238 ON th£ r^eligion and 



" great envy fcized on the Nat king, becaufe he ob- 

 " i'ervcd all the Nat giving a preference to the holinefs 

 *' and virtue of Godama. With his fubjefts there- 

 *• fore he went to a burial place in the vicinity of 

 *' where Godama was preaching. After having rol- 

 " led themfelves among the alhes of the dead, and 

 *' having put round their necks broken urns, with loud 

 " fhouts, and beating on urns in place of mufical in- 

 *' ilrumcnts, they advanced to the multitude, who 

 *' were liftening to the preacher, in expeflation of 

 " diverting the attention of the hearers from the fer- 

 *' mon. Many, who were of a volatile difpofition, 

 " at the unufual found, turned afide their eyes; but the 

 " greater number neither looked a fide, nor gave the 

 " fmalleft attention to the aftions of the Nat; and 

 *' Godama himfelf continued his difcourfe, as if no- 

 " thing extraordinary had happened. The Nat there- 

 ^' fore, perceiving that his attempt to difturb Godam.\ 

 " was in vain, retired greatly difcompofed. 



"On another occafion, when the fame great Nat 

 " BoMxMAzo faw Godama paffing, he faid to his com- 

 " panions contemptuoufly, and ironically, that the 

 " virtue of Godama was great; and impudently pro- 

 " pofmg to try which of them could perform the 

 " greateft miracle, he faid, ' O Godama, let each of 

 *' us hide his body, and fee which will belt dif- 

 " cover the other.' Although Godama was fenfible 

 *' of the childifhnefs of fuch a trial, yet fearing, if 

 *' he declined it, that both men and Nat would be apt 

 " to undervalue his diviiTity, he mildly indulged the 

 *' Nat^ defired Bommazo to hide himfelf, and at the 

 *• fame time with his hands he covered his face. The 

 *' Nat prince by his power immediately changed his 

 *' body into a particle of fand, and penetrating into 

 *' the centre of the earth 100.^000 juzana deep, he there 

 *' hid himfelf. But Godama, although he had kept 

 *' his eyes fhut, perceived every thing by the power 

 *' of his divine wifdom, and going to the aperture 

 " through which the grain of fand had entered, he 

 " covered with his left hand the opening, while with 



" his 



