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eges with it； for the holder is freed from taxes thenceforward； and he has the right of asking a favour from the real sultan。 That favour is seldom refused； it usually consists in the release of a prisoner。 Moreover； the agents of the student…sultan levy fines on the shopkeepers and householders； against whom they trump up various humorous charges。 The temporary sultan is surrounded with the pomp of a real court； and parades the streets in state with music and shouting； while a royal umbrella is held over his head。 With the so…called fines and free…will offerings； to which the real sultan adds a liberal supply of provisions； the students have enough to furnish forth a magnificent banquet； and altogether they enjoy themselves thoroughly； indulging in all kinds of games and amusements。 For the first seven days the mock sultan remains in the college； then he goes about a mile out of the town and encamps on the bank of the river； attended by the students and not a few of the citizens。 On the seventh day of his stay outside the town he is visited by the real sultan； who grants him his request and gives him seven more days to reign； so that the reign of the Sultan of the Scribes nominally lasts three weeks。 But when six days of the last week have passed the mock sultan runs back to the town by night。 This temporary sultanship always falls in spring； about the beginning of April。 Its origin is said to have been as follows。 When Mulai Rasheed II。 was fighting for the throne in 1664 or 1665； a certain Jew usurped the royal authority at Taza。 But the rebellion was soon suppressed through the loyalty and devotion of the students。 To effect their purpose they resorted to an ingenious stratagem。 Forty of them caused themselves to be packed in chests which were sent as a present to the usurper。 In the dead of night； while the unsuspecting Jew was slumbering peacefully among the packing…cases； the lids were stealthily raised； the brave forty crept forth； slew the usurper； and took possession of the city in the name of the real sultan； who； to mark his gratitude for the help thus rendered him in time of need； conferred on the students the right of annually appointing a sultan of their own。 The narrative has all the air of a fiction devised to explain an old custom； of which the real meaning and origin had been forgotten。
A custom of annually appointing a mock king for a single day was observed at Lostwithiel in Cornwall down to the sixteenth century。 On little Easter Sunday the freeholders of the town and manor assembled together； either in person or by their deputies； and one among them； as it fell to his lot by turn； gaily attired and gallantly mounted； with a crown on his head； a sceptre in his hand； and a sword borne before him； rode through the principal street to the church； dutifully attended by all the rest on horseback。 The clergyman in his best robes received him at the churchyard stile and conducted him to hear divine service。 On leaving the church he repaired； with the same pomp； to a house provided for his reception。 Here a feast awaited him and his suite； and being set at the head of the table he was served on bended knees； with all the rites due to the estate of a prince。 The ceremony ended with the dinner； and every man returned home。
Sometimes the temporary king occupies the throne； not annually； but once for all at the beginning of each reign。 Thus in the kingdom of Jambi in Sumatra it is the custom that at the beginning of a new reign a man of the people should occupy the throne and exercise the royal prerogatives for a single day。 The origin of the custom is explained by a tradition that there were once five royal brothers； the four elder of whom all declined the throne on the ground of various bodily defects； leaving it to their youngest brother。 But the eldest occupied the throne for one day； and reserved for his descendants a similar privilege at the beginning of every reign。 Thus the office of temporary king is hereditary in a family akin to the royal house。 In Bilaspur it seems to be the custom； after the death of a Rajah； for a Brahman to eat rice out of the dead Rajah's hand； and then to occupy the throne for a year。 At the end of the year the Brahman receives presents and is dismissed from the territory； being forbidden apparently to return。 The idea seems to be that the spirit of the Rájá enters into the Bráhman who eats the khir （rice and milk） out of his hand when he is dead； as the Brahman is apparently carefully watched during the whole year； and not allowed to go away。 The same or a similar custom is believed to obtain among the hill states about Kangra。 The custom of banishing the Brahman who represents the king may be a substitute for putting him to death。 At the installation of a prince of Carinthia a peasant； in whose family the office was hereditary； ascended a marble stone which stood surrounded by meadows in a spacious valley； on his right stood a black mother…cow； on his left a lean ugly mare。 A rustic crowd gathered about him。 Then the future prince； dressed as a peasant and carrying a shepherd's staff； drew near； attended by courtiers and magistrates。 On perceiving him the peasant called out； Who is this whom I see coming so proudly along？ The people answered； The prince of the land。 The peasant was then prevailed on to surrender the marble seat to the prince on condition of receiving sixty pence； the cow and mare； and exemption from taxes。 But before yielding his place he gave the prince a light blow on the cheek。
Some points about these temporary kings deserve to be specially noticed before we pass to the next branch of the evidence。 In the first place； the Cambodian and Siamese examples show clearly that it is especially the divine or magical functions of the king which are transferred to his temporary substitute。 This appears from the belief that by keeping up his foot the temporary king of Siam gained a victory over the evil spirits； whereas by letting it down he imperilled the existence of the state。 Again； the Cambodian ceremony of trampling down the mountain of rice； and the Siamese ceremony of opening the ploughing and sowing； are charms to produce a plentiful harvest； as appears from the belief that those who carry home some of the trampled rice； or of the seed sown； will thereby secure a good crop。 Moreover； when the Siamese representative of the king is guiding the plough； the people watch him anxiously； not to see whether he drives a straight furrow； but to mark the exact point on his leg to which the skirt of his silken robe reaches； for on that is supposed to hang the state of the weather and the crops during the ensuing season。 If the Lord of the Heavenly Hosts hitches up his garment above his knee； the weather will be wet and heavy rains will spoil the harvest。 If he lets it trail to his ankle； a drought will be the consequence。 But fine weather and heavy crops will follow if the hem of his robe hangs exactly half…way down the calf of his leg。 So closely is the course of nature； and with it the weal or woe of the people； dependent on the minutest act or gesture of the king's representative。 But the task of making the crops grow； thus deputed to the temporary kings； is one of the magical functions regularly supposed to be discharged by kings in primitive society。 The rule that the mock king must stand on one foot upon a raised seat in the rice…field was perhaps originally meant as a charm to make the crop grow high； at least this was the object of a similar ceremony observed by the old Prussians。 The tallest girl； standing on one foot upon a seat； with her lap full of cakes； a cup of brandy in her right hand and a piece of elm…bark or linden…bark in her left； prayed to the god Waizganthos that the flax might grow as high as she was standing。 Then； after draining the cup； she had it refilled； and poured the brandy on the ground as an offering to Waizganthos； and threw down the cakes for his attendant sprites。 If she remained steady on one foot throughout the ceremony； it was an omen that the flax crop would be good； but if she let her foot down； it was feared that the crop might fail。 The same significance perhaps attaches to the swinging of the Brahmans； which the Lord of the Heavenly Hosts had formerly to witness standing on one foot。 On the principles of homoeopathic or imitative magic it might be thought that the higher the priests swing the higher will grow the rice。 For the ceremony is described as a harvest festival； and swinging is practised by the Letts of Russia with the avowed intention of influencing the growth of the crops。 In the spring and early summer； between Easter and St。 John's Day （the summer solstice）； every Lettish peasant is said to devote his leisure hours to swinging diligently； for the higher he rises in the air the higher will his flax grow that season。
In the foregoing cases the temporary king is appointed annually in accordance with a regular custom。 But in other cases the appointment is made only to meet a special emergency； such as to relieve the real king from some actual or threatened evil by diverting it to a substitute； who takes his place on the throne for a short time。 The history of Persia furnishes instances of such occasional substitutes for