Page 148 - A History of Siam

A HISTORY OF SUM
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Siamese, who were fully prepared, found the whole army
of the Burmese Crown Prince advancing against them
and in utter disorder.
hastily
King Naresuen and his brother were both mounted on
elephants which happened to be musth at the time. The
noise and excitement of the Burmese onrush so maddened
these two animals that themselves
they flung furiously
forward the front ranks of the Burmese
through army ;
almost before knew what had the
they happened, King
and the Prince found themselves, accompanied only by
their immediate attendants, in the midst of the Burmese
host. As soon as the could be and the
elephants stopped,
dust had subsided, the King saw, to his surprise, the
Crown Prince of Burma (whom he had known well in
former close
days) by him, also mounted on an elephant.
"
He at once called out : Brother Prince, leave the shelter
of that tree. Come out and with me, for the honour
fight
"
of our names and the wonder of future
ages !
The Burmese Prince had but to a word and the
say
Siamese monarch and his brother would have been
overwhelmed and either killed or a
captured. Though
poor General, he was, however, a brave man. Scorning
to refuse such a he drove his
challenge, elephant forward,
and the two Princes in combat. The Prince
joined single
dealt a fierce blow with his sword at the head.
King's
The latter bent in time to avoid the blow, but the leather
cap which he was wearing was cut through. The
broke but were forward for
elephants away, brought
a second This time the Burmese Prince
charge.
received a wound in the shoulder and fell dead from
his
elephant.
Thus the unfortunate Prince Min Chit Swa.
perished
He was forced his father to undertake a task for which
by
he had no He we most
capacity. was, learn, unwilling