-a|tog§.the^deny tlte'gupj-emâ c.y„Qfrf the B ramin, profess ors.*© ver it heir Rha-
Baans, TheÆ(ifmâns^:Reguers, and Siamese;. as ^eîL.as, ali
jrahVmgîw W e - fundamental ^principles tof religion qm be jifraued ^O^the
^ i n H i ^ system^iiandi-wiar) .acknowledge. tfaerSfaanscrit.j as- their itext,-
un i te J-imrionaîbenevolerit doctrine ;/the> sinfulness ,of ideptivâag carÈ-ji* ainimàl
of life,, to .satisfy .a carnivorous appetite. To eat .flesh, is not .deemed a
crime by the Birmans ; but he who eats it is not exempt from sin, unless
iÉ l creature, died a natural death, or was slain by accident, or by other
hands. This precept of the church, it may be supposed, is not very scrupulously
observed ; and in many parts of the empire is wholly disregarded,
except by the priesthood, who never even prepare their own victuals.
Mandates have been issued by' viceroys, : and proclamations gone forth
from the Golden palace, to enjoin obedience to the sacred law ; but these
were little more than expiatory manifestoes, suggested by remorse., danger,
or superstition. It is likewise at times used as an instrument of venal
oppression ; the greedy retainers of the law being entitled to a certain
quota of the fine levied from a convicted delinquent. Shembuan, strongly
tinctured with bigotry, often, in the course of his reign, repeated the pious
prohibition, with no other effect than causing that to be done in secret,
which before the order, little précaution had been used to conceal.
On the demise of Shembuan, it does not appear that any effort was
made-, either by Momien himself, or the nobles attached to his father, to
recover a throne, from which1 he was most unjustly debarred. Chenguza
ascended without opposition, and assumed the government, at a juncture
when the flourishing state of public affairs, held out a flattering prospect
of an auspicious reign.
But in the succession to sovereignty, if sometimes happens, as in. the
^uGcgskMgtbl a!¥t^fa^tha|®^-^h^^&^t’9||feifSire^inliefitarice, ’ does
§»,t^ajw(aysslproVIpih'tVifahmim^ii^ subject-,, m his ten mis
;^fr.defr@nes.>idl%iife$o,U^4|Fj;0ks)3^!iy.,|'r^ (^ ^ g !^^ tOotoforgiyem, in; the
'$ f|f|i#P tivevh gi^t^ llllh igh '-fc^iGU /u sttCp rjx’ate property;
d&&#an$$fcal wantoofthones^p^iiiffipjq;^ fong,^d^tj|mef||ehufsfr.bf base- and
^he®1es.JS;ubjeEisf eg tenantry^frrpfgigg ei*ynjJ^ntd '%he^mM^Mte..yefrei;ate
the^tufcsi o£rth& c. divinamj sb‘
Strenuously iriGUl&fdd^ySi^a^ifmamaTdclcs^ofqjhluibj.^ fju,h,i du |(]£qfesip
thd;e n d v .p ^ iirs u ff ic i^ l^ l|p s ^ ^ ^0f^ ^ ^ y jo le n c i> a friftm lSjo 1] u ted-
by the disgraced by.
■jfnalrdligiqctss.^hf^j HH|
cSs^ith alfr rfrej.a^V®tage^.a5ising. from his'» father’ a
|^&mment>j;thoroughlyr.e§tej?lished in powers ^Ohengn^cf ^ ^ & a ^ h^
-‘rgish--'^hujStltePfrist%qtiqns.1^ ,.stucaed^byifeyery:meat}s, uk.lns povvcl,to
abuse.- .HiYhijshimprudent; arstfwas. tcwrh6all/th^Aym^fr(|w|fihp..sniubma^
whfeh^shortly after, t-he departure o f ^ |* |^ ^ ^ d ^ j 'r c h e d ’.^^hMar- '
taban under Maha-see-soo-ra, and had’ com menccd' dppi atidttyUv unsfr the
fS^jftnese,.'This genprjd^Ihenguzamotwffiiy'dispIaced^rAi. his military com'-
mand|but Kfeewise degradpdfrom his"®^h'ministeriaf Sffiee of Wodf^glfr,
or,chi|jjchunselloro|state; adjapasure that drew on himself mufltlkium *
as Ma!ha-see-soo-ra was a person, p^cqaciliatbrymannersf and anf offrcer of
'approved integrity atad valour.
^The-other parts of Chenguza’s conduct, col-responded with,tKi&.hrhitrary
outset i and he pldrigjed^kf'bncfe into tho mo^f' friUm6lLv>-'debstuthe h\ »No$ '
content with repealing the edidts of hYffa^felfaf kinst the5 TfscVj'Ssphitfrpks
liquors, he exhibited, in Jlis ora.pemom an.exaRiple qbcluiotwhcr’drisi-
1B I