356 THE SINGHALESE CHRONICLES. [PART III. 



B.C. granite twelve feet high, and arranged in lines of forty, so 

 161 - as to cover an area of upwards of two hundred and twenty 

 feet square. On these rested the building nine stories in 

 height, which, in addition to a thousand dormitories for 

 priests, contained halls and other apartments for their ex- 

 ercise and accommodation. 



The Mahawanso relates with peculiar unction the 

 munificence of Dutugaimunu in remunerating those em- 

 ployed upon this edifice ; he deposited clothing 'for that 

 purpose as well as "vessels filled with sugar, buffalo 

 butter and honey ; " he announced that on this occasion 

 it was not fitting to exact unpaid labour, and, " placing 

 high value on the work to be performed, he paid the 

 workmen with money." l 



The structure, when completed, far exceeded in splen- 

 dour anything recorded in the sacred books. All its 

 apartments were embellished with " beads, resplendent 

 like gems ; " the great hall was supported by golden 

 pillars resting on lions and other animals, and the walls 

 were ornamented with festoons of pearls and of flowers 

 formed of jewels ; in the centre was an ivory throne, 

 with an emblem on one side of a golden sun, and on 

 the other of the moon in silver, and above all glittered 

 the imperial " chatta," the white canopy of dominion. 

 The palace, says the Mahawanso, was provided with rich 

 carpets and couches, and " even the ladle of the rice 

 boiler was of gold." 



The vicissitudes and transformations of the Brazen 

 Palace are subjects of frequent mention in the his- 

 tory of the sacred city. As originally planned by 

 Dutugaimunu, it did not endure through the reign of 

 his successor Saidaitissa, at whose expense it was re- 

 constructed, B.C. 140, but the number of stories was 

 reduced to seven. 2 More than two centuries later, A.D. 

 182, these were again reduced to five 3 , and the entire 



1 Mahawanso, ch. xxvii. p. 163. 



2 Mahawanso, ch. xxxvi. 



3 Mahawanso, ch. xxxiii. 



