Page 228 - A History of Siam

A HISTORT OF SUM
2i 4

Phaulkon left a widow, a Japanese by birth, and a
son. The widow, after many vicissitudes, became
superintendent of the kitchen to King T'ai Sra, and
was still in 1717. The son grew up and became
living
a in the Siamese He died in
Captain Navy. poverty
in a son and several Phaulkon 's
1754, leaving daughters.
grandson, John Phaulkon, and one of his grand-
were the taken the
daughters, among prisoners by
Burmese on the of in
capture Ayut'ia 1767. They
returned to Siam, and were still in It is
living 1771.
more than that there be descendants of
possible may
Phaulkon in Siam at the
living present day.
After the death of Phaulkon, P'ra P'etraja, in the name
of the King, ordered Des Farges to bring up his troops
to Lopburi. Des Farges refused, and an attack was
the fort at At
consequently begun against Bangkok.
the same time a of the native Christians
persecution
was commenced.
P'ra P'etraja had himself no desire to usurp the
throne. His sole was to rid of Phaulkon and
object get
compel the French to leave the Kingdom. His son,
Luang Sarasak, however, was more ambitious. In order
to force his father's hand, he caused the King's two
brothers to be arrested, and had them both executed in
the usual way, by sewing them up in a velvet sack and
clubbing them to death. This step rendered it impossible
for P'ra to draw back.
P'etraja
Two days later, on July nth, 1688, King Narai died,
and P'ra P'etraja was at once proclaimed King. 1

King Narai is more familiar to us than any other of
the Kings of Ayut'ia. The following description of
him is adapted from Father Tachard, who met and

According to Turpin, King Narai, before his death, caused his daughter to
1
be proclaimed Queen.