LITERATURE OF THE BURMAS. 2I9 



" who teach, that there is no merit in bcftowing alms, 



'• or in performing the good works commanded by 



" God; or who adore the Nat prehding over the 



^* woods and mountains. All fuch perfons, if they 



*' obftinately perfift in their infidelity, and irreligon, 



" will be tormented, not for the duration of one world, 



" but to all eternity. After the world is deftroyed, 



'* they will pafs to other places, or be eternally pu- 



" niflied in the air. But if obflinacy be not added to 



" their crimes, the punifhment will ceafe at the end 



^' of the world. 



"Of thofe lots which are not heavy, the firft is 

 '' that which receives a reward or punifhment after 

 " death; and fuch crimes are punifhed in one of the 

 *' great hells, according to their greater or lefs atro- 

 " city.* After this com^s the lot of habitual fins; 

 ^' and though thefe fins be not atrocious, yet if they 

 " have become habitual, they occafion a lot, which 

 " induces a punifhment in one of the feven great hells; 

 *' but not in that named the great Aviri. The fourth 

 *' lot arifes from wicked deiires, and is not punifhed 

 " in any of the great hells, but in fome of the fur- 

 *' rounding fmall ones." 



" XXVII. Befpre we mention the punifliments 

 " which the damned fuffer, it mufl be premifed, that 

 *' of the eight great hells, four are called Aviri or hot, 

 " and four Logantret or cold hells: becaufe in thefe ' 

 *' laft the damned fufFer intenfe cold. The infernal 

 " days and years alfo differ from thofe on earth; for 

 *' every day in the great hells is equal to a thoufand 

 " terreflrial years; whilft in fome of the fmall hells it 

 ^' equals 600 years, in others 700, and in others 800." 



'-' ijl. Those who are irafcible, or cruel, quarrel- 



" lous, 



'^ The original here is very cl)fcure. I have tranflated it, as nearly 

 as I could, word for word : but I am not fatisfied about the meaning. Per- 

 haps it is, that fuch crimes induce this lot, as are of a nature not to require 

 the determination of the Imamcn : and fuch, as that their oppofite virtues 

 jead to immediate hi?h rewards ? 



