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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XI. 



are only justified on urgent emergency when it presents 

 itself in such a manner that makes it obligatory. But when 

 the prince squanders away the public revenues in gifts and 

 frivolous expenses, he has no justification whatever, since 

 they are incurred by his own excesses and carelessness ; 

 so that comes to be a greater sin in ministers who 

 govern, and, under cover of the public good, spend the 

 money for their own private ends, — a sin they often fair into, 

 and which deserves severe punishment. If, however, the 

 service which the vassals give is for a sure and fixed pur- 

 pose, it affords both the minister and themselves satisfaction, 

 and in time of necessity it will be easy to find help ; but 

 when the ministers turn it to their own profit, and the 

 subjects give for only trivial and worthless objects, in their 

 zeal to assist the public necessity, they feel deeply grieved 

 by such deception, and feel themselves released from any 

 obligation in future. 



With the moneys he received he made another curtain of 

 thirty arms' length, as necessary as the first, and with all 

 these works he so insured the defence of the roadstead of 

 Columbo that there was no opening without protection for 

 the ships which anchored in that port. 



The whole study of Constantino de Sa was to see if he 

 could lighten the State of the great expense it was put to for 

 the security of the Island, and that his government and the 

 carrying on of the conquest might be kept up by proper 

 forces. He built a gunpowder mill and factory, which was 

 worked by the water of the lagoon surrounding the city, and 

 turned out five arrobas a day ; so that in case they fell short 

 it would be certain to give them sufficient supplies for the 

 whole Island. The Governor paid for this work also out of 

 his own salary, for he had such zeal and so little egotism 

 that he only traded and made profits for the service of his 

 God and his king. 



Such a pure form of government was hated by many 

 ministers, who, carried away by their covetousness, ambition, 

 and lust, usually placed their own interests before those of 



