i « It-shall be the diiity ofa'prmc:e, aHd: tke^ magistrates of aprince, wisely
“ tb regulate i f e id«lisö^p6li'Ge<óf • the * empire, to assist*arid befriend the
‘f peasaöts, -rftêfchaTits,'fatffi'ers, : and those'who ffnllow, trades, that they
“ iftay"daily inerdasevin‘worldly wealth, and happiness; • they shalhpromote
“ all'Wofks of charity, encourage the opulent to ; relieve the poor, and
“ liberally ‘ contribute to ' piöüs and laudable Ï purposes; and whatsoever
“ good works shall be promoted by their influence and example; whatsoever
‘‘ shall h e giVëö h r eharifyj’S id whatsoever benefit Shall accrue to mankind
“• ftoirf their endeavours,*uf shall a ll be preserved in’ the records of heaven,
“ one-sixth part of which, though the deeds be the deeds of dhers^syet shall
« it be ascribed unto them; hnd at the last day, at the solemn and awful
‘‘ hour of judgment, the recording spirit-shall produce them,, inscribed on
“ the tablet of human actions. But; om the other hand, if.the
“ prosperity of the nation be neglected, if justice.be Suffered, to .lieiHor-
“ mant^jf kmaiilts arise/ and robberies ate committed; if rapine arid foul
“ assassination stalk along the plains, all crimes that shall h e thus perpe-
“ trated through their remissness, One-sixth part shall ibehrought to their
« account, and faU with weighty vengeance on their heads;* the dr-èadful
‘‘ consequenties of which surpass the power of-tongue to-tót'er^or.pfipen
“ to express.”
• Laws, thus dictated by religion, are, I bdieve, iff general, oocscientibusly
administered. ;The criminal jurisprudence o f the Birmans isdemeritrinparticular
cases* but rigorous in o th e rs; whoever is found guilty offan undue
assumption of power, or of any crime that indicates .artreasonable fnttent,
-tó punished by the severest tortures. The fifet commission of ithefbdoes
not incur the penalty of death, unless the amount stolen be above 800
kiat, or ‘arkal, about £100; or attended with circumstances of atrocity,
E M B A S&Y' TT® AVA. 307
sucff asCmugibS,, or muLilUfciftn.' Ijp'th'Mdrm'et* GaSe»th&Gulpri&has a round
mark inSprinted on ^ch^cBeefeffytgujfpowd«- •pu%GtriUtionJ,>anafon
his |&eas"f 'till s ^ d w e f ; with- d i t^ f o l id offence
he is dej}ri^edrdft'a“n arm’^b® fee'Airdrinevitibl^p^*#Bsic'apital phuKJS?*
meat :• ’decapitado^jl^^^rfiSSfe by-whicli criminal’s suffer, in ihc palbVffi3.
,anee o f which BSrman^xecuti&rfers- are exceedingly hkiffak-': *
-The^crty of fJmmerapdora iis:f|lliiyifled trite four-disturb!!'’subordinate
juiisdu.iloys.,iri c kh of whu I iMi)woon nresuks. i firs offi^ei* who i8
the provinces; iVA tlib'inetropolis-aescmbks d--mayorpancft hblds
a civil and criminal? e6uVtJ ol jiAfice-;^ m capital cas'Js^ke transmits <the>evi-
tkiaeiTi writing, with his (iphnoir? to 'the1 l^jLoo^op^ui^SHi^btr.uficHii-
sultation-, where the;''eqkridii’of statejisseihfebs'S tliJ t# ’i?ip;-ulil:i'rdl!i>s»
IfemH^ioh ‘intothe documents, reports Upon them fti win»
either pardbhsttKe-'offeridef, ekoiders exeeutioriafklS#
woon-is obliged to attend in person, and see theSpi^sfe^fitv'easrie'd'mtS
.effect.
Mfeil-tsuits may be- transferred from the courts oftth,e Maywoo'nfr to- the
db®too ; this removal, however,' is attended with a heavy expence. -Tliefe
are-regular established-lawyers, who'-condflctpauses,tWill pkad; ught
only are licensed to’plead-m the Lotoo; t h e y - are‘ottl^VAiffie^idozaam:
the usual fee is five tackal, equal-to sixteen1 shillings, bat ^government
has large pipfits on alt suits that are brought into ebtet.
b; There is nbi eburitry -bf the East in which’ the ¥byal establishnient is
arranged with more minute attention than in 'the Birman court ;'ip is
splendid without being wasteful, and numerous without confusion^ the
most distinguished members, when I was atjthe capital, were "• th eS ^ sre ig n ,
his principal queen, entitled Nandoh Praw, by whom he has no s&ns; his