LITERATURE OF THE RURMAS. 277 



Tj-ie rcipeft given by the lay inhabitants to all 

 Rahans is very great. The road on all occafions is 

 yielded up to them ; they are almolt always addrelTed 

 by the names of Poimgye and Bura ; and in their con- 

 vents they are permitted to ufe painting and gilding, 

 things prohibited to every other fubjeft: nay, they 

 are even in fome cafes permitted to plafter the outfide 

 roofs of their Kiaungs white, and white is the royal 

 colour, the moil diliinguifliing of all royal infignia, 

 and common only to God and the king. Although 

 the priefts are thus honoured, yet even the higheft of 

 them retain the greateft fimplicity in their manners. 

 The drefs of the Zarado, when we 'had the honour 

 of vifiting him, did not differ from that of the prof- 

 trate multitude, by which he wasfurrounded. I was told 

 alfo, that when fome years ago he was at Rangoun^ he 

 ufed, like other i^^/i^n5, to perform his rounds bare- 

 footed, and to receive from door to door the rice that 

 was offered as alms. In this perhaps there was fome- 

 what more than humility; as wherever he went, the 

 ftreets were covered with cloth, and the men were 

 proftrated imploring his bleffing; while the women 

 kept out of his way, as too imperfeft beings to be in 

 the prefence of a man fo weaned from the pleafures of 

 the fenfes. He is however a perfon of mild and agree- 

 able manners, and feems well informed; but with a 

 confiderable affectation of meeknefs, and of contempt 

 for worldly cares. At Loungye I met with a Zara of, 

 my acquaintance begging rice in the fame manner as 

 the inferiours; and although he was an old infirm 

 man, he had ventured out to a confiderable dftance, 

 and that in rainy weather. 



I HAVE already mentioned the charity of the i^^/zYZ?? 5, 

 which is exerted efpecially towards ftrangers; confe- 

 quently there is no country, where a (hanger, unac- 

 quainted with every one, and an outcaft, would be 

 lefs likely to fuffer want than in the Burma empire : 

 nor during my Hay there did I fee one common beg- 

 gar. In the neighbourhood of convents, the pious 



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