The Pridi Banomyong Library Rare Book Room, Thammasat University, Tha Prachan campus, owns a number of rare and useful items of potential interest to students and researchers, especially those interested in history, literature, education, Thai studies, ASEAN studies, international relations, and related subjects.

Among them is the book The Siamese tales: being a collection of stories told to the son of the Mandarin Sam-Sib, for the purpose of engaging his mind in the love of truth and virtue: with an historical account of the Kingdom of Siam : to which is added The principle maxims of the Talapoins / translated from the Siamese (1796) by George Brewer.

Brewer was an English writer who had traveled as a sailor to America, India, China, and North Europe.

He even served as a lieutenant in the Swedish navy, before deciding to become a lawyer.

Brewer was not a successful attorney, and he also published fiction, drama, and books for young readers.

His Siamese tales were not translated from any language, despite the book’s subtitle.

They  appear to have been inspired by reading other books about Siam, rather than by any actual visit to the Kingdom.

Nevertheless, historians and sociologists may find interesting material in the often-distorted attitudes and information that Brewer provided to his youthful readers.

The TU Library collection also includes a number of books offering accurate historical information about Siam in the eighteenth century.

Here are some excerpts from Brewer’s book, to give an idea of the vague and generalized image that Europeans had of Siam around the year 1800:

Rice is the principal harvest of the Siamese, they have but a small quantity of wheat, although very good husbandmen. The king himself, on a certain day, day in the year, formerly used to set his hand to the plough, but this custom is now almost dispensed with, the ceremony being left to a person who is called Oc-ya or king of the rice; he rides to the place mounted on an ox, and ever afterwards is supported without labour.

The fruit of this country is of a delightful flavor; among which are the soum-rou, or chrystal orange, the banana, a sort of fig, but greener and longer, the mango, participating of the peach and apricot, and the tamirind, whose agreeable acid is well known in Europe.

CHARACTER

The Siamese are a good people, and hold vice in detestation from principle; they are almost strangers to drunkenness, and those crimes which have found their way into more polished countries. They extend the fifth commandment in a general view, and honour and respect old age in all ranks.

Begging is very rare and shameful among them, and in this country dishonesty is punished more severely, by lasting ignominy, than by the severity of the law. The Siamese are courteous and polite, and live in the greatest domestic union with each other.

Their children are remarkable for their docility, and sweetness of disposition, and have the most unbounded love for their parents, who make themselves more esteemed than feared; they educate them in an extreme modesty, and they are usually sent, when very young, to a convent of Talapoins, or priests, where they are taught in the Balic, or ancient Siamese tongue, the principles of morality, and the fables of Sommona Codom, the good Genii of this country; in nothing are the  Siamese more worthy of example, than in the care they take of the education of their children.

These people have, however, likeother nations, the lights and shades of character, they are mostly timid, weak and inconstant, sometimes avaricious, subtle and deceitful, but their moral laws are finely calculated to oppose and suppress the inclinations of the vicious.

The Siamese are rather of a small size, but very well proportioned; their faces are of an oval form, and their complexions of a reddish brown; their teeth are blackened by art, and their hair is of the same colour, and very long. The women are finely made, and have a very captivating address.

MANNERS AND CUSTOMS

It is the custom of the Siamese, tomarry when very young; the bridegroom visits the lady three times previous to the day, to carry her presents of Betel and fruit. The wedding is attended with feasts and shows, to which they hire professional dancers. If a daughter of a mandarin is the bride, she wears a circle of gold round her head, with curious rings and pendants, and is dressed in a beautiful fine silken pagne, which is a kind of vest.

The Talapoins for days after sprinkle the married pair with sacred water.

DRESSES

The mandarines wear a piece of silk embroidered with gold and silver round the waist, which is called a pagne, and a very fine muslin shirt with sleeves hanging down to the wrists. They have a high  bonnet on the head, adorned with a circle of gold.

The ladies wear pagnes of extraordinary beautiful silk, and richly embroidered with gold and silver, and a scarf of silk passes singly over the bosom, and ties behind, which gives them a very graceful air; they constantly wear rings upon their fingers, and bracelets on the arms and legs.

The common people are plain in their habits and food, and rich in a general poverty, as they know how to content themselves with a little.

OF THE KING

The dress of the king of Siam is a vest of beautiful satin brocaded, with a muslin shirt, adorned with lace, the white high pointed bonnet is a mark of dignity: that of the king is adorned with a circle of gold, set with the most precious diamonds. […]

LANGUAGE

The Siamese have two different languages; the common one is plain and simple, consisting almost wholly of monosyllables, the other is only known to the learned talapoins, and is called the Balic tongue, from which all the terms of religion and virtue are borrowed.

LEARNING

Arithmetic is the principal study of the Siamese, in which they are very expert; they do not incline much to intense application, but have a very good genius for poetry, particularly songs.

THE TRADE

Of this country consists chiefly in fishing and merchandise; for the inhabitants have little to do with the polite arts. The goods are exposed to sale in the bazars, or market places: where so much honesty exists, that the seller very seldom counts the money he receives, nor does the buyer examine the commodity. […]

GOVERNMENT

The king of Siam is a despotic prince, but loves his people, and lays not any taxes on such provisions as affect the poor; as rice and fish. The offices of state are filled by the chief mandarins.

The Maha Omorat is the viceroy, who, in the king’s absence, has the royal seal.

The Oc-ya is the president, or lord of the tribunal. The Calla-hom has the war department, besides which, there is a general of the elephants.

It is not easy to know the king’s name till after his death, as it is kept a secret, for fear of the power of magic and enchantment.

The queen and ladies of the palace live in a separate apartment, and are attended by eunuchs.

(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)