An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies: Together with an Account of the Detaining in Captivity the Author and Divers other Englishmen Now Living There, and of the Author's Miraculous EscapeKnox, Robert
History
An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon in the East Indies: Together with an Account of the Detaining in Captivity the Author and Divers other Englishmen Now Living There, and of the Author's Miraculous Escape
Knox, Robert
Sri Lanka -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; Sri Lanka -- Social life and customs
[The misery that succeeds their Honour.] But there is something comes
after, that makes all the Honour and Wealth of these great Courtiers
not at all desirable: and that is, that they are so obnoxious to
the King's displeasure. Which is a thing so customary, that it is no
disgrace for a Nobleman to have been in Chains, nay and in the Common
Goal too. And the great Men are as ready when the King Commands,
to lay hold on one another, as he to command them: and glad to have
the Honour to be the King's Executioners, hoping to have the Place
and Office of the Executed. When any of these are thus dispatched,
commonly he cuts off or imprisoneth all the Male kind, that are near
of kin, as Sons or Brothers, fearing they should plot revenge, and
seizes on all the Estate. And as for the Family, after Examination
with Punishment to make them confess where the Estate lyes, they have
Monthly Allowance out of the same. But the Wife or Women-Kindred
are now nothing at all in esteem for Honorable Ladies as they were
before. Yet sometimes he will send for the Sons or Brothers of these
whom he hath cut off for Traitors, and remand them out of the Prisons
where he had committed them; and prefer them in honorable Employment.
[The foolish ambition of the Men and Women of this Countrey.] It
is generally reported, and I have seen it so, that those whom he
prefers unto the greatest and weightiest Imployments are those
whom he intends soon to cut off, and contrariwise those whom he
doth affect, and intends to have longer Service of, shall not be
so laden with Places and Honours. Howbeit altho they know and see
this before their eyes daily, yet their hearts are so haughty and
ambitious, that their desires and endeavours are to ascend unto the
highest degrees of honour: tho that be but one remove from Death
and utter Destruction. And the Women's ambition is so great also,
that they will put their Husbands on to seek for Preferment, urging
how dishonorable it is for them to sit at home like Women, that so
they may have respect, and be reputed for great Ladies.
CHAP. VI.
Of the King's Strength and Wars.
[The King's Military Affairs.] It remains now that I speak a little
of the King's Military Affairs. His Power consists, in the natural
Strength of his Countrey, in his Watches, and in the Craft, more than
the Courage, of his Soldiers.
[The natural strength of his Countrey.] He hath no Artificial
Forts or Castles, but Nature hath supplied the want of them. For
his whole Countrey of Cande Uda, standing upon such high Hills, and
those so difficult to pass, is all an Impregnable Fort: and so is
more especially Digligy-neur his present Palace. These Places have
been already described at large; and therefore I omit speaking any
further of them here.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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