OBEISANCES. 121 



stance of gradation in these forms of partial prostration ; and 

 a recognized meaning in the gradation. The I)akro, a 

 woman who bears messages from the Dahoman King to the 

 Men, goes on all fours before the king; and &quot; as a rule she 

 goes on all fours to the Men, and only kneels to smaller men, 

 who become quadrupeds to her.&quot; 



Here we come, incidentally, upon a further abridgment 

 of the original prostration; whence results one of the most 

 widely-spread obeisances. As from the entirely prone 

 posture we pass to the posture of the Mahommedan worship 

 per with forehead on the ground ; so from this we pass to the 

 posture on all fours, and from this, by raising the body, to 

 simple kneeling. That kneeling is, and has been in count 

 less places and times, a form of political homage, a form of 

 domestic homage, and a form of religious homage, needs no 

 showing. We will note only that it is, and has been, in all 

 cases associated with coercive government; as in Africa, 

 where &quot; by thus constantly practising genuflexion upon the 

 hard ground, their [the Dahomans ] knees in time become 

 almost as hard as their heels; &quot; as in Japan, where &quot; on 

 leaving the presence of the Emperor, officers walk back 

 wards on their knees; &quot; as in China, &quot; where the Viceroy s 

 children ... as they passed by their father s tent, fell on 

 their knees and bowed three times, with their faces towards 

 the ground; &quot; and as in mediaeval Europe, where serfs knelt 

 to their masters and feudal vassals to their suzerains. 



Kot dwelling on the transition from descent on both 

 knees to descent on one knee, which, less abject, comes a 

 stage nearer the erect attitude, it will suffice to note the 

 transition from kneeling on one knee to bending the knee. 

 That this form of obeisance is an abridgment, is well shown 

 us by the Japanese. 



&quot; On meeting, they show respect by bending the knee; and when 

 they wish to do unusual honour to an individual they place them- 

 sel.ves on the knee and bow down to the ground. But this is never 

 done in the streets, where they merely make a motion as if they were 



