Page 103 - A History of Siam

A HISTORT OF SIAM 101

and Prince a half-brother of
away with, P'rajai, King
Boromoraja IV, reigned in his stead.
Nothing is known of this King before his usurpation
of the but there is some reason to that
throne, suppose
he was Governor of P'itsanulok.
The first few of this were ones.
years reign peaceful
The was out a scheme for
King busy carrying improving
the of the River Menam at Before
navigation Bangkok.
his time the course of the river followed the canals
which are now known as K'longs Bang Luang and
Bangkok Noi. The present river from Ta T'ien to T'a
Chang Wang Na was dry land. King P'rajai caused a
channel to be across this neck of
dug land, which in
a few became the main
years waterway.
To this a curious of
period (1536) belongs piece
the Law for Trial Ordeal. As is well
legislation, by
known, trial by ordeal was common in Europe at that
time is more natural and to
; nothing, indeed, fitting
a imbued with faith in
simple-minded people, firmly
Divine than to leave the decision of their
justice, disputes
to the arbitration of some Being wiser and less fallible
than a human has
judge. Unfortunately, experience
shown that Divine cannot be relied to
Beings upon
vindicate the of whenever called
principles justice
upon to do so ; this, however, is a comparatively new
in and ordeal
discovery ; King P'rajai's time, later,
was a very popular form of trial.
The Law for Trial by Ordeal provides for several
kinds of ordeal. One method consisted in walking
over red-hot charcoal ; the party whose feet were burnt
was adjudged the loser. Another system was by diving
under the water ; the man who stayed under the longer
won the case. Sometimes the parties were made to
swim a race across the river ; sometimes they lit candles