Mr. Crawfurd says that most of the Burmese can read and write their literature, like that of most rude nations, is chiefly metrical, consisting of songs, religious romances, and chronological histories. The written character is exceedingly simple, consisting, for the most part, of circles and segments of circles. The language appears to be a mixture of the Pali and the Chinese. The religion of is that of Boudh, mixed up, however, with a great deal of Hindoo mythology. A brief extract, furnished from Mr. Judson's account of it, as given in Burmese writings, will convey a tolerable notion of their ideas of the soul of man after this life. The universe is replete with an infinity of souls, which have been transmigrating in different bodies from all eternity; ascent or descent in the scale of existence being at every change of state ascertained by the "immutably mysterious laws of fate," according to the merit or demerit of the individual. No being is exempt from sickness, old age, and death. Instability, pain, and change are the three grand characteristics of all existence. "However highly exalted in the celestial regions, and whatever number of ages of happiness may roll on," say the Burmans, "the fatal symptom of a moisture under the arm-pits will at length display itself." The mortal being, when this presents itself, must be prepared to exchange the blandishments and dalliance of celestial beauties, for the gridirons, pitchforks, mallets, and other instruments of torture of the infernal regions. The chief end of man, according to the Burmese, is to terminate the fatiguing course of transmigratory existence. This attainment the Lord Gautama made in the eightieth year of his life, and all his immediate disciples have participated in the same happy fate. What remains to the present race of beings is to aim at passing their time in the regions of men and gods, until they shall come in contact with the next Budd'ha, the Lord Arimiteya, whom they may hope to accompany to the Golden World of Nib-ban, or annihilation.' -p. 391. The word Nib-ban' (Nirváná, in Sanscrit), which Mr. Judson and all the missionaries translate into annihilation,' is explained by Mr. Colebrooke to mean calm, unruffled; implying a condition of unmixed tranquil happiness or ecstacy.' It approaches very nearly, however, to annihilation, by what Mr. Colebrooke further observes: Perpetual, uninterrupted apathy can hardly be said to differ from eternal sleep. The notion of it, as of a happy condition, seems to have been derived from the experience of ecstacies, or from that of profound sleep, from which a person awakes refreshed. The pleasant feeling is referred back to the period of actual repose.' We apprehend there is very little difference between this doctrine of the Bud'hists, and the eternal sleep' of the French revolutionary atheists. Mr. Crawfurd is disposed to think that the strongest internal marks marks of the authenticity of the public records of Ava are to be found in the average shortness of the reigns of their sovereigns. It appears, from a regular chronological series, that, from the year 301 before Christ to the accession of the present king in 1819, a period of two thousand one hundred and twenty years, the number of sovereigns is one hundred and twenty-three, making the average length of each reign only between sixteen and seventeen years. The table appears in many instances to be corroborated by inscriptions found on stones, which are very numerous in and about the capital. It is to be hoped, however, that their historical records are kept in general with more fidelity than that of the late contest with the English. "I learnt last night, from good authority, that the court historiographer had recorded in the national chronicle his account of the war with the English. It was to the following purport:-In the years 1186 and 87, the Kula-pyu, or white strangers of the west, fastened a quarrel upon the Lord of the Golden Palace. They landed at Rangoon, took that place and Prome, and were permitted to advance as far as Yandabo; for the king, from motives of piety and regard to life, made no effort whatever to oppose them. The strangers had spent vast sums of money in their enterprise; and by the time they reached Yandabo, their resources were exhausted, and they were in great distress. They petitioned the king, who, in his clemency and generosity, sent them large sums of money to pay their expenses back, and ordered them out of the country.'-p. 176. We have now got the Burmese interposed between our settlements in Aracan and the territory which we compelled them to cede to us in the gulf of Martaban, and which gives us the whole line of coast round the Bay of Bengal to the entrance of the Strait of Singapore, while it places us immediately between the Burmese and the Siamese. As forming a connecting link between Bengal and the settlements of Pulo Penang, Malacca, and Singapore, the acquisition of a commodious and safe harbour in Martaban, independent of the value of the territorial possession in other respects, appears to be of great importance. It is not improbable that the China trade may ultimately be wholly carried on in these quarters. The rush of adventurers which would flock to Canton on the present restriction being removed, (and there is some reason to fear that the shortsighted eagerness of a commercial party may be able to carry this measure) would in all probability be the cause of excluding us entirely from the Chinese ports. In that case, the China trade would be conducted by Chinese junks, as a part of it now is in the Strait of Singapore and Malacca, to which they proceed without fear or difficulty. The importance of these possessions E 2 possessions is already felt; and the more so, since the Dutch have so egregiously mismanaged their affairs in Java and Sumatra, as to have annihilated nearly all trade with the ports of these two islands. The harbour of Martaban is stated to be sufficiently capacious to hold the whole navy of England. Three rivers, the Saluen, the Gain, and the Ataram, join at the town of Martaban, and are then divided into two branches by the large island of Balú. Before this bifurcation, the three rivers above-mentioned form a sheet of water, interspersed with many green islets, five or six miles broad, having all the appearance of a noble lake. The Saluen, descending from the north, forms the new boundaryline. The Ataram, flowing from the south-west, is the smallest of the three, but the deepest. For fifty miles the navigation is safe and easy. The banks are so steep that a vessel may range from side to side touching the boughs of the trees alternately on both sides. It is on the banks of this river that the teak forests lie, of great extent, and abounding with