xxxi. 



ants. This ruler was called Maha Thawada, because lie was the 

 Elect of maii)\ In his days arose a learned cowherd, who from the 

 age of seven years began to decide disputes among the people. His 

 first twelve decisions are recorded, and relate to boundary disputes, 

 thefts, damages, loans, interests, &c. Having decided a difficult case, 

 in which the evidence was conflicting, by examining the witnesses 

 apart, his fame reached the ears of the King, who sent for him, and 

 much against his will, appointed him his Chief Justice. Six more 

 of his decisions are then recorded. All of these, when pronounced, 

 were applauded by both men and angels. The seventh case was 

 about a small cucumber. Two men had gardens adjoining one 

 another. A cucumber plant growing in one, spread into the other 

 garden. The owner of the latter plucked the fruit. Manoo at first 

 decided that he had the right to do so. At this decision angels and 

 men were silent. Believing from this that he must have made mis- 

 takes, Manoo reconsidered his judgment, and decided that the owner 

 of the root was also the owner of the fruit. On this both men and 

 angels applauded. In consequence of this mistake, Manoo began to 

 doubt his own infallibility, and obtained permission to become Pathaya. 

 He went to live in a cave near the Mandageenee lake, and by virtue 

 of his religious exercises obtained the first state of ' Zan,' and 

 ascended into heaven. There, on the boundary wall of the world, in 

 letters as large as elephants, he found the 1 Dhamma That' inscribed. 

 This he copied and gave to King Maha Thamada. Then follows the 

 Dhamma-That in twelve books, a chaos of enactments on every sub- 

 ject. Various and often inconsistent provisions relating to cognate 

 subjects, are scattered here and there throughout the book, and topics 

 the most incongruous are j ambled up together, forming a strange 

 indigesta moles of law and custom, ancient and modern, Hindoo 

 and Budhist. The provisions relating to adoption are found in four 

 different parts of the work. Those on divorce in a dozen different 

 places in juxtaposition with some other uncongenial subjects, such as 

 debts or bailments, as if the book were simply a collection of placita 

 of different judgments given in chronological sequence, and not 



