LITERATURE OF THE BURMAS. 279 



temples, either on holy days, oral other times: and 

 although fome of their convents are generally fituated 

 in the neighbourhood of the greater temples, yet that 

 is by no means univerfally the cafe: nor did I ever fee 

 any of them, who appeared to take charge of a temple, 

 or of the images belonging to it. Their time feems to 

 be employed in inftrufting the youth in reading, 

 writing, and acquiring fuch knowledge as the nation 

 poffelfes, efpecially in religion, hiftory, and law; and 

 in foliciting provifions for themfelves, and for the 

 needy. Their religious worfliip, I believe, they al- 

 moft always perform within the walls of their own eon- 

 vents: in all of them they have images, to which at 

 the ufual times they chaunt their prayers. 



It is faid, that formerly there were convents of 

 women, who entered into orders while young virgins, 

 who continued for life to obferve celibacy, and all the 

 rules of the Rahans^ and who were dreffed in yellow. 

 This has been abolifhed, probably by the policy 

 of the kings now governing in eaftern Indian who 

 think, by the pleafures of a number of women, to 

 allure men into their fervice. And now a few old 

 women only enter into a kind of orders, fhave their 

 heads, and alTume a white drefs. Thefe attend on the 

 temples and on funerals, and are a kind of fervants to 

 the Rahans: although they never live within the walls 

 of their convents. The Pali books, however, con. 

 taining the form of admitting women into the facer- 

 dotal order, and the rules for their conduti, are ftill 

 to be found in the libraries of the Rahans. 



I.v order to give a clear idea of the manner of life 

 and duties prefcribed to the Rahans, I cannot do bet- 

 ter than infert a tranflation of a Latin verfion of 

 the canonical book called Kammua. An elegant copy 

 of the original Pali was lent by the king to Sir J ohm 

 Shore. The whole I fiiall endeavour to explain by 

 notes: and to thofe whowilh to enter more into par- 

 ticulars, I would recommend M. de la Loubere's 



T 4 tranflation 



