198 
THE ORIENTAL ANNUAL. 
fall. As fire will never be satisfied with wood, neither 
the ocean with rivers, nor death with his victims, so 
the w r ealth of Maia will not he sufficient for thy 
spendthrift madness. All that is mine is thine, but 
be thou certain that if I left thee in possession of all 
the treasures of this world, that which thou shalt ex- 
pend in benevolence shall alone profit thee. And now 
lest by evil guidance thou shouldst be cast away, it is 
thus I make thee my heir. All that is mine is thine ; 
but of thy treasure give daily to the Brahmins one 
tenth part of the sum which thou hast spent the 
previous day ; rise daily to perform this duty ere the 
sun be up, and in the day that thou shalt fail thereof, 
know that the all-powerful Siva has declared by the 
mouths of these wise men, at the moment of sunrise 
on that evil day shall thy beauty wither upon thy 
bones. And that my will may be duly observed, I 
hereby invest these holy priests with parental au- 
thority over thee. If in seeking to avoid their 
authority thou shouldst resign the humble calling of 
thy father, or build thee a dwelling greater than this 
humble cottage, or quit the shadow of this sacred tree, 
my dying curse go with thee. This is necessary for 
thy peace, oh Purwatti ! for although by the slow fall 
of water-drops the pot is at length filled, by the fall of 
the vessel is the water spilled in a second.” Having 
delivered himself of these inspired words, the aged 
bania was earned to the Ganges and expired. 
Then, when the spirit had departed, the holy 