timber trees of the largest dimensions. The soil, according to Mr. Crawfurd, is fertile and well adapted for the growth of sugar, cotton, indigo, and tobacco, but nearly destitute of any cultivation, for want of inhabitants. The moment, however, that the cession was made known, emigrants from the Burmese territory began to pour in across the Saluen. Scarcely had the commissioner left Rangoon, and before a formal possession had been taken of the ceded country, when no less than twelve hundred families, with three thousand head of cattle, arrived on the banks of the Saluen, with the intention of crossing over into the British territory, there to establish themselves. The new town is named Amherst, and occupies part of an elevated peninsular promontory, overlooking the harbour, and admirably adapted to become a great emporium. We are glad to find that Mr. Crawfurd, as commissioner, in founding this new colony, has followed the same wise policy which Sir Stamford Raffles adopted when he established the flourishing settlement of Singapore. In announcing the event of the cession, the proclamation, addressed to the inhabitants in the Burmese language, says : The inhabitants of the towns and villages who wish to come to the new place, may come and settle; those who come shall be free from molestation, extortion, and oppression. They shall be free to worship as usual, temples, monasteries, priests, and holy men. There shall be no interruption of free trade, but people shall go and come, buy and sell, do and live as they please, conforming to the laws. In regard to employing the labouring people, they shall be employed on the pay ment ment of customary wages, and whoever compels their labour without reward shall be punished. In regard to slavery, since all men, whether common people or chiefs, are by nature equal, there shall be under the English government no slaves. Let all debts and engagements contracted under the Burmese government previous to the war, be discharged and fulfilled according to the written documents. Touching the appointment of officers and chiefs, they are appointed to promote the prosperity of the towns and villages, and the welfare of the inhabitants. If, therefore, they take property by violence, or govern unjustly, they shall be degraded and punished. In regard to government assessments, when the country is settled and prosperous, consultation will be held with the leaders of the people, and what is suitable and moderate will be taken to defray the necessary expenses of government. Whoever desires to come to the new town, or to the towns and villages beyond the Saluen river under the English government, may come and live happily, and those who do not wish to remain may go where they please, without hinderance.'-pp. 367, 368. Mr. Crawfurd informs us that he suggested the policy of keeping possession of Rangoon, and thus shutting out the Burmese from the navigation of the Irawadi, and placing us in a commanding military attitude, which would have relieved us from all apprehension of annoyance from the power of these people. We cannot agree with him on this point, and are disposed to think that we have done much better. Hemmed in as they now are between Aracan and Martaban, we have little to fear from any annoyance that they can give us. Indeed, we are rather surprised at such a proposal from Mr. Crawfurd, who, in the same breath almost, tells us that the conditions of a convention with them ought to be strictly reciprocal; and the letter and spirit of the engagement such as would tend to develope the resources of both countries.' We cannot think that to stop them up like rats within their holes would be the most likely mode of producing this desirable reciprocity, or of developing the resources of the Burmese. The volume is accompanied with a map, apparently executed with great care, which throws much additional light on the geography of the country intervening between the Burrampooter and Yun-nan, the western province of China, and between the latter and the capital of Ava. ART. ART. III.-1. The Progresses, Processions, and Magnificent Festivities of King James the First, his Royal Consort, Family, and Court, &c. By John Nichols, F.S. A. don. 1828. DES 3 vols. 4to. Lon Political History of James I. 2. Inquiry into the Literary and By J. D'Israeli, Esq. F.R.S. ESULTORY as it is, and encumbered occasionally with matter not likely, nor deserving, to find readers, this collection is still an interesting and useful supplement to Mr. Nichols's former work, the Progresses of Queen Elizabeth, and, we think, excels it in variety and attractiveness of subjects. The splendours of the court, the pageantries of the city, and the hospitalities of loyal towns and mansions here recorded by an amiable and industrious antiquary (now no more), often excite a feeling deeper than that of gratified curiosity, as we approach the period of the great national storm by which all such glories were for a time heavily obscured. Our notice of the topics embraced in so extensive a compilation-(which might in many parts be taken for the reprint of some ancient Morning Post)-must, of course, be very imperfect, but we shall select a few of those which appear most striking, or can most easily be treated in a moderate compass, directing our chief attention to the royal progresses and their incidents, but bestowing some observation also on the court and family of James, as they appeared at ordinary seasons. The most memorable of his majesty's peaceful expeditions, was his first journey from Edinburgh to London, when his ear had at length been saluted with the happy news of price,' that Elizabeth had vacated the English throne, and was no more to mock his expectations by dancing six or seven galliards in a morning. The first incident of the journey conveys a pleasing impression of his kind feeling and simplicity of manners, and might, with little help from imagination, form a happy subject for the painter. As the royal cavalcade approached Seton, the lord of that house, Robert, first Earl of Wintoun, who had often played the dutiful host to James and his Queen, was carried forth for burial. His majesty was pleased to rest himself at the southwest round of the orchard, on the highway, till the funeral was Sir Robert Carey immortalized himself among courtiers by the address and activity with which he anticipated all other heralds of this great event. Riding out of London between nine and ten in the morning, he arrived at Doncaster the same night; and at bed-time on the third day, bruised and 'be-bloodied' as he was by a fall from his horse, appeared in the king's chamber at Holyrood, where he placed in James's hand the appointed and momentous token, a sapphire ring from Lady Scroope.-v. i. p. 56. |