Page:An English Garner Ingatherings from Our History and Literature (Volume 1 1877).pdf/376

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believe it, supposing the information was given him out of envy to his favourite; but commanded privately to watch him, and if he went again to catch him there: which he not being aware of, went again and was caught. At which the King was very angry: for he allows none to come to the speech of Ambassadors; much less one that served in his presence and heard and saw all that passed in Court. Yet the King dealt very favourably with him. For had it been a Cingalese, there is nothing more sure than that he should have died for it; but this Englishman's punishment was only to be sent away, and kept a prisoner in the mountains without chains: and the King ordered him to be well used there; where indeed he lived in better content than in the King's palace. He took a wife there, and had one son by her; and afterwards died by a mischance, which was thus: as he was gathering a Jak from the tree by a crook, it [? the tree] fell down upon his side, and bruised him; so that it killed him.

HENRY MAN, the other Englishman, yet remained in favour; and was promoted to be chief over all the King's servants that attended on him in his palace. It happened one day that he broke one of the King's china dishes: which made him so sore afraid, that he fled for sanctuary into a vehar, a temple where the chief priests always dwell and hold the consultations. This did not a little displease the King, this act of his supposing him to be of opinion that those priests were able to secure him against the King's displeasure. However he, showing reverence to their order, would not violently fetch him from thence; but sent a kind message to the Englishman, bidding him "not to be afraid for so small a matter as a dish"—and it is probable, had he not added this fault, he might have escaped without punishment—"and that he should come, and act in his place as formerly." At which message, he came forth; and immediately, as the King had given orders, they took hold of him, and bound his arms above the elbows behind; which is their fashion of binding men. In which manner, he lay all that night, being bound so hard that his arms swelled, and the ropes cut through the flesh into the bones. The next day the King commanded a nobleman to loose the ropes off his arms, and to put chains on his legs; and to keep him in his house, and there feed him and cure him. Thus he lay some six months, and was