so as to establish a family : it is therefore not fit to give a [contradictory] reply." So they said: "All matters (artham) are thoroughly known to my lord ; and we too think it is best that the two families should be (eca grivam) united."
22. Thereupon, next day this Ramappa Nayu of Anantapuram, in the morning, sent for the honourable men who had come from Bellary and said " My elder brother [this is the same as His lordship, his honour] has been so gracious to us, as to state that having no heir, he desires me to send him a sun : about this what hesitation is there ?" So saying, he declared by word of mouth in their presence, " I have given my eldest son, Sidda Ramappa Nayu aged* twelve years, to Ramapa, laird of Bellari and added a letter shall be written concerning this to [my] elder brother : and whatever he writes back we will act accordingly."
The visitors, small and great were much pleased (*) at this. Then they wrote [a letter] saying They have granted us Sidda Ramapa Nayu [as an heir] for our family ; with all the particulars. When the laird of Bellari read this letter, he called his wife Siddamma, and (maradalu) his wife's younger sister [the widow] Bhadramma, to whom he stated all that had passed. [The ladies said] " If you will, by making any plan, accomplish our wishes it will please us much." 80 they [the ladies] retired into the (antahpuram) inner palace.
23. The next day the laird of Bellari [wrote a letter to small and greatf to this effectj] ** My [dear] younger brother [a mere phrase of courtesy] has done according to my withes. You are now to present to the various personages the vests of honour which I entrusted to you, in proportion to their dignity, and gratify them : you are to bring the lad along with you according to my "younger brother's" promise in a fortunate [astrological] hour; you must
