HISTORICAL SKETCHES.
CHAPTER XVIII.
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF SIAM.
Of immense advantage to the Buddhist faith,
and equally an obstacle to the development
of any other religion, is the fact that Siamese
history, on being traced back beyond the middle
of the fourteenth century, becomes chaotic and
obscure, affording abundant opportunity to the
priests to fabricate any ingenious theories which
they may desire. By a splendid piece of flattery
they have taught the Siamese sovereigns that they
are lineal descendants of Buddha, and that the
people themselves have sprung from his first disciples.
Thus ruler and people are alike interested
in the support of a religious system which is
identified with their own origin. Through all
the early periods of their history the miracles of
Buddha are interspersed with a lavish hand. Ancient
matrimonial alliances of the Siamese princes
