218 THE RUINS OF BOEO BUDUE IN JAVA. 



legend, is talking with his Master. 



Plate LXXVI. 121. Siddhaetha endeavouring to obtain his 

 father's consent to his new scheme of life. 



Plate LXX VIII. 125. Of this plate (of which a photograph 

 is published with this paper) Dr. Leemans, or M. Wilsen, says: 

 f Siddhaetha continues faithful to the resolution he has taken, 

 and is insensible to the graces of the beautiful women of his house- 

 hold, the number of whom has been largely increased. It is 

 probable that the artist wished to represent, in this in- stance 

 also, an hour in the night, for some of the women are asleep, 

 leaning one against another, or resting on pillows. The artist has 

 known no better way of depicting the firmness of the resolution 

 the prince has taken, and the steadiness with which he continues 

 to resist all temptations, than by placing his hero on a raised 

 throne, having the aureole behind his head, and in the peculiar 

 attitude of a Buddha." 



Here a reference to Bishop Bigandet's " Legend of the Bur- 

 mese Buddha" probably throws some additional light upon the 

 artist's intention. I should explain that, in the Burmese version 

 of the story, Siddhaetha goes by the name of Phralaong.* 



" Phralaong had scarcely begun to recline on his couch when 

 a crowd of young damsels, whose beauty equalled that of the 

 daughters of the Nats, executed all sorts of dances to the sound 

 of the most ravishing symphony, and displayed in all their move- 

 ments the graceful forms of their elegant and well-shaped persons 

 in order to make some impression upon his heart. But all was in 

 vain, they were foiled in their repeated attempts. Phralaong fell 

 into a deep sleep. The damsels, perceiving their disappointment, 

 ceased their dances, laid aside their musical instruments, and soon 

 following the example of Phralaong abandoned themselves to sleep. 



" Phralaong awoke a little before midnight, and sat in a cross- 

 legged position on his couch. Looking all around him, he saw the 

 varied attitudes and uninviting appearance of the sleeping damsels. 

 Some were snoring; others gnashing their teeth; others with opened 

 mouths; others tossed heavily from side to side; some stretched one 

 arm upwards and the other downwards ; some, seized as it were 

 with a frantic pang, suddenly coiled up their legs for a while, and 



* Vide Journal of the Indian Archipelago, Vol. VI., page 509. I have somewhat 

 abridged the passage. 



