﻿^6 ON SINGHALA. OR CEYLON, 



It happened, one night, that this Princcfs took 

 the opportunity of her attendants deeping, to evade 

 their vigilance, and make her efcape ; which (lie did 

 by opening the door of her apartment, and getting 

 out on the terrace : from thence (lie jumped into the 

 Itreet. This ftreet being a place of general refort for 

 merchants, fhe chanced to fall in with fome perfons of 

 that defcription, who were juft fetting out for a dif- 

 tant country, and joined them. Having reached the 

 land of Ladeh Defch, in their paffage through a 

 thick wood, a Lion darted out, and caufed all to run 

 off, except the Frincefs, who felt herfelf unable to 

 move. She was feized by the Lion, w'ho carried her 

 to the furtheft extremity of the v.ood; where he lived 

 with her till Ihe produced two children ; the firfl a 

 fon, and then a daughter. 



When thofe children had acquired the age of rea- 

 fon, they ufed frequently to confider among them- 

 felves, how it came to pafs that their father differed 

 fo widely in features from their mother and them, 

 and at length addreffed their mother on the fubjeft. 

 She informed them, that their father was a Lion ; 

 and on being again afted whence it came that they 

 had a Lion for father, flie replied, by making them 

 acquainted with the whole of her ftory, which the fon 

 had no fooner heard, than he began to confider on 

 the means of efcaping from this place, with his mo- 

 ther and filler. Occupied with this idea, he one day 

 followed his father, to obferve where he went, and 

 for what purpofe : he faw that he m.ade very confider- 

 able bounds, and travelled upwards of 150 leagues; 

 the next time, therefore, that his father let out on 

 a like excurlion, he carried away his mother and 

 litter. They fled towards the country of his mother, 

 where her brother reigned, having fucceeded his fa- 

 ther, and on their arrival, were received by the King 

 \vith every demonftration of joy. 



The 



