308 ox THE RELIC. I OK', kc. 



E\cry convent lias a collection of books : setcral 

 of Mhicli are pretty consitlerable. The most common 

 copiers are indeed tlie Raliaiis, who, prepare books 

 both for their convents, and for presents tO' their lay 

 benefactors. These books are kept in chests, nuich 

 ornamented with gilding, and bits of looking glass, 

 fastened o\\ with laccjiier, in the sliape of flowers. 

 At Amarapura we M-ere shewn a part of the royal li- 

 brary. This is a brick building, surrounded by en- 

 closed courts, and temples, Avhich occupy a delight- 

 ful situation, in the N. W. angle of the city. NeaF 

 It is a small, but most elegant Kiaiuig, To this, at 

 times, the monarch retires ; and we M'cre shewn the 

 gilded couch on which he reposes, while the Zaiia- 

 po reads to him, and instructs him in the duties of 

 religion. The library itself is neither a convenient 

 jior handsome building. The gallery, into whicli 

 we entered, contained about a hundred chests, gilded 

 on the sides, and lacquered above, with the general 

 title of their contents written in golden letters. The 

 chests were large, and if full, nuist have contained 

 many thosand volumes. As we saw only apart, 1 pre- 

 sume that the kings collection is very extensive. He 

 is, indeed, said to be a very intelligent, and learned 

 prince. He was \'ery desirous of obtaining some 

 Brahmen more learned, than those he had, to in- 

 struct him. in astronomy : and he had caused the 

 institutes of Mexu to be translated from the English 

 of Sir WiLLiAi\r Jones, He must therefore have 

 heard of what is pursued among the Eiu^opccnis, in 

 at least oriental literature : and it is to be hoped, 

 that some more useful books may attract his notice : 

 books which might tend to improve the people, and 

 give them more enlightened notions of politics, of 

 the arts, and of science. Hitherto, 1 suspect, the 

 laws, or religion, of the Burmas, have contributed 

 little to the happiness of the people ; but fortunately 

 they have not, like those of the BraJimetis, ))laced 

 any insurmountable obstacles in the way of national 

 improvement. 



i IX. NARRATIVE 



