TO THE COURT OF AVA. 
399 
having introduced this criminal laxity of dis¬ 
cipline. He accordingly ordered all priests, on 
pain of being reduced to the condition of lay¬ 
men, to retire from the convents—to live in 
caves and forests, there to study the sacred scrip¬ 
tures assiduously—to content themselves with 
clothing sufficient to cover their nakedness, and 
to eat only at night, and as if by stealth ! The 
priests were by no means prepared to conform 
to such austerities, and for about three months 
there was scarcely one to be seen. His Majesty 
at this time was in his dotage, and the then 
Heir-apparent, the present King, took upon him 
to issue a secret order, permitting the priests to 
return to their convents, which they accordingly 
did; and his Majesty’s attempts at reform, which 
continued for nearly thirty years, proved in the 
sequel completely abortive. It is only surpris¬ 
ing that, as they do not appear to have been very 
discreetly managed, they did not cost the re¬ 
former his life and throne. Some have been of 
opinion that his Majesty altogether disbelieved 
the popular religion, and that his pretended re¬ 
forms were a mere cloak for subverting it alto¬ 
gether, but this does not appear probable. 
The 11 ur in an negotiators did not make their 
appearance to-day till half-past four o’clock in 
the evening. This was premeditated. There 
