On the death of this King succeeded a son named Verupacarao.[503]As long as he reigned he was given over to vice,caring for nothing but women,and to fuddle himself with drink and amuse himself,and never showed himself either to his captains or to his people;so that in a short time he lost that which his forefathers had won and left to him.And the nobles of the kingdom,seeing the habits and life of this king,rebelled,every one of them,each holding to what he possessed,so that in his time the King lost Goa,and Chaull,and Dabull,and the other chief lands of the realm.This King in mere sottishness slew many of his captains.Because he dreamed one night that one of his captains entered his chamber,on the next day he had him called,telling him that he had dreamed that night that the captain had entered his room to kill him;and for that alone he had him put to death.This King had two sons already grown up,who,seeing the wickedness of their father and how he had lost his kingdom,determined to kill him,as in fact was done by one of them,the elder,who was his heir;and after he had killed him,when they besought him to be King,he said,"Although this kingdom may be mine by right,I do not want it because I killed my father,and did therein that which I ought not to have done,and have committed a mortal sin,and for that reason it is not well that such an unworthy son should inherit the kingdom.Take my brother and let him govern it since he did not stain his hands with his father's blood;"which was done,and the younger brother was raised to the throne.And when they had entrusted the kingdom to him he was advised by his minister and captains that he should slay his brother,because,as the latter had killed his father so he would kill him if desirous of so doing;and as it appeared to the King that such a thing might well be,he determined to kill him,and this was at once carried out,and he slew him with his own hand.So that this man truly met the end that those meet with who do such ill deeds This King was called Padearao;and after this was done he gave himself up to the habits of his father,and,abandoning himself to his women,and not seeking to know ought regarding his realm save only the vices in which he delighted,he remained for the most part in the city.
One of his captains who was called Narsymgua,[504]who was in some manner akin to him,seeing his mode of life,and knowing how ill it was for the kingdom that he should live and reign,though all was not yet lost,determined to attack him and seize on his lands;which scheme he at once put into force.
He wrote,therefore,and addressed the captains and chiefs of the kingdom,saying how bad it was for them not to have a King over them who could govern properly,and how it would be no wonder,seeing the manner of his life,if the King soon lost by his bad government even more than his father had done.
He made great presents to all of them so as to gain their goodwill,and when he had thus attached many people to himself he made ready to attack Bisnaga where the King dwelt.When the King was told of the uprising of this captain Narsymgua,how he was approaching and seizing his lands and how many people were joining him,he seemed unmindful of the loss he had suffered,he gave no heed to it nor made ready,but,instead,he only ill-treated him who had brought the news.So that a captain of the army of this Narsymgua arrived at the gates of Bisnaga,and there was not a single man defending the place;and when the King was told of his arrival he only said that it could not be.Then the captain entered the city,and the King only said that it could not be.Then he even entered his palace and came as far as the doors of his chamber,slaying some of the women.At last the King believed,and seeing now how great was the danger,he resolved to flee by the gates on the other side;and so he left his city and palaces,and fled.
When it was known by the captain that the King had fled he did not trouble to go after him,but took possession of the city and of the treasures which he found there;and he sent to acquaint his lord,Narsymgua.And after that Narsymgua was raised to be king.And as he had much power and was beloved by the people,thenceforward this kingdom of Bisnaga was called the kingdom of Narsymga.
After he was raised to be king and was obeyed he came to Bisnaga,where he did many acts of justice;and he took the territories from whomsoever had,contrary to right,taken them from the king.This King reigned forty-four years,and at his death left all the kingdom in peace,and he regained all the lands which the kings his predecessors had lost.He caused horses to be brought from Oromuz and Adeem[505]into his kingdom and thereby gave great profit to the merchants,paying them for the horses just as they asked.He took them dead or alive at three for a thousand PARDAOS,and of those that died at sea they brought him the tail only,and he paid for it just as if it had been alive.
