CEREMONY IN GENERAL. 27 



we read that in Madagascar &quot; the sovereign lias a large band 

 of female singers, who attend in the courtyard, and who ac 

 company their monarch whenever he takes an excursion, 

 either for a short airing or distant journey; &quot; when we are 

 told that in China &quot; his imperial majesty was preceded by 

 persons loudly proclaiming his virtues and his power; &quot; 

 when we learn that among the ancient Chibchas the bogota 

 was received with &quot; songs in which they sung his deeds and 

 victories; &quot; we cannot deny that these assertors of greatness 

 and singers of praises do for the living king exactly that 

 which priests and priestesses do for the dead king, and for 

 the god who evolves from the dead king. In societies 



that have their ceremonial governments largely developed, 

 the homology is further shown. As such societies ordina 

 rily have many gods of various powers, severally served 

 by their official glorifiers; so they have various grades 

 of living potentates, severally served by man who as 

 sert their greatness and demand respect. In Samoa, 

 &quot; a herald runs a few paces before, calling out, as he 

 meets any one, the name of the chief who is coming.&quot; 

 &quot;With a Madagascar chief in his palanquin, &quot; one or two 

 men with assagais, or spears, in their hands, ran along in 

 front shouting out the name of the chief.&quot; In advance of 

 an ambassador in Japan there &quot; first walked four men with 

 brooms such as always precede the retinue of a great lord, in 

 order to admonish the people with cries of i Stay, stay! 

 which means, l Sit, or bow you down. In China a 

 magistrate making a progress is preceded by men bearing 

 &quot;red boards having the rank of the officer painted on them, 

 running and shouting to the street passengers, Retire, re 

 tire! keep silence, and clear the way! Gong-strikers fol 

 low, denoting at certain intervals by so many strokes their 

 master s grade and office.&quot; And in ancient Rome men of 

 rank had their anteambulones whose cry was &quot; Give place 



* Mr. Ernest Satow, writing from Japan to suggest some corrections, says 

 this cry should be &quot;shita ni, shita ra, Down! Down! (i.e. on your knees).&quot; 



