Page 287 - A History of Siam

A HISTORT OF SUM 271

found himself besieged in his own palace. Firing took
place throughout the night, but in the morning the
King, with the same fatalistic spirit which had often led
him to overcome almost unsurmountable obstacles,
decided that his hour of destiny had sounded, and sur-
rendered to P'ya Sank'aburi, offering to abdicate and
assume the yellow robe, on the one condition that his
life should be A of later he was
spared. couple days
admitted into the ranks of that priesthood whose members
he had, in his madness, so grievously ill-treated.

P'ya Sank'aburi now assumed the direction of affairs.
He all the in the and
began by releasing prisoners gaol,
this was followed a massacre of all those
step by general
who had set themselves as informers.
persons up
The Governor of K'orat, P'ya Suriya Ap'ai, had sent
on the outbreak of the to inform
post-haste, rebellion,
Chao P'ya Chakri, who was then at Siemrap. In reply,
he received orders to at once to with
proceed Bangkok
all the and hold the until
troops he could raise, capital
the arrival of Chao P'ya Chakri himself. He arrived
at Bangkok in the middle of April, and was well received
by P'ya Sank'aburi, who still expressed the intention of
Chao Chakri on the throne. Before
placing P'ya long,
however, it became evident that P'ya Sank'aburi's
ambition had overcome his and that he intended
scruples,
to make himself He to rifle the
King, began Treasury,
and to distribute largess broadcast, so as to gain sup-
He then released from a of the
porters. prison nephew
Prince Anurak and him
King's, Songk'ram, provided
with to attack the of
troops army P'ya Suriya Ap'ai.
Prince Anurak burnt down a of the but
great part city,
when it came to he was beaten. He him-
fighting badly
self fell into the hands of and about half of
P'ya Suriya,
his the victor.
troops joined