292 



Report on the Mackenzie Manuscripts. 



[Oct. 



years to come ; on which account, as well as from the circnmstance of 

 there being other copies in the collection, restoration does not at present 

 seem to be required. 



Section 2. AJakesa-rajavm-cadhai, the tale of the king of AlaJcesa-puri. 



This is a clever work of fiction. The outset is revolting to western 

 ideas ; and all the following proceeds on the system of transmigration of 

 souls. A king's daughter forms an attachment, at first sight, to the stu- 

 pid son of another king, who cannot read the writing which she conveys 

 to him; but shews it to a diseased-wretch, who tells him it warns him 

 to flee for his life. The king's daughter is imposed upon, by the said 

 leper ; kills herself ; and becomes a disembodied evil spirit, haunting a 

 particular choultry (or serai) for travellers ; whom, during the night, if 

 they do not answer aright to her cries, she strangles ; and, vampire-like, 

 sucks their blood. Avvaiyar, the famous poetess, asks the people of the 

 town for permission to sleep in the said serai, when on a journey. They 

 warn her of the consequences ; to which she replies, that she does not 

 fear all the devils of the invisible world. At the first watch, certain 

 screams, of unintelligible monosyllables are uttered, which Avvaiijar takes 

 up, puts each monosyllable in its place, and from the whole makes a re- 

 condite stanza ; the purport being to chase away the spirit, which departs. 

 At midnight, other monosyllables are uttered, which are taken up, and a 

 more difficult stanza is produced, on which the spirit leaves. At the 

 third watch the same process occurs, with a still more difficult stanza, as 

 the result. The spirit now owns itself conquered ; appears visibly to 

 and receives from the said y^wfl^'j/ar a prophetic intimation of 

 future transmigrations, and a happy result. It is not necessary to follow 

 out the thread of the tale ; but simply to state, that ultimately the said 

 transmigrating spirit again animates the body of a king's daughter of su- 

 perior wit and accomplishments, who resolves to many no one that can- 

 not conquer her at capping verses : in doing which the candidate must 

 not only explain the meaning of the dark enigmas propounded (sphinx- 

 like) in her verses, but also enounce faultless verses himself ; and the 

 uttering any such verse which she could not explain would secure her 

 hand. Many witless sons of kings made the endeavour, and failed. 

 Narldren (head of the college at Madura) at length encounters her, dis- 

 guised as a poor man selling wood. She utters a stanza of contempt ; 

 but is arrested and surprised by his answer. The contest continues for 

 days ; every step of progress, consisting of verses more difficult than the 



