A large party of Brahmins formed around
them as an immediate escort. The two wives who were to be burned with
the corpse came next, each borne on a palanquin. During the journey they
appeared calm and cheerful. The troops kept off the immense crowds who
were assembled from every direction.
The two queens, loaded with jewels, were attended by their favorite
women, with whom they occasionally conversed, and by their relations of
both sexes. To many of these they had made presents before leaving the
palace. They were also accompanied by thousands of Brahmins, collected
from different quarters. These were followed by an innumerable multitude
of persons of both sexes. When they arrived at the ground where they
were to be burned, the two victims were made to descend from their
palanquins, for the purpose of performing the preparatory ceremonies.
They went through the whole without showing any fear until towards the
close, when their countenances began to change, and their three circuits
around the pile were not performed without considerable effort to
maintain calmness.
In the meantime, the body of the king had been placed on the scaffold
over the platform.
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