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with the king of Gauda, and in order to get money from him, undertook to do you an injury. The wicked Bráhman secretly sent his confidential messenger to Gauda, to make the king hand over treasure and so on. Then a confidential servant, seeing the king despondent, said to him— ' I will manage this affair for you, do not waste your wealth.' When the king of Gauda heard this, he had that messenger of Gunaśarman's cast into prison,* [1]———* * * * and the cook who was to administer the poison came here, carefully keeping the secret. In the meanwhile Gunaśarman's messenger escaped from prison, and came here to him. And he, knowing the whole story, revealed it all, and pointed out to Gunaśarman †[2] that cook, who had entered into our kitchen. Then that scoundrelly Bráhman detected the cook in the act of administering the poison, and denounced him to you, and so had him put to death. Then the mother and the wife and the younger brother of that cook came here to find out what had become of him, and the sagacious Gunaśarman, finding it out, put to death his wife and mother, but his brother escaped somehow or other and entered my palace. While he was imploring my protection and telling me the whole story, Gunaśarman entered my apartment. When the brother of that cook saw Gunasarman and heard his name, he went out and fled from my presence, whither I know not. Gunaśarman, for his part, when he saw him who had been previously pointed out to him by his servants, was abashed and seemed to be thinking over something. And I, wanting to know what it was, said to him in private, ' Gunaśarman, why do you seem to be altered to-day ?' And he, being anxious to win me over to his side, as he was afraid of the matter being revealed, said to me ' Queen, I am consumed with passion for you, so consent to my wishes, otherwise I cannot live; bestow on me life as a Bráhman's fee.' When he had said this, as the room was empty, he fell at my feet. Then I drew away my foot and rose up in bewilderment, and he, rising up embraced me, a weak woman, by force. And my maid Pallaviká came in at that very moment. The instant he saw her, he fled out alarmed. If Pallavikáhad not come in, the villain would certainly have outraged me. ‡[3]This is the injury he has done me to-day." When the queen had told this false tale, she stopped and wept. For in the beginning wicked women sprang from Lying Speech. And the moment the king heard it, he was all on fire with anger, for
- ↑ *Here Brockhaus makes a hintus.
- ↑ † I read Gunaśarmanah or Gunaśarmane.
- ↑ ‡ The old story of Hippolyte, the wife of Acastns, (the " Magnessa Hippolyte" of Horace,) and Peleus, of Antea and Bellerophon, of Phædra and Hippolytus, of Fausta and Crispus. See all the beginning of the Seven Wise Masters, simrock's Deutscho- Volksbücher, Vol. XII, pp. 128, 129.
