866 
The Idolatry of 
art 
r^>J^^ unfortunate, Rawan^ to have entangl'd 
Saidteus. |.j,y fe|f anunjuft War againft an Ar- 
'-^•'^ my headed by the Divine Ram \ I have 
forefeen it in my Sleep, that the fame 
will turn to the Deftruftion of thy felf 
and thy Country. ^ „ r 
Rawan ftood amaz'd, but full ot De- 
ipair, told his Brother, That if it was 
his fate (written in his Forehead ) to die 
by the hands of Ram^ it was in vain to 
avoid it, defiring once more his Afliftance. 
The Giant replyM, My Life is at your 
Service, and fo ordering his Chariot 
drawn by ten pair of Afles to be got rea- 
dy, put himfelf at the head of Rawan'% 
Army composM of Giants. Ram in the 
mean while underftanding that the great 
Giant was coming againft him, he ap- 
pointed fome thoufand of Apes to throw 
upon him the tops of the Rocks, which 
they did accordingly, tho in vain, the 
Giant piercing the Mount that was 
thrown upon him with his Arrow, not- 
withftanding it had ico Leagues in com- 
pafs. , 
This made Ram ask Bebickhem^ Rawan s 
Brother, by what means the Giant Couke- 
Yingb might be vanquilh'd. Bebickbem re- 
ply'd. You muft retreat three Paces back- 
wards i that can't be, anfwer'd Ram, be- 
caufe 1 am defcended of the Race of the 
Ketterivs, who dare not retreat under 
pain of Banilhment. But there is no o- 
ther Remedy, return'd Bebickbem ; but 
the belt Advice I can give you is, to de- 
fcend from your Chariot, and let the fame 
be carried three Faces backwards. This 
being approv'd by Ram, was done ac- 
cordingly, fo that whilft the Giant was 
making a moft horrid Daughter among 
The GUnt the Apes, he Ihot bis Head off, which 
couke- falling upon the ground Ihook the Earth 
mihflam., as if a whole Mountain had tumbled 
down, a whole River of Blood as black 
as Pitch guftiing out of his Veins. 
NotwithftandiDg this the Trunk of his 
Body continued to make a great flaugh- 
ter among the Apes ^ fo that Ram being 
again oblig'd to have recourfe to RawayPs 
Brother, he told him, that if he fent out 
a Party of Apes to get a blue Cloth died 
with Indigo, and therewith cover'd the 
Body, it would become immovable. In 
Che mean while the Trunk of the Giant 
continued to make great havock among 
the Apes, but to little purpofe, they 
being reviv'd (by the Afped; of Ram) 
as faft as they were kill'd. 
By this timethe blue Cloth being brought 
was thrown upon the Trunk, which in 
an inftant remain'd as unmovable as a 
Stone in the Field. Rawan feeing himfelf 
thus reduc'd to defpair, had recourfe to Rawan 
the Goddefs Bowanni, unto whom he {5^^ " 
offer'd a Sacrifice of frefli Butter, Sandal- 
wood. Flowers and Spices, imploring 
her Aid againft Ram with fuch fervency"^ 
that it is believ'd he would have obtain'd 
his Requeft, had not the Ape Hanuman 
defiled the Sacrifice by throwing one of 
the dead Carcafes of the flain Giants up- 
on the Altar, ereSed in a deep hole for 
this Sacrifice. 
Rawan thus drove to the laft extremi- 
ty, put himfelf again at the head of his 
Forces, and like a defperate Perfon flew 
all the Apes he met in his way, forcing 
all the Hills before him the Apes threw 
in his way, till Ram drawing his Bow 
flioc off nine of his Heads ^ and then calling 
to him aloud, Rawan faid he, defift from 
Bloodlhed, return me my Sytba, and 1 will 
heal thy Wounds, and reftore thee thy 
Heads and Kingdom, without which thou 
wilt certainly lofe all. But Rawan re- 
plying, that if Fate had fo ordain'd it, 
he would rather lofe his lo Heads alfo 
than S}tha. Ram fliot likewife his tenth 
Head off : But perceiving that the Head- Rawas 
lefs Body laid ftill about him with its fiair. H 
24 Arms, he threw fome Water upon 
it, and muttering out certain words, 
made it as immoveable as a Stone. 
Mandory was no fooner inform'd of her 
Husband's Death, but ftie threw her felf at 
Ram^s Feet, bewailing his Obftinacy, not- 
withftanding the many forebodes of his 
Fall, an unfortunate Raven and a doleful 
Owl having fettled upon his Houfe, with 
very dreadful Lamentations and Outcries, 
the fore-runners of his Misfortune, As 
I have, added Ihe, been innocent of what 
has happened, fo I hope you won't deny 
rac my Protedion : Ramhidi her be fatif- 
fied, ordering her at the fame time to Wifi 
pafs feven times through the fmoke of married u 
the Fire kept at Tcbie, to purify her felf, hkBnthcr, 
and renew her Virginity, which done 
he would marry her to her Husband's 
Brother Bebickbem, who accordingly was 
put into Rawan's place. Then Ram be- 
ing carried in his Rofe Litter to the Tree 
Sj/fem, where Sjitha was kept a Prifoner, 
fhe embrac'd him, returning him a mil- Rammeetf 
lion of Thanks for her Deliverance, '^i^f^ 
The next thing Ram did, was to revive ^y^^^ 
his Apes flain in the late Engagement ^ 
and fo march'd back over the fame Bridg 
that had carried him into Ceylon. Being 
come to the oppofite Shore, he order'd the 
Stones to be carried to the place whence 
they had been taken, and marching to j 
the Valley of Kieckenda, he would there ' 
have taken his leave of Suchry ; but he 
refufing 
