PRA CRIT POETRY. 453 



victim, and the magician and sorceress preparing for the 

 sacrifice. They proceed in their dreadful preparat'ves. 

 Ma'd'hava rushes forward to her rescue : she flies to 

 his arirs. Voices are heard as of persons in senrch of 

 Ma'latI. Ma^d'hava, placing her in safety, en- 

 counters the ma/rician. They quit the stage fighting. 

 The event of the combat is announced by the sor- 

 ceress, who vows vengeance against Ma'd'hava for 

 slaying the magician her preceptor.' 



The fable of the play woidd have been perhaps 

 more judiciously arranged if this very theatrical situa- 

 tion had been introduced nearer to the close of the 

 drama. Bhavabhu'ti has placed it so earlv as the 

 fifth act. The remaining five (for the play is in ten 

 acts) have less interest, 



* Ma'lati who had been stolen by the magician 

 while asleep, being now restored to her friends, tiie 

 preparations for her wedding with N.andana are 

 continued. By contrivance of the old priestess, who 

 advised that she should put on her wedding dress at a 

 particular temple, IMacakantda assumes that dress 

 and is carriea in procession, in place of Ma'lati, to 

 the house of Nan dan a. Disgusted with the ma-cu- 

 line appearance of the pretended bride, and offended 

 by the rude reception given to him, Nan d ana 

 to have no further communication with his bride, 

 vows and consigns her to his sister's care. This 

 of course produces an interview between the lovers, 

 in which Macaeanda discovers himself to his mis- 

 tress : and she consents to accompany him to the 

 place of Ma'lati's concealment. The friends ac- 

 cordingly assemble at the garden of the temple: but 

 the sorceress, Capa'lacundala', watches an op- 

 portunity, when Ma'lati is unprotected, and carries 

 her off in a flying car. The distress of her lover and 

 friends is well deoicted: and, when reduced to despair. 

 * Gg3 



