introduction of the complete Buddhist scriptures, Bi-da-gát, into Burma, occurred. This event has probably been materially antedated, as indeed appears from what is stated subsequently in the history of the reign of A-nan-ra-htá more than six hundred years later. But in the history it is related how at this time, the entire Bi-da-gát was brought to Tha-htun, then the chief city of the Talaing kingdom, by the great teacher Bud-da-gau-tha. The story of this great teacher appears to have been taken from the Mahawanso of Ceylon, for older Burmese accounts generally represented Bud-da-gau-tha as an inhabitant of Tha-htun. The event is thus narrated. "About this time it is recorded in the great Rádzá-weng, that the celebrated teacher, the lord Bud-da-gau-tha, went from the country of Tha-htun to Ceylon to bring the books of the Bi-da-gát. In the new Rádzá-weng, it is said that he crossed from Mits-tsi-máde-tha; but the case is really thus: For more than nine hundred years after the establishment of religion,* the disciples of Yau-ná-kamahá-dham-ma-rak-khi-tá, and of Thau-na and Ut-ta-rá, repeated by heart the three great divisions of the Bi-da-gát. There were as yet no letters in Dzám-bu-dí-pa. At that time a young Brahman was living near the Baudi tree. He was learned in medicine and mathematics. Wandering about in Dzam-bú-di-pa, disputing the doctrines of others, he came to a monastery, and in the vicinity began to recite in a soft voice. The great teacher Sheng Re-wa-tá hearing, said: This man is wise, it will be proper to discuss with him.'

fore called out,' Who is there braying like an ass?'

He there

The young man

and then to his

replied, You understand then the braying of asses?' questions Sheng Rewatá gave suitable replies. But the young Brahman knew nothing of the divine law. He therefore became a Rahan to study the three great books of the Bi-da-gát. From that time, he became as celebrated as a Phrá, and was named Bud-da-gautha. He wished to study commentaries on the Bi-da-gát. The Sheng Ré-wa-tá, knowing this, said: In Dzám-bú-dí-pa there is only the Páli, there is not the commentary; teachers with various gifts of mind are scarce; but in Ceylon the commentaries are pure. The

The assertion in the text must mean that until after the year 900 of religion, there were no Scriptures in Burma or Suvánabhumi, that is, Tha-htun. The term Dzám-bú-dí-pa, which is generally applied to India only, is here applied by a bold license to those two countries.

Pali divine revelations as repeated in the three great councils, were carried to Ceylon by the lord Ma-hin-da. Going there where the commentaries exist in the Singalese language, learn it and translate them into Magadá.' Saying this, he sent him, as is written in the book Tsú-la-weng."

The history then gives in detail several versions of the story of the sacred books being procured in Ceylon by Bud-da-gau-tha, and brought to the Indo-Chinese nations. The great teacher is represented as the religious benefactor or missionary to the Burmese, Talaings, Arakanese, Shans, Siamese and Cochin Chinese. But he was led to Tha-htun by a miraculous direction at the last moment. The history proceeds thus: "Lo! the lord Bud-da-gau-tha, after having obtained permission from king Mahá-ná-ma, by presenting him with a white elephant, brought away the book Wi-thú-dí-mag, the three great divisions of the Bidagát, and the commentaries. But when he was on his way to Dzam-bu-dí-pa, a Thagya came and warned him, saying, There is no place in Mits-tsi-má-de-tha where religion can be established; the places where it is to be firmly established are situated on the southeast side of Mits-tsi-má-de-tha; they are nine hundred yúzanás in circumference; they lie on the outskirts, and are known as Tha-rekhet-ta-rá, The-ri-pits-tsa-ra, Rá-ma-ngya and other countries. Religion shall be established in them for full five thousand years. The books should be conveyed thither. The great teacher accordingly came to Tha-htun in the country of Rámangyá, then called Thú-dammá-wa-ti, and also Thu-wan-na-bhum-mi."

The historian states that this event occurred in the year 946 of religion, or A. D. 403. Thus," he concludes, " in order to set forth distinctly the account of the arrival in the Burma country of the scriptures, the root and foundation of religion, which had been omitted, in the great and the middle Rádzá-weng, I have extracted the narrative thereof from the religious books."

King Kyung-du-rit died after a reign of twenty-five years. No particular event is recorded until the reign of Thaik-taing. He changed the site of the city from Thí-ri-pits-tsa-yá to Tha-ma-htí and called it Tam-pa-wá-ti. The change of the position of the capital city to the distance only of a few miles, is still a common practice with Burmese kings. It is prompted sometimes by superstitious

motives, and sometimes by mere caprice. In the instances mentioned of change of the capital Pu-gán, it is probable that the king's palace was rebuilt, and only a portion of the population required to remove. In modern times when the capital was changed from Ama-ra-pú-ra to Mán-da-le, a distance of six miles, the whole population, numbering one hundred thousand souls was forced to accompany the court to the new capital.

