1839.] 



Essay on Telugu Literature. 



883 



' cried prince Egotistes this cannot be a child of ours ! it must be a fairy 

 1 babe! let then her name be Maya. 



* The nurses gave her the breast, they anointed her head and bathed 



* her nicely, and then wiped her dry, and laid her on the lap ; they gave 

 ' her butter and honey, and touched her eyes with colly rium: they put 

 'a mark on her forehead with ashes, for luck, and spread out a clean 



* sheet, in which they affectionately laid her : then with loud voices 

 ' they began the lullaby, till she fairly fell asleep. The cradle wag 

 ' richly adorned with gems that reflected her image; which she took for 

 1 another child, and playfully stretched over her hands towards it : she 



* gently passed from her mother's arms to the arms of her father : and 

 1 prettily embraced her papa's neck, all in a tremble with delight as 

 1 they gave her kisses, and she played about full of glee. They deck* 



ed her feet with fair rings and anclets which rang as she stamped in 



* tottering along. Then they put rings and gold bracelets on her wrists, 

 4 and a pretty gold fig leaf adorned her forehead. They next put on a 



* gold necklace of the oleander petal fashion with row T s of large beads of 

 4 fine gold. 



4 Thus completely decked out, she most merrily sported about with 

 4 the other girls : while the hearts of her parents, nurses and playmates 

 4 were filled with joy. Thus did Maya pass her infancy. All others 

 4 were astonished at rur cleverness, and praised her with a thousand 

 4 mouths. But very shortly Maya (perfect as a teacher of gymnastics), 

 4 might have given lessons even to elephants and swans in elegance 

 4 of swimming gait. In musical melody she rivalled the linnet and the 

 ' nightingale; in prettiness of accents she might have had parrots for 

 ' pupils. After a while she began to bloom in youth : for the tricksy 

 4 maid often used childish words but kept her thoughts to herself : she 



* soon learnt to roll the eye, and use the artful beckon with the hand j 



* or with the frown of anger on her brow, and frolicksome fun in her 

 4 breast. Those who eyed these intoxicating charms at once turned 

 4 fools, and fell in love with the girl. Then as she attained fuller ma- 

 4 turity, her manners were formed ! what a bloom, what loveliness, 

 4 she displayed! what a grace in walking! that delicate waist, that 

 4 swelling besom! that forehead ! those swimming eyes ! those elegant 

 4 hands, that smiling countenance! those flowing tresses! surely ia 



4 these charms the sweet Maya outshone all other women ! 



4 Now the king built a palace as the abode for Maya [Delusion] who 

 4 holds the universe in her power. He raised the walls blazing with 

 4 gold and rubies ; therein he placed courts, abodes, streets, and great 

 4 storehouses ; he encouraged all trades, he appointed men skilled in the' 



* elegant arts to teach poems and plays to the damsel. 



