48 



MODERX HISTORY. 



[Part VI. 



A.D. 



1658. 



to the sword; yet, in spite of these atrocities, they 

 addressed him with adulation \ whilst he rephed with 

 studied contumely; and they persisted in sending liim 

 embassies and presents, although he repelled their ad- 

 vances, and imprisoned, and even executed, their am- 

 bassadors.^ 



^ " The Dutch knowing his proud 

 spirit, make their advantage of it by 

 flattering him with their ambassadors, 

 telling him that they are his majes- 

 ties humble subjects and servants, 

 and that it is out of their loyalty to 

 him that they build forts and keep 

 watches roimd about his coimtiy to 

 prevent foreign nations and enemies 

 from coming ; and that as they are 

 thus employed in his majesties ser- 

 vice, so it is for sustenance which 

 they want that occasioned their 

 coming up into his majesties country. 

 And thus by flattering him and as- 

 cribing to him high and honorable 

 titles, which are things he greatly 

 delights in, sometimes they prevail 

 to have the countiy and he to have 

 the honor." — Ivxox, pt. ii. ch. ii. p. 39. 

 See also pt. iv. ch. xiii. p. 179. 



2 Yalexttx, ch. xiii. p. 178, ch. 

 xiv. p. 200, ch. XV. p. 283. The 

 presents usually selected included 

 some rather curious articles. Besides 

 horses and their caparison of velvet 

 and gold, the Dutch sent, in 1679, 

 ten hawks, each attended by a 

 Malabai' slave, six civets can-ied 

 in cages, six game-cocks from 

 Tuttocoiyn, two Persian sheep, a 

 stem of sandal wood, and a case of 

 wine. The escort which delivered 

 these with great pomp at Ruanwelle, 

 were so beaten by the king's messen- 

 gers who received them, that they 

 barely escaped with their lives. 

 (\^ALENTYX, ch. XV. p. 302.) Two 

 yeare before, the Dutch Governor j 

 h.id sent a present of a lion to Raja 

 Singha, with some canting compli- 

 ment on 80 suitable an ofiering ; but j 

 the king refused the gift, and put 

 the messenger under restraint. The j 

 officer, maddened by his long de- I 

 tention, attempted to approach the | 

 king to entreat his dismissal; but I 



the guards were ordered to detain 

 him where he stood, and he waa 

 compelled to remain for three days 

 upon the spot, " and what became of 

 him aftei'tt'ards," says Valexttx, 

 "we never leai-ned." (Ch. xv. p. 2-K3.) 

 He was still alive at Kandy when 

 Knox fled in 1697. Raja Singha 

 had a passion for hawking, and 

 turned the subser\ieucy of the 

 Hollanders to account in gratifying 

 his taste. I have a curious MS. 

 letter written by him in Portuguese 

 from Badidla, 6th August, 1652, 

 and addressed To the Governor 

 Jacob Von Kittenstein, residing in 

 my Fortress of Galle as my loyal 

 vassal. It alludes to the amval of 

 presents which he had not yet deigned 

 to look at, and continues thus : " I 

 brought up a hawk with gi-eat love 

 and tenderness, and taking him vrith. 

 me one day to the chase I gave him 

 vnng, and he disappeai-ed for ever. 

 I think it reasonable that I shoidd 

 wi'ite to you about these things that 

 are to my taste, and when you are 

 informed of them you are bomid to 

 give effect to my wishes. If it 

 should be, therefore, in your power 

 to procm-e for me some good hawks, 

 as well as other birds of prey that 

 hunt well, and other mattera per- 

 taining to the chase, please to send 

 them as presents to me." Another 

 of the king's wealmesses, was an 

 extraordinaiy style of dress quite 

 peculiar to himself, including mos- 

 quito drawers, and a cap with a 

 quantity of feathers. These caps 

 were amongst the presents sent by 

 the Dutch, and so decorated, ^'a- 

 LENTTX says, that he looked rather 

 like a buffoon than a king : " en zoo 

 wonderlyk van kleederen en toetake- 

 ling in z^Ti leveu, dat hy veel beter 

 een ouden Portuguees met zyn 



