CHAPTER XVII.

CONTINUES TO SPEAK OF THE PROVINCE OF MAABAR.

You must know that in all this Province of Maabar there is never a Tailor to cut a coat or stitch it, seeing that everybody goes naked!  For decency only do they wear a scrap of cloth; and so ’tis with men and women, with rich and poor, aye, and with the King himself, except what I am going to mention.[NOTE 1]

It is a fact that the King goes as bare as the rest, only round his loins he has a piece of fine cloth, and round his neck he has a necklace entirely of precious stones,—­rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and the like, insomuch that this collar is of great value.[NOTE 2] He wears also hanging in front of his chest from the neck downwards, a fine silk thread strung with 104 large pearls and rubies of great price.  The reason why he wears this cord with the 104 great pearls and rubies, is (according to what they tell) that every day, morning and evening, he has to say 104 prayers to his idols.  Such is their religion and their custom.  And thus did all the Kings his ancestors before him, and they bequeathed the string of pearls to him that he should do the like. [The prayer that they say daily consists of these words, Pacauta!  Pacauta!  Pacauta!  And this they repeat 104 times.[NOTE 3]]

The King aforesaid also wears on his arms three golden bracelets thickly set with pearls of great value, and anklets also of like kind he wears on his legs, and rings on his toes likewise.  So let me tell you what this King wears, between gold and gems and pearls, is worth more than a city’s ransom.  And ’tis no wonder; for he hath great store of such gear; and besides they are found in his kingdom.  Moreover nobody is permitted to take out of the kingdom a pearl weighing more than half a saggio, unless he manages to do it secretly.[NOTE 4] This order has been given because the King desires to reserve all such to himself; and so in fact the quantity he has is something almost incredible.  Moreover several times every year he sends his proclamation through the realm that if any one who possesses a pearl or stone of great value will bring it to him, he will pay for it twice as much as it cost.  Everybody is glad to do this, and thus the King gets all into his own hands, giving every man his price.

Furthermore, this King hath some five hundred wives, for whenever he hears of a beautiful damsel he takes her to wife.  Indeed he did a very sorry deed as I shall tell you.  For seeing that his brother had a handsome wife, he took her by force and kept her for himself.  His brother, being a discreet man, took the thing quietly and made no noise about it.  The King hath many children.

And there are about the King a number of Barons in attendance upon him.  These ride with him, and keep always near him, and have great authority in the kingdom; they are called the King’s Trusty Lieges.  And you must know that when the King dies, and they put him on the fire to burn him, these Lieges cast themselves into the fire round about his body, and suffer themselves to be burnt along with him.  For they say they have been his comrades in this world, and that they ought also to keep him company in the other world.[NOTE 5]