From this time a considerable interval elapsed without any event which can be mentioned as materially bearing on the national history. Several usurpers are recorded as having gained the throne by artifice or violence. The most remarkable of these was Thenga-rá-dzá, called also Pup-pá Tsau Rahán. He is said to have been the teacher to the queen of Htwon-khyit. On the death of that king, he married. the queen and seized the throne. Being a learned man, he reformed the calendar. He ascended the throne in the year 535 of the era established by A-de-tyá king of Tha-re-khet-ta-rá. He reigned twenty-seven years, and in the last year of his reign, which would have been 562 of that era, he established a new one. Having a deep respect for the ancient royal race, he declared prince Shwe-ún-thi the son of his predecessor, heir to the throne. That prince married Thenga Rádzá's daughter and succeeded his father-in-law.*

In the reign of Pyin-byá who ascended the throne in the year of religion 1385, the site of the city, or rather probably of the palace, was again changed to a position called more especially Pu-gán. This

The existing Burmese era commences from this time. The Burmese year begins when the sun is supposed to enter the first sign of the zodiac, now about the 13th or 14th of April. The Burmese year 1230, commenced in April 1868. It would therefore appear that the existing era commenced when the sun entered the sign Aries, A. D. 639. The Burmese chronology has been thus adjusted with the year of Gautama's Neibbán, called in the Mahá-rádzáweng the year of religion. The first king of the dynasty, of Tha-re-khet-ta-rá, named Ma-há-thám-ba-wá is stated to have become king in the year 60 of religion 483 B. C. The number of years of the reigns of all the kings of Tha-re-khet-ta-rá and of Pugán, from that time to the end of the reign of Thenga Rádzá, as given in the history, and including an interregnum of thirteen years, amount to 1120. This would therefore place the close of Thengarádza's reign in the year 1180 of religion or 637 A. D. The Burmese ordinary year contains only 354 days. Every third year there is an intercalary month of thirty days. But the calendar is occasionally interfered with arbitrarily by order of the king, to adjust the reckoning of time with some supposed necessity, which depends upon superstitious prejudices. There is an apparent difference of two years between the time at which the present era is said to have been established, and that which is shown from the number of years or date which corresponds with 1868 A. D. namely 1230.

probably is the locality now shown to travellers as the site of the palace. The enclosure wall can still be traced by a line of earth mixed with brick. The magnificent temples built some centuries later, still exist entire, but of the palace, which no doubt was built of wood, not a vestige remains. This king also built the city of Tunggweng to the south and called it Rá-má-wa-ti.

After this the history frequently refers to the heretical religion which existed, of which the A-rí teachers were the priests. The false worship which was practiced is strongly denounced, apparently to enhance the merit of the revival of pure Buddhism under A-nan-ra-htá about four hundred years later. But before that king appears, the historian considers it necessary to make it clear, that he was of the true royal race, an object carefully kept in view throughout the history with reference to each king, from whom the present royal family claim descent It is recorded that the thirty-fourth king of Pugán, named Tan-net was deposed by an obscure youth called Ngá-khwé. It is admitted that Ngá-khwé was of obscure origin. He had been sold as a slave; but his descent is traced from a younger brother of Thein-tsusan the twenty-sixth king of Pugán. He entered the service of king Tan-net as a groom. He soon rose in the king's

favour and confidence. At length he acquired much influence, and entered into a conspiracy against the king, whom he murdered. He then seized the throne. He reigned nine years and was succeeded by his son Theín-kho. A curious story is told of this king having been accidentally killed while hunting in the forest. The king, having been separated from his followers, and being hungry, entered the plantation of a hill man and plucked a cucumber. The hill man, not knowing the king, struck him with a spade, and killed him. The

story is thus continued: "The groom of king Thein-kho having come up and seeing the body of his master, asked the hill man, 'Why have you struck him to death?' The hill man replied, 'Your master plucked and ate my cucumbers, and shall I not strike him?' The groom said craftily,' He who kills a king always becomes king himself.' The hill man answered, 'I don't wish to be a king. This year I am a king of cucumbers, which hang on the stalks in my plantation like sucking puppies.' The groom said, 'You shall have your cucumbers and enjoy also the pleasure of reigning as a king. The hap

piness of a king is excellent and exalted. He has good food and fine clothes. He has gold, silver, elephants, horses, buffaloes, cows, goats, pigs, and rice in abundance.' The hill man, being thus persuaded, followed the groom. The groom secretly led the hill man into the palace, and told the whole story to the chief queen. She praised the groom for his discretion. The queen also, lest the country should become disturbed, gave out that the king was ill, and prevented all coming in and going out of the palace. The hill man was instructed, bathed, and perfumed. One of the queens of inferior rank being disrespectful to him, the stone image at the gate of the palace, rushed in, and smote her to death. Seeing this all in the palace was frightened, as if they were in danger of being eaten up. The chief queen on the sixth day caused it to be proclaimed throughout the city, that the next day the king would appear, and all ministers, nobles, and officers were required to attend. Early next morning all went into the palace. When the gate of the inner palace was opened, all joining their hands bowed down their heads. But one of them insolently said, 'Alas! this is not our master, our lady, the queen, has not consulted us in this matter.' Suddenly one of the stone images at the gate of the palace, rushed in and smote him to death. Then all the ministers, nobles, and officers, and the whole country feared as if they were to be devoured. When the hill man became king he was very powerful. He took the title of Tsau Rahán. He made a delightful garden at his former cucumber plantation. The image of a great dragon was placed there. This image was worshipped; for dragons being more powerful, and more excellent than men, great benefit may be derived from the worship of them. Moreover, as there were hollow temples in the countries of Tha-htun and Tha-re-khetta-rá, the king, after consulting the false Arí teachers, built five hollow temples. In each temple was placed an image, resembling neither Nát nor Phrá. To these morning and evening, food and spirits were offered, and so they were propitiated and worshipped. At the time. when the omniscient and excellent Phrá was still existing, the religious doctrine which was first established by Pun-na-hté in the Mrammá country; in Tagúng, in Thare-khet-ta-rá, in A-rí-mad-da-ná and in The-ri-pits-tsa-rá; the true doctrines of religion were maintained during the reigns of many successive kings. Afterwards when the city