IT is related of Raja Zenel, the brother of Sultan Mahmud
Shah, that he was a very handsome person, and nobody could be compared to him
in these times; pleasant and sweet in his whole conduct, with quickness and
alacrity of action. When he put on a long cloth, with a hanging point, and it
did not hang fair, he would make nothing of cutting its point even. He had a
horse named Ambangan, (the skiddler,)
of which he was extremely fond, and which he stabled hard by his sleeping
apartment, and emptied a lower room for that purpose, and twice or thrice in a
night he would go to see him, and whenever he mounted, he would perfume himself,
and when he had done, he would bring civet and rub upon the body of the horse,
and then he would set out.
When he came into the market, there would be a complete
bustle in all its lanes, from the people crowding to see Raja Zenel pass by,
and even the young wives would leave the embraces of their husbands and spring
to the doors to see him; others would look from the windows, and others from
the roofs, others would tear the latticed screens, to get a peep, and others
would mount the paling of the enclosures; some would look out at peep-holes;
others through the interstices of the paling; and the presents offered him on
these occasions, were of all descriptions, and so numerous that they could not
be received by all his lineage.
Every sort of prepared betel, ginta lalat, or prepared
betel, made up in rolls of many dozen of folds, posies of champaka flowers
stuffed into each other; melor or jasmine flowers set in pots, betel leaf
folded every variety of ways, too numerous to be mentioned. The young Prince
would accept what pleased him, and present the rest to the lads that followed
him. Such was the display whenever Raja Zenel went to the market place; and
great impropriety of manners prevailed through the land of Malaca at this time.
This state of matters was reported to Sultan Mahmud, with
the whole conduct of Raja Zenel, at which the raja was greatly incensed, but
retained his resentment in his own breast. On a day he called two or three of
his most trusty men, and said, "Who of you is there who will slay Raja
Zenel?" But no person would undertake it; and he ordered them to return to
their own houses. When everybody was fast asleep, the raja called the keeper of
the gate, Hang Bercat, and said to him, "Hang Bercat, can you undertake to
kill Raja Zenel, so that no person may be acquainted with the fact?"
"It is I that can do it," said Hang Bercat. "If you can do
this," said the raja, "you may count on me as a brother." At
dead of night, when all were fast asleep, Hang Bercat went to the house of Raja
Zenel, and found every body fast asleep;
he then ascended from the horse's stall, and found Raja Zenel fast asleep, and
instantly stabbed him through the breast quite to the back.
When Raja Zenel found himself wounded, he groped for his
creese, but could not find it; and he began to welter like a fowl when it is
killed. Then Hang Bercat descended, and Raja Zenel expired; and the people
raised a loud hubbub, that Raja Zenel was murdered, and stabbed by an assassin.
The noise reached Sultan Mahmud, who came forth, and called out, "Who is
below there?" Then Hang Bercat said, "We are all here, four or five
below." He asked, "Who makes
that noise?" Hang Bercat replied, "Your Majesty, I have not
enquired." He said, "Go and see what the noise is about."
Then he went under the pretext of seeing what was the
matter, and returned, saying, "The paduca, your younger brother, has been
secretly stabbed, but the assassin is not known." The Prince comprehended
that this was Hang Bercat's deed; and he called to him, "Go, assemble the
people, and all the King's servants." These were immediately assembled
together, with all the great men; and the Prince went to the corpse of his
brother, and caused it to be buried in a manner befitting a Prince; after which
he returned to the palace.
In a short time, he conferred on him the name of Sang Sura,
and acknowledged him as a brother. In a short time, the wife of Hang Bercat
committed adultery with Sang Guna, and Sang Sura was acquainted with the fact, and lay in wait for Sang Guna.
Now Sang Guna was a very handsome man in person, and of a stout make; but Sang
Sura was of slender, shrill voice, and short stature. The King was informed of
this affair, that Sang Sura was laying wait for Sang Guna. Now the Prince was
very fond of Sang Guna, who was no common man at this time, but was the first
man who manufactured at Malaca, creeses of three spans and a half in length;
and the Prince was also very fond of Sang Sura; but in a situation of this
kind, he had no resource left.
He summoned Sang Sura, who presented himself, and having
taken him to a private place, he said to him, "Sang Sura, there is
something which I wish you to do for me, will you agree to it?" Sang Sura
replied, "If it depends on me to do it, Your Majesty may be sure I shall
not hesitate; for the brain of my head is devoted to your service." The
raja said, "I hear that you are lying in wait for Sang Guna; if you have
any regard for me, I entreat this alone of you, that you would lay aside your design."
When Sang Sura heard this he tucked up the sleeve of his
coat. "That Sire," said he, "is a want of consideration for my
disgrace; but when you suffered disgrace yourself, there was no person to repel
it, but this person who now looks so ugly before you." "Very
well," said the Prince, "All that is true; but nevertheless, for once
I must earnestly request this of you, that you do not set yourself on the watch
for Sang Guna.
Besides, I will order him not to go out of doors, nor to
amuse himself at the houses of his brothers; and if I have any occasion for him
I will summon him." "Very well," said Sang Sura, "What resource
have I left, since you are my liege-lord, whom it is not proper to oppose; but whose
orders on the contrary I am bound to respect, for if I did not, I should not deserve
the name of a servant."
He accordingly gave up his design. As for Sang Guna, the
Prince would not permit him to go abroad, and forbade him to go to amuse himself
among the young men; and whenever he heard that he was standing at the outer
gate of his house, he would send a peon to express his dissatisfaction. But
Sang Guna would say, "Very well, if this be the King's orders, it is
better to take me at once, and bind me, and deliver me over to Sang Sura, and
let him put me to death immediately."
