58 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON), [VOL. XII. 



agricultural works that were in progress there. The narra- 

 tive goes on to state that Gamani himself pursued the same 

 occupation on his family estate, and that he called out his 

 workmen by beat of drum. Agriculture is thus represented, 

 by these and other concurrent evidences, as a national and 

 royal pursuit, carried on throughout the 367 years under 

 review, systematically and by roll-call. 



We must not omit to recount the narrative of the old 

 woman who was putting out her paddy to dry in the sun. 

 If it stood alone, or were cited to prove that rice w T as the 

 national fare, it would be a mean and paltry scrap of 

 evidence on which to found a great generalisation ; but 

 occurring as it does, incidentally, to illustrate the paternal 

 care a certain monarch exercised over the poorest of his 

 people ; and agreeing as it does with the whole tenour of the 

 history and the habit of the people, it is well worthy of men- 

 tion in this connection. 



The mention, in a very early part of the history, of herds- 

 men, also in an incidental manner in the story of 

 Pandukabhaya's babyhood, and the part which milk and 

 butter play in the scenes above described, are significant 

 indications of the habits and occupations of the people, and 

 of the prominent position of agriculture as a national 

 pursuit. 



According to the Mahdwa?isa, horticulture, a form of 

 luxury and evidence of refinement, received great attention, 

 even during the earlier part of the four centuries under 

 review. Flowers and fruits, the produce of royal gardens, 

 are mentioned as forming so conspicuous and important a 

 part of religious ceremonials, and on other festive occasions, 

 that they must have been cultivated, not only in the royal 

 public grounds, but also much more extensively. Indeed, 

 luxury is represented as prevailing in almost every form in 

 which it has been indulged by man in his most highly 

 civilised condition, such, for example, as court retinues, 

 pageantry, and pastimes, costly decorations, personal orna- 

 ments of gems and precious metals, works of art, and 



