Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/690

The preva- rications of Sundara before the Raja. 650 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. [ Chap. felt the influence of the charm of his personality. ‘He appeared perfectly indifferent to his fate, and with a stately demeanour approached the throne. He was more handsome than all the princes that had stood as suitors for the hands of the princess. Raja Vira Sinha felt compunc- tion at the noble sight of the young man who would be welcome as his son-in-law, if only his birth, status in life, and learning, had qualified him forthe high honour, and if he had not stooped to the wicked device of a thief for winning the heart of his pretty daughter. The sword of the chief officer of police was unsheathed and it stood ready awaiting only the command of the king to sever the head of the thief from his body before allthe assembled court. The Raja asked the young man to relate his story,—who he was, what was his father’s name and why he stooped to such a mean device for gaining the princess. Sundara said in a half-humourous tone, ‘‘ My name is Vidyapati (lit. husband of Vidya), my father’s name is father-in-law of Vidya, my home is in Vidya-nagar (village of the name of Vidya) and I belong to the caste of Vidya.” The offended chief was angry beyond measure at the audacity of the man, and the chief officer of the police wanted permission to kill him on the spot, but the chief by a glance cast secretly at the officer forbade him to do so. The more the Raja tried to bring the thief to a confession of his guilt as also to giving an account of himself, the more did he frustrate him by ingenious replies, and at last recited 50 sfokas composed by himself, extempore, in which he described his love to Vidya, but these s/okas (in =