1839.] Specimen of the Burmese Drama. 537 



PERSONS. 

 The King of Pyentsa. 



The King of the city of the silver mountain. 

 Thoodanoo, the Prince of Pyentsa. 

 A skilful Huntsman. 

 An Astrologer. 

 A Hermit. 



The Queen of Pyentsa. 



Mananhurree, the daughter of the King of the silver mountain, 

 and wife to Thoodanoo. 



Noblemen, Generals, Guards, Ladies of the Palace, fyc, fyc. 



PYENTSA. 

 ACT. 



Scene 1st. — Four Noblemen sitting in the Palace of Audience. 



1st Noble. My lords, let us not be false or neglectful to our 

 royal master, to whom we have so many times sworn allegiance ; we 

 bear the weight of government on our shoulders, and constitute the 

 strength of the country, — How shall we conduct affairs, so as to extend 

 his authority, and benefit the state ? 



2nd Noble. True, my lords; let me explain to you whence our 

 noble monarch sprung. In the distant beginning, after the earth had 

 been destroyed successively by fire, by wind, and by water, the lily 

 which sprung from its bosom blossomed, and produced fine embryo 

 deities, on which account the celestial beings bestowed upon this 

 system the title of Battakat. The various incidents that have occur- 

 red from first to last, among the four divisions of the human race, are 

 voluminously recited in the 49000 volumes of the History of Kings, 

 but I will merely give you a sketch. The nine beings who descend- 

 ed from the visible heavens, having eaten of the fragrant earth, peo- 

 pled it after the manner of mortals ; — in process of time, the inhabi- 

 tants began to use deceit towards each other, to pillage, to steal, and to 

 strive amongst themselves continually ; and in order to put an end to 

 these calamities by instruction and discipline, the embryo deity 

 Mahathamata came, and was hailed by the voice of the whole people. 

 This was the first. 



3rd Noble. When the millions of worlds had sunk under the in- 

 fluence of fire, air, and water — when the four grand divisions of the 

 creation had been rent asunder — when the system had been again 

 restored, and set in motion — the emerald-leaved lily sprung up, and 

 gave forth from each of its fine blossoms the eight articles of clerical 



