Page:History of India Vol 5.djvu/323

DIVISION OF THE WEEK 271 the people know that they might retire. On those days, moreover, the keeper of the wardrobe used to fetch some suits of fine apparel, while the treasurer brought several purses of money, and they placed them in the court in order that rewards and robes might be given to any one from them, and that no delay should take place. In addition to all this, a number of heroes of most martial bearing donned coats of mail and took blood-drinking swords in their hands, standing before the throne to seize and punish those who might be proved guilty. Mondays and Wednesdays were allotted for pleasure parties, and on these days some of the emperor's boon companions and chosen friends were convened and a band of musicians and singers was called. The cause of appointing these days for this purpose was that Mon- day is the day of the Moon and Wednesday of Mercury; and it was, therefore, suitable that on these days he should keep company with young men beautiful as the moon and hear sweet songs and delightful music. On Fridays, as the Arabic name of the day, jwm'a, or 11 assembly," implies, he called together all the assem- blies and sat with them as long as he could find leisure from his other duties. Another invention of this king was that he made three arrows of gold and called each after the name of one of the three classes mentioned above. Each of these arrows was given to one of the leading men of the respective classes and he was commissioned to manage all the affairs of the class to which he belonged.