t u -y
R e l ig ion .
Laws.
Government.
tiquity the followers of Brahma, and feems'more' wfdely diffufed', -ex-
tendingeven to China, where i f0 is fhid lo j e -theTarife with Béödh,
who is aifo credibly fuppofed to be the Budz or Seaika of the Japanefe.
But when he is afierted to have'been the Woden ‘óf.{he Gotfes, a'ftriking
diflonance appears between pëàéeful, author ofhappfnefsj and* the God
Of War.1 h^hn‘Sir WilIiam Jones has qot' efcaped thefe vifioöafy îdèas
of antiquaries ;* but where'thé imagination cpqfoiidds, it is" the hpfinefs
of judgment 'to difcrinjinate» ’ The" Birn^ans of'coiffé "h,eliqÿè in "’the
tranfmigiâtîon of ïùul^£ aft« which the radically' bad will bef'con-
deitçèd to lafting ounifhmenj^ while the good ffiffi enjoy eternal happi-i
• nefs Jh' thé mountain Méin. * ^They efteem 'mercy fa be the chiqf «tribute
of the divinity.
The. laws of the Birman^ are .infeparable from their religion. The
facred verfes or Forgefiesof Menu are Dluftrated by numerous commentaries
of the Mimis, or old philofophers, and conftitute the ©herma Saf-
itre, or body of law. Both the religion and laws proceeded'bfigthally
from Ceylon, and paffed throhgK Aracan to Miama. w The Birmha
fyftem of jurifprudence is replete with found morality, and in my opinion
is diftinguiffied above any other Hindoo commentary for perfpi-
cuity and good fenfo; it provides- fpecifically for- almoft every fpecies Of
.crime that can be committed, and adds a copious chapter .of precedents
and decifions,.to guide the inexperiencedincafés whçre therë is doubt
and- difficulty. Trial by ordeal and imprecation are the only abferd
paffages in the book; but qh the f^bjefl: ofwomen it is teyffi^urop^tn
offenfively indecent ; like the immortal Menu it tells thepripceandahe
magiftrate their duty, in language auftere, manly, and energetic.’’ *
Though the form of government be defpotic, yet the king oonfults a
council of ancient nobles. There are no hereditary dignities nor-ern-
ployments ; but all hopours and offices, on the demife of the poffefior,
.revert to the; crown. The tJuJoe> or chain, is, the badge of nobility, the
mumber of firings or diYifijpns denoting the rank of the perfon • being
* That great man embraced too wide a range for, any human mind, and .his decifions, in ^Hindoo
(learning have fince often been found rath and.erroneous.
* -Symes, ». 326. s
:three,
three, fix, nine, or twelve, while the king alone jwears twenty-four. Govern-.
Rank is alfo ■ denoted byffie form and material of various articles'in M£NT‘
com m.on jKi
,{The^rhyaj;.|efigMilhm^nt ,jis arranged with minute attention. The
queens qrid pri^qes. have the frfep fRraw1 vyhich, like the Latin AggmPlm
tus, implies.at once (acred and fupreme. The:elder fon of the monarch
is ftyled. EngWTeekien. Next in rank to itjfei princes are the Woongees,
or chief minift.ers of Rate,, (the name implying “ bearer of the-great,
burthen,”), .tyhoj atfe three ^ol;fopEffe pumbprifand fqf ^ 'fhejhlmglcouh^ ,
pil^f jlrg.napon, i{Tiling.manq^fes qytfie’Maj$jm|ms p,r'%x&;^ys ||Ktne
feyeral pinyincpfe airdt mpfetA-igyAjcyWng. riiL cm.pirq, under the king’s
pfeafure, whAffipylLis abfcuute. |T^ere are pother mieri^sminifteys 'and
tecpetaiyes.^ who.Jra&e. th,^tdi’ffiU^SSiiM,'j&^tihat. th^biifinefs of gof-1- 5
ygrnment is £bnd;pfied with great regularity .and pfecifip,n..... v
.^gj&Gfithe population^ of the Birman dominions I coUld^only fojrm a Population,
dpnclnfipg (from the information jl'^ecejybd qf' -She* numpei'- of feues,
iQWhs, ,an,d villages in the empire : thefe j was aflured by, a^p6nomwn&
might bp feppofed to know, ana. had no’ motive* JpriAec’dmngkme,
amount to 8000, riotincluding me^ficrat aOTrabq oiArraddd. .Jf’this
b,e true, whiffi I have no re^fo.n Jh doubt, and ye fimp^m^ch tovyrnon ^
an average to ,cgntain 31&0 houfes, and each, honle ‘ fix-perionl: thp Ire- t ,
felt ,wih determine the population .at 14 . . A 0 F & w .of the inhabi-
.tants.liye in fofita^y b^hitations: they ,mbjl]y fo^m ,tqem^ge& intj)
fmall foeieties, and their dwellings jthys(^Me'dIed^pipdfe,their Ruas
,©f ‘villages ; if thetqfpje we reckon theirmumbersjmdfiiqmg Arracan,
||t 17,odp3OQO.-the'calculation may not be widely eripnHii|§j I believe'
it rather, fells fhojt df|thah lexceeds^the trmh. " After' all,1 nowdverj in re
mere cqpie&ure, as I have no .better d^taTOr my gmoance tlfen. what I
have related.” *•
Every man in the empire is liable Joi'miiitary fervice, hut“ the fegulir Army and.
army is very inqonfid,erablL^ Duri’rig’yyar (Kq vicSro^s tkif^'one recruit Navy‘
from every two, three,'1 of four houies, which .orherwife pay a fine of
about 40I. fterllng.* The family' of the mldfer> fs drained as' ndffeges;
and in cafe of cowardice ortfeferti^n fijffer ]deathj’d,ftrul'y tyrannic iftode
3 Symes, ii. 352. ? >v » 4 lb, 358.. ..
VOL. II. B B of