Birmans, had: found their-way. into the Avacountryfrom Arracki, and came
originally .from. Ceylon.* The Birmah .system ofjj'urispmdencedsrlplete
with, sound .morality, and, in my" opinion','is distinguished above any other
Hindoo gpmmeataiiyiJ&rrpeEspioaity anrf.gorM sense; vitifffbvidesT SpeGifr
cally. jor, almost;everytspeeies of; crime that canlbe; committed-,' and adds
a copious chapter. o£ precedents, and decisions id guide- the inexperienced,
in cases where thercisdoubtrand-difficultyi •.•Trial, by .ordeal and impreca-
tion..am; theioidy ^».sUrd'passagesiiir the book'; but on the subjeet of women
it isv, tp an/European, offensively indecent ; like the immortal' Menu, it
tells, the prince and the magistrate their dutyi in language austeret'hlaBlyi
ancL^energ^ic;; uand the exhortation'at Thet close is at onee-MJfele and
pious ; . the following-extracts»will serve as 'a’ specimen i
“ A counfry may be said to resemble milk,1, fn which ’oppression is like
“ to water ;.-1when-water-isrmin{j^ed.'-with.imIk,dtsr: sweetness immediately
'* vanishes; in the same manner oppression destroys a fair and flourishing
J country . .The royal Surkaab + will only; inhabit the clearest stream:; so
“ a pirince can- .nevercprOspernin a distracted empire. sBy. drinking1 pUre
* milk the, body is .strengthened And the palate .is ■ gratified, but when
“ mingled with: water, pieasure'tto'lori^er is found, and-the springs ‘of
“ health gradually decline: be
* As an incontc6tible proof -that the Birmans acknowledge the Superior antiquity of the
Gingaleze, Bnd.the reception of*-their1 religion arid laws from that quarter, the King of Ava
has salt, within these few years, at separate times, two messengers, persons' of learning and
respectability* to Ceylon*.to «procure the original bookson which their tenets ‘are’ ftdmded,;
and,., in one instance, the Birman minister made an official application to the Governor-General
of India, tot protect and assist the person charged with the cotnmission.
t Bittern. This is a Persian term, used by the Mahomedan translator»
“ A ^ ^ ê ï j f a sharp stroke cuts
SÜC&ougli"pillar wïtlissuoff keenness th it-‘tU*_*Jldbrcci remains tuni'-
^Sshakeh; ,,vuülirc jym l^eciit^ss,hi,sidiscernm2nt,.wiHf^e^^afe(‘|w | 4p/s '*
' “ ■ A- wisëkprmccjiv dêu;ito hi^'pi^plW-.fs thesphv -net LrLi<s^fo ttlie siek
MBljra.-as light, tcHilïesc-ithatf .ireiin |d ukness, as unexpected sighL^U^thc
‘d^eyes1 of^thef feellpd ^Vay, isk thelfullydoon; ctó ^wlijtef-y rnghfr^andjjmille to
)féHthe‘in&nt‘fi!cm thé Erdastnoi^liis iwotlic^kSjfijji
«|Rli-hc<<(ómmeritjtoi ihtrijpi^ÓecdsijltjiTfUjficiunfe.jt'lorn^idoustojudgments
;igiidnsC'1in'dppiessi\t,'{|i5iip^'lmdl a.coirupt ju’d g e i s * thusjcun^
'ousl-y mehacéd^V *
iK'‘^:ThCfpuhishment> of hi'fl.ctfmièss.who judges imqirn.ousl,yandf (Leides
Jfifölalsclyyslull bo-^rmimi ihm< thoit^li* h^ltS^y.LAj^&^’wipfi^and,,vY.oinpf^?
j.yvoffe huïïdreiffpriqsts^»»r^nê th o u s a n d w is g ^ &jj
,'‘éThesb^ktiK)]&lfid^‘;a-lifQUdwsï;.' .«
HHafMihusihave "the learned sjxiktn, and thusj h^vejtho- wi^dCoTCcd^ijhat
-li» litigation may cease aïnorig men, and. contention btybjiiisbedj thuttlayd';'
fc‘ie£nd let all magistrates . nd ipdgesfepimmt'tfie.il.iiY^;)as^they, arcjlioiaM
il*-'w%ittéii«;i'anef.to-t hè-extent ollheiuundeistanding, aiftHalscoiduig?.J-uxiLc*
'“ 'dictates'of their cnrAacöcd,- pronounce judgment agieeablwo ilie .tcnw
f oPthis böjok: Iet the welfare
4? fellow c inatures,'bet their continual study,; and Lhc^sciIï^ohjCc tjjoifc fllmn,
attention: let them'ë'fefcb^mindfiil of fhé^g.r.eifte-dighity^qf th.éj®öV
üVdah* and thfe-Bramins, and pay- t^em, that-Vevereiiccj wfut'b is dii^mp
dï’their saered characters: let them observe besoming r^expcct^tuwa^dsj^dï'
“ men, and they shall shield the: weak;from oppieAion*.*3suSp|)ththe; help-
*-• less, and, in particular ■oas^'Snilagatt, the shverify of A t ‘
Tflp'Arracah nami-for RHahaari-. >U le