LITERATURE OF THE BURMAS. 



217 



*' crowns of their heads, and as fmall as the eye of a 

 " needle, fo that they are tormented with hunger. 

 " Thofe are fubjeft to this punifliment, who in their 

 " quarrels ftrike with flicks, or deftruftive weapons. 



"The duration of thefe three Ape is not fixed, but de- 

 " pends on the lot of evil aftions, as the Burmado&.OT& 

 " fpeak. " If this lot be heavy, the mifery will con- 

 " tinue long: but if light, the unhappy beings will be 

 *' the fooner relieved from punifliment :" that is to fay, 

 " according to the greater or lefs atrocity of the fins 

 *' committed, the punifliment will be of longer or 

 *' fhorter duration." 



'' XXV. i\^2Vz^ is the fourth miferable condition; 

 '* and its habitation may be properly called the infer- 

 " nal regions. Thefe are placed by the Burmas in the 

 " depths of this fouthern ifland Zabudiba^ in the midll 

 " of the great rock Stla pathavy, and confifl: of eight 

 *' great hells. Each great hell towards the four car- 

 " dinal points has four gates, leading to as many 

 " fmaller hells : fo that every great hell communicates 

 *' with fixteen fmaller ones, and befides is furrounded 

 to the right and left by 40,040 fl;ill fmaller. A fpace 

 of 10,000 juzana fquare is occupied by each of the 

 " large hells, and its dependant fmall ones. 



" Before the gate of each great hell fit the judges, 

 " who condemn the guilty according to the weight of 

 *' their lot of evil deeds. Thefe judges are felefted 

 *' from the Nal JJfura : but their office does not pre- 

 *' vent either them or their aflfiftants from enjoying 

 " the pleafures of their happy companions. Thefe 

 " judges have no occafibn to examine into crimes of a 

 '* very atrocious nature : the weight of thefe, fay the 

 '* Rahans, finks the perpetrators at once into hell. 

 *' Thefe Imamen or judges then determine the punifli- 

 '' ments for fmaller crimes. The worfliippers of 

 ^' BouDDHA, when beftowing alms, or performing 



" other 



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