EVOLUTION OF CEREMONIAL GOVERNMENT. i 59 



can hardly be questioned. Even in certain European usages the rela- 

 tion between the two has been recognized, as by Ford, who remarks 

 that " uncloaking in Spain is ... . equivalent to our taking off the 

 hat." It is recognized in Africa itself, where, as in Dahomey, the two 

 are joined ; " the men bared their shoulders, doffing their caps and large 

 umbrella hats," says Burton, speaking of his reception. It is recog- 

 nized in Polynesia, where, as in Tahiti, along with the stripping down 

 to the waist before the king, there goes the uncovering of the head. 

 Hence it seems that the familiar taking off of the hat among European 

 peoples, often reduced among ourselves to touching the hat, is a rem- 

 nant of that process of unclothing himself by which, in early times, the 

 captive expressed the yielding up of all he had. 



That baring the feet is an observance having the same origin, is 

 well shown by these same Gold Coast natives ; for while, as we have 

 seen, they partially bare the upper part of the body in signiBcation of 

 their reverence, they also remove the sandals from their feet "as a 

 mark of respect," says Cruickshank : they begin to strip the body at 

 both ends. Throughout ancient America uncovering of the feet had 

 a like meaning. In Peru, " no lord, however great he might be, entered 

 the presence of the Ynca in rich clothing, but in humble attire and 

 barefooted ; " and in Mexico, " the kings who were vassals of Monte- 

 zuma were obliged to take off their shoes when they came into his pres- 

 ence : " the significance of this act being so great that as " Michoacan 

 was independent of Mexico, the sovereign took the title of cazonzi 

 that is, ' shod.' " Kindred accounts of Asiatics have made the usage 

 familiar to us. In Burmah, " even in the streets and highways, a Eu- 

 ropean, if he meets with the king, or joins his party, is obliged to take 

 off his shoes." And similarly in Persia, every person who approaches 

 the royal presence is obliged to bare his feet. 



Verification of these several interpretations is yielded by the more 

 obvious interpretations of certain usages which we similarly meet with 

 in societies where extreme expressions of subjection are insisted upon. 

 I refer to the appearing in presence of rulers, dressed in coarse cloth- 

 ing the clothing of slaves. In ancient Mexico, whenever, to serve 

 him, Montezuma's attendants " entered his apartments, they had first 

 to take off their rich costumes and put on meaner garments .... and 

 were only allowed to enter into his presence barefooted, with eyes cast 

 down." So was it, too, in Peru : along with the rule that a subject, 

 however great, should appear before the Ynca with a burden on his 

 back, simulating servitude, and along with the rule that he should be 

 barefooted, further simulating servitude, there went, as we have seen, 

 the rule that " no lord, however great he might be, entered the pres- 

 ence of the Ynca in rich clothing, but in humble attire," again simulat- 

 ing servitude. The kindred though less extreme usage exists in Daho- 

 mey, where also autocracy is rigorous and subjection unqualified: the 

 highest subjects, the king's ministers, may " ride on horseback, be car- 



