278 CRADLE TALES OF HINDUISM
when he states the date^ he would not say, ** of the year of the Lord 1900/' for instance, meaning 1900 years after Christ, as we might, but he would say *' of the year 1957 of the Era of Vikratnaditya," ^ So we can judge for ourselves whether that name is ever likely to be forgotten in India. Now who was this Vikramaditya, and why was he so loved ? The whole of that secret, after so long a time, we can scarcely hope to recover. He was like our King Arthur, or like Alfred the Great — so strong and true and gentle that the men of his ow^n day almost worshipped him, and those of all after times w^ere obliged to give him the first place, though they had never looked in his face, nor appealed to his great and tender heart — simply because they could see that never king had been loved like this king. But one thing we do know about Vikramaditya. It is told of him that he was the greatest judge in history.
Never was he deceived. Never did he punish the wrong man. The guilty trembled when they came before him, for they knew that his eyes would look straight into their guilt. And those who had difficult questions to ask, and wanted to know the truth, were thankful to be allowed to come, for they knew that their King would never rest till he understood the matter, and that then he would give an answ^er that would convince all,
^ The name of this en is Samvat.
