"This man soon became intimate with the king, and took care to fall in with all his tastes, and to justify and praise every pursuit which he engaged in. "Thus, if he saw the king fond of hunting, he would say: 'What a fine manly sport this is! How it strengthens the body, braces the spirits, and quickens the intelligence! While roaming over hill and dale, you become acquainted with the country; by destroying the deer and wild buffaloes, you benefit the husbandmen; by killing the tigers and other wild beasts, you make travelling safer.' And he would go on in this way, without any allusion to the damage and destruction caused by the king's hunting expeditions. "If gambling was the favourite amusement, or there was excessive devotion to women, or to drinking, he would very ingeniously bring forward everything that could be said in favour of them, passing over their disadvantages in silence. If the king was lavish to his dependants, he would praise his generosity; if cruel, he would say: 'Such severity is good; you maintain your own dignity by it; a king ought not to be like a patient devotee, submitting to insults, and ready to forgive. "In this manner that wicked wretch obtained great influence over the king, and employed it to lead him into all sorts of excesses. "With such an example before them, all classes gradually became corrupted. The magistrates neglected their duties, and thought only how they might enrich themselves; great criminals, who could bribe, escaped with impunity; the weak were oppressed by the strong; violence and robbery were rampant; disturbances broke out on all sides; and severe and indiscriminating punishments only stirred up indignation, without repressing crime. The revenue diminished, while expenditure was increasing; everywhere loud complaints were heard, and great distress prevailed. "As if all this were not sufficient, the cruel King of Asmaka sent emissaries in all directions to mix unsuspectedly with the inhabitants of Vidarba, and do as much mischief as possible. "Some would distribute subtle poisons in various ways; some would stir up quarrels between neighbouring villages, and so cause party fights; some contrived to let loose a furious elephant into a crowd, or get up an alarm by other means, and so cause a sudden panic, in which the people trampled down each other, and many lives were lost; others, disguised as hunters, promising abundance of game, would tempt men into some narrow valley, between high mountains, where they were devoured by tigers, or, unable to find their way out again, perished of hunger and thirst. "By these and many other devices, they succeeded in destroying life and weakening the country, so that less resistance might be offered to the invader.