'When the Raja,' continued the old soldier, 'had got the pillar fast
into the head of the snake, he was told by his chief priest that his
dynasty must now reign over Hindustan for ever. "But," said the Raja,
"as all seems to depend upon the pillar being on the head of the
snake, we had better see that it is so with our own eyes." He ordered
it to be taken up; the clergy tried to dissuade him, but all in vain.
Up it was taken--the flesh and blood of the snake were found upon it-
-the pillar was replaced; but a voice was heard saying: "Thy want of
faith hath destroyed thee--thy reign must soon end, and with it that
of thy race."'
I asked the old soldier from whence the voice came.
He said this was a point that had not, he believed, been quite
settled. Some thought it was from the serpent himself below the
earth, others that it came from the high priest or some of his
clergy. 'Wherever it came from,' said the old man, 'there is no doubt
that God decreed the Raja's fall for his want of faith; and fall he
did soon after.' All our followers concurred in this opinion, and the
old man seemed quite delighted to think that he had had an
opportunity of delivering his sentiments upon so great a question
before so respectable an audience.
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