116 
THE ORIENTAL ANNUAL. 
and the aid of Krishna, he won over to his side the 
most powerful and influential of the citizens, and 
then proceeded to enact salutary and severe laws for 
the restraint and punishment of vice. His efforts 
were successful. Good slowly, but surely, drove evil 
from her stronghold, the pestilence abated, peace and 
order once more reigned in the city, — penitents 
thronged the long deserted temples, and Ettaiah was 
well nigh reclaimed. But the malicious Kali, the 
unrelenting enemy of man, yielded not so easily her 
prey; and hopeless of the effects of open force, she 
resolved to foil the benevolent purpose of Krishna, 
by a counter stratagem. To tempt is far easier than 
to compel, and the subtle goddess exerted all her art 
in framing a woman of such surpassing beauty, that 
all which poets have sung, or lovers dreamed, should 
seem faded and dull in comparison with her matchless 
charms, that the eyes of those who gazed upon her 
should be henceforth insensible to all other loveliness 
earth could display, and men become as clay in her 
hands. 
“ On this enchantress, having first instilled a due 
portion of her own vindictive spirit, and fully in- 
structed her in her mission of evil. Kali bestowed 
the power of invoking effective curses on all who pro- 
voked her wrath, or thwarted the will of her terrible 
patroness. 
“ Turn now, Bahado or Sahib, and behold those ruins 
on the lofty hills behind us — they are those of a mag- 
