A new voyage to the East-Indies containing an account of several of those rich countries, and more particularly of the kingdom of Bantam : giving an exact relation of the extent of that monarch's dominions, the religion, manners and customs of the inhabitants, their commerce, and the product of the country, and likewise a faithful narrative of the kingdom of Siam, of the isles of Japan and Madagascar, and of several other parts, with such new discoveries as were never yet made by any other traveller / by Mr. Glanius.

Sect. X.

WE have already said, that the King of Siam is one of the rich∣est and more powerful Monarchs of the East; but we have not yet seen the Ti∣tles which he gives himself. As the man∣ner thereof is singular, I imagine the Rea∣der would take it as an obligation to be shewn two Copies, which fell into my Hands while I was at Siam, thro the

intermission of one of the Great Lords of the Country, to whom I testified my desire, that he would leave them with me. As the Phrase of that Tongue is some∣thing barbarous, I have caused them to be Translated according to the genius of ours.

Alliance written in Letters of Gold, wherein shines the Divine Splendour, and which is the most excellent of all those that are in the World; which comprehends the Sublimest Sciences, and which is alone capable of rendering Men happy. It is the best and surest in Heaven, and above and below the Earth. All the Words thereof are Royal; they are soft and delicious, but Almighty and Energical. The Renown that is spread thereof thorow all the Earth, pro∣duces there the same effect, which the sighs of the Dead raised to life would produce, when done by an all-Divine Vertue, and purged from their corrup∣tion, as well spiritual as corporal. All Persons too, constituted in Dignity, as well amongst the Nobility and Cler∣gy as the Commonalty, do never see 'em without feeling a certain joy which no other thing can cause. Thus there is nothing in the Universe which is

comparable to 'em, no more than to the Source from whence they issue, as being a Monarch most Illustrious, most Invincible, most Powerful, and most High, and Crowned with an Hundred and one Crowns of Gold, all adorned with nine sorts of Precious Stones: be∣ing the greatest, the purest, and the most Divine Master of Immortal Souls, the most Holy who sees all things, and the Sovereign Emperour, who holds under the shadow of his Wings, the Great, the Rich, and the most incomparable King∣dom of Siam; the Splendour of the fine and famous City of India, whose Gates and Passages are inhabited by an infinity of People, and which is, without Contradiction, the Capital of the Universe, the only Throne wor∣thy of the greatest of Kings, to which is subdued the goodliest and the most fruitful of all Countries, which the Sun gives light to; who is a greater Lord than the Gods, and whose Pa∣lace is only of fine Gold and Precious Stones: the divine Master of the Heaps of Gold, of the White, Red, and round Tail Elephants, which three Animals are the Sovereign God of Nine sorts of Gods: the Divine Lord, in whose hand

is the Victorious Sword, who resem∣bles the God of Armies, with Arms all of Fire, and the most Noble and most Ex∣cellent of all Kings.

The Second was much of the same force, and is as follows:

The most High Paducco Dyrisultaan nelmonam, Welgahu, Nelmochadin magiviitha, Jou∣hen der Eateten lillaula fulan, the King of Kings, who causes the Waters to ebb and flow, the Monarch who is as a God, as a Sun in the highest point of its Elevation, as bright as the Moon in its greatest Lustre, the Elect of God for to be esteemed as much as the Star of the North, whose Extraction is alto∣gether Royal, as being the Issue of the Great Alexander, and whose Wit is all-perfect, all-seeing, and all-penetra∣ting; like to a Globe, always rowling, and so made, as to measure the Abysses of the Sea: a King who has adorned the Tombs of all the decayed Saints; who is as just as God; and of so vast a power, that all the World may hide it self under the Shadow of his Wings: a King who holds from the Hand of God a number of Mines of Gold; who has caused Pagods all of Gold and Cop∣per

to be built; who sets upon a Throne that is only of Gold and precious Stones: the King of the White Elephant, who is King of all the other Elephants, and before whom, several Millions of other Elephants are obliged to prostrate them∣selves: a King whose Eyes are so spark∣ling as the Morning Star: under whom are Elephants with four Teeth; red Elephants, purple coloured Elephants, and of several other colours; as like∣wise, of an Elephant Buytenaque, for which the Almighty God has made him a Present of several sorts of em∣broidered Houses, in great numbers, and all beset with Precious Stones; a number of other Elephants exercised in War, whose Harnaces are Shot proof; others whose Teeth are armed with Steel, and their Harnace of Brass: a King who has Horses without number, shod with Iron, whose Houses are likewise of Gold, and all beset with Stones, be∣sides an infinite number of others, which are proper for War. A King who is above all the Emperours, Mo∣narchs, Princes and Potentates of the Universe, from East to West; who raises to Honour and to Dignities, those who have the Wit to get into his good

Opinion, and who on the contrary causes those to be burnt alive who re∣volt from him: A King as powerful as God, and in whom resides the power of doing all that God has done and created.

By these proud Titles the King of Si∣am pretends to insinuate into His Sub∣jects that he is as great as God, and more than all the Powers which reign upon Earth; and to confirm it, he makes 'em believe, that he stops the Course of the Waters, which he goes to work to af∣ter this manner: The River of Siam be∣ing one of the Branches of the Ganges, which Increases and Decreases regularly in certain Seasons of the Year: its In∣crease and Decrease is likewise limited. When it begins to diminish, which hap∣pens in the Month of November, the King takes that time to make one of his pub∣lick Appearances, whereof we have spo∣ken: to which, he is attended by all his Court, and shews himself on that Oc∣casion, with all the Riches and Splendour imaginable. His Galley is all shining with Gold and Precious Stones; he is therein seated upon a Golden Throne, covered with a Canopy set with Dia∣monds; he is attended by two Hun∣dred

Galleys of a prodigious length, each having two Hundred Rowers, and being for the most part, painted and gilt. About six Leagues from the City, the King and Arch-Priest enter alone into a little Barge; wherein the latter, after having uttered some Prayers upon a Sabre of Gold, presents it to the King, who strikes the River three times with it, and commands it, by His Divine Au∣thority, to retire into the Sea. While the King is employed in this Ceremony, the People, whom the Priests do make believe that none but His Majesty can stop the Course, are prostrated upon the Shore, surprized at the Power of their King.