694 
A Defcripiott of G E Y L O N. 
"^JV^ without fomc Emotion, My dear Son, 
Bdidatis. fee here your Father, rvhofe Life perhaps will 
not be long j you are but young, therefore 
be always advis'd by thefe two Princes. A 
Torrent of Tears which trickled down 
his Cheeks having ftopt his Voice, he 
order'd himfelf to be carried out of the 
Aflembly, enjoyning only in a few words 
all the Lords there prefent, to perfift in 
their Fidelity, which they unanimouHy 
promifcd to do, and in token of their 
entire Submiflion, faluted the Emperor 
with the ufual Sambaje, or Reverence, 
according to the Cuftom of that Coun- 
try. 
The next day the Royal Patent to in- 
vefl the before-mentioned two Princes 
with the Adminiftration of the Empire 
was read in the AIFembly. Cenuvoieraat 
The Admi- by the Grace of God Emperor of Ceylon, 
nijlratcrs King of Candy ^ Setfevaca, T nnquenemale, 
^{rl'^fe^' J^f^^P^^^^^^') Scttecorles, Manaar, Chi. 
^d&fdT ^^""5 Pi^^u^t Batccalo, Palugam and Jaek j 
Prince of Ouva, Dennevaque, PaJJadoH' 
Carle, Velaren, Coromale, Mewatre and 
Fentane j Duke of H^iUegamme, Cale, Ody 
and Jattenore ; Earl of Quatre Cork, Har- 
hepatte, Odegodafcary, Craivoitty and Bata- 
gedre. Peace to all thofe that read thefe 
Prefents. 
Being much indifpofed, and confe- 
quently in no fmall danger of Life, we 
" thought fit to convene all the Great 
*' Men of the Empire to confult the 
" Welfare of the Publick, and of our 
" dearly beloved Son Comara Singafian 
" (whom God preferve) It is for this 
" reafon that we have appointed two 
" Princes Adminiftrators (after our de- 
**■ ceafe) not only of the Empire, but 
" alfo of our Hereditary Prince during 
" his Minority, with full Authority to 
" govern the Realm the two Princes 
*' chofen for fo great a Truft, being the 
" Prince of Migonne and the Prince of 
Ouve, declar'd fuch by the unanimous 
Confent of the Aflembly. We do by 
" thefe Prefents furrender to the faid 
" Princes all our Kingdoms, Provinces 
and Dominions, to be govern'd by 
" them, during the Minority of our 
dearly beloved Sonsj and as we are 
very glad to have been able ( in our 
life-time) to prevent all Inteftine 
Commotions by this Settlement, fo 
we require and delire the two before- 
" mentioned Princes to take upon them 
" the Government of all our Domini- 
" ons till our Recovery, or, in cafe of 
" my Deceafe, till the Hereditary Prince 
comes to an Age of Maturity, or his 
Brothers, in cafe he fliould happen to 
" die before that time: We therefore 
command by thefe Prefents exprefly, 
" that no body elfe ihall prefurae to take | 
" upon him the Adminiftration and Tui- 
" tion of the before-mentioned Princes 
" and PrincelTes, but fliall obey the faid 
" two Princes without the leaft oppolt- 
" tion, under forfeiture of their Lives. 
" Thefe two Princes Ihall take elFedual 
" care of the Education of the young 
" Princes and PrincelTes under proper 
Tutors, and to fee the eldefl Prince^ 
*' when come to Age, quietly fettled la 
" the Throne ; and in cafe of his De- 
" ceafe Janiere ^ftan to fucceed, as after 
" him Lamoftanne, the third is to be the 
" next Heir to the Crown ; but in cafe 
" all the faid Princes fhould die with- 
out IfTue, our dearly beloved Daugh- 
" ter, the Princefs Mahadafcyn, and 
" after her her Sifter, the Princefs Hanta 
" Madafcyn, fhall fucceed them in their 
*' due turns. But in cafe thefe alfo fliould 
" leave no Children behind them, the 
" Empire fliall devolve into your hands, 
" and you fliall be at full liberty to chufe 
" with the unanimous Confent of the Settkmrnt 
" Great Men of the Empire, fuch a Per- «/ sbeEm- 
fon of the Imperial Blood as yon Z''^''- 
think the beft qualified for the Wei- 
" fare of the Empire, which I leave to 
" the Wifdom of this Aflembly. In 
" the mean while, every one ( afcer my 
" Deceafe) fliall be oblig'd to be accoun- 
" table to the two Adminift;rators for 
" all the Revenues of their refpeSive 
" Lands without failure, upon pain of 
Death and lofs of their Eftates. The 
two Adminifl:rators fliall have a due 
regard for all fuch Counfellors as were 
" in our life- time, and not turn them 
out, unlefs they fliould not behave 
" themfelves as they ought to do, when 
" they fliall have power to put others in 
" their places. 
" Afl Mandats fliall be iflued by the 
two Adminiftrators in the Name of 
the whole Empire, and the Heredita- 
" ry Prince ; according to which all the 
" Great Men and Nobility, without ex- 
" ception, fliall appear at Court when 
required, and obey them in all other 
" refpeds: They (hall alfo be oblig'd 
" to take the ufual Oath of Allegiance 
" to the Hereditary Prince, and his 
" two Adminiftrators, and to promife 
" to perfift in their Fidelity, and not to 
" fuffer any Afliance or Engagement to 
" be made with our Enemies the Portu- 
*' guefes, or any Rebels, under what pre- 
" ^ence foever. They fliafl be oblig'd 
to alTift in the reducing of all fuch 
(th-a 
