amain.'
came at the head of their troops, paid homage And thrice the chieftain smote him, but ever the to the slipper, lowered their own ensigns to it, stroke was vain.
accompanied it to their capitals, and placed it on Then the Raja Visvanátha spake high to the their thrones. Costly presents were thon made to rebel foe,
the Sardars, and tribute-money delivered up to Now take good heed,' and smote him an exceeding |
them. The P Andy a country, however, being so mighty blow; No mail the dint might hinder, it clave him right
far, the imperial slipper had not hitherto reached in twain,
it. Nevertheless, whilst Raja Ranga Krishna was And the sundered trunk fell right and left upon reigning, the two Nawabs, with all the troops and the reddened plain.
insignia attendant, set their faces thitherward, Then their lands the four chiefs rendered, and all and came to the boundary of the kingdom north in sad array,
of Trichinkpalli. Halting there, the Nawabs sent Alone, as their oath had bound them, went wander. chobdárs with silver sticks to inform the king ing far away."
that the imperial slipper had arrived. The Raja Now this was a passage of arms hardly sur- kaving heard the message replied, “Return and passed in any chronicle of romance, and instinct tell the Nawabs that we are unwell, and canwith the true spirit of chivalry. The king's not come so far, but if they and all the retinue compassionate feeling for the feeble, his desire will come to the other bank of the Kåvôri river to take all the consequences of his own quarrel outside the town we will meet them there." upon himself, and unselfish offer to encounter The Nawabs received the answer with some desperate odds, his courtesy and forbearance to anger, but nevertheless advanced, and on crossing