known among the Singhalese, 



71 



province or Satrapy ; and the two or three principal Satraps 

 or Dissaves were Adigars, a term which signifies placed over. 

 They were the king's highest officers, like the prefects of 

 Darius, Dan. vi. 1, 2 ; and the first Adigar was, as it were, 

 his Prime Minister. 



In the books we find frequent mention made of the King's 

 council, and of his counsellors — the (matituma), the 



rpcg ®t,<8c30 (agra matiya), and the ®$B<*Q®vg$<zQ (dewanu 

 mcetiya), all, no doubt, from the same common origin with the 

 Greek metis, wisdom or ability in council. But what this 

 high council was, and who was the arch-counsellor or the 

 second counsellor, does not clearly appear.* 



Nor, except in the low country, is there now any officer in 

 waiting as we say, or Modliar of the Gate, viz. of the £ogc$:o8 

 (Maligawe) or royal palace, where the king's court or au- 

 dience chamber commonly was. But Mudianse and icasale or 

 ivahale Mudianse (the Singhalese synonyme), is not unfrequent 

 as an agnomen, among the Kandyan Basnaike Nillemes and 

 Ratt emahatmey as. f Such may constitute what Mr. Armour 

 (Kandy Law) calls " the Mudeli perooiva or titled class." 

 For I find nothing in the nature of our nobility among the 

 Singhalese, either of the higher or lower ranks : only when a 

 person got office under the Government and more especially 

 8^ ^er^d" (situ tanatara) an eminent place, from ^^en^d 

 (tanatura) " office, service, appointment, employment,'* 

 (Clough), his descendants commonly assumed the title as an 

 agnomen or pattabendigey name, the patta tahadoo or office 

 frontlets becoming likewise heir looms in the family, and 



* The royal poet Rajadhi Raja Singha speaks of the priest Moratotte in this 

 way— 



pawarana mceti Moratotte yati manawan 

 but perhaps this only means, Moratotte, no less excellent as a Mend, than dis- 

 tinguished as a priest. 



f Among the former there is at present Errawwawele Senanayeke 

 Bowaneke bahoo Narayene Raje goroo wahale Mudianse, Basnaike Nilleme of 

 Lanka tilleke and Gadala denia de wales. 



