Kirti, who had married Leelawatee, and now raised her to the throne, while he exercised the supreme authority under sanction of her name. These six reigns only occupied ten years." Lilivati survived Parakrama; and three times she was on the throne for short periods, and three times was she deposed. The invaders from India were getting more ruthless and determined; they came again and again, and proved themselves more than a match for the islanders. Once again the priests fled to the mountains with their treasures before invading hosts. But under Parakrama Bahu II the city recovered a little of its ancient splendour, though when he came to it walls were split and reeling, and trees had rooted themselves in sacred places. Its prosperity was short-lived, and the Cingalese kings were driven to carry on what semblance of royalty was left them elsewhere. At one time their capital was even as far south as Cotta, near Colombo. The most celebrated of these shortlived capitals, on account of its ruins, is Yapahuwa, not very far from Anuradhapura, of which the history is given elsewhere (see p. 245). At any rate, after the reign of Parakrama Bahu III (A.D. 1288), Polonnaruwa was no longer the capital city. CHAPTER XIV POLONNARUWA: THE CITADEL THE rest-house stands on ground that was once part of an extensive and beautiful garden or park laid out by King Parakrama the Great. As he began to reign in 1164 (or 1153) and reigned thirty-three years, he was contemporary with our English King Henry II. This great park was called Nandana, the “Park of Heaven," and as it enjoyed all the advantages of the fine climate of Ceylon, it must have been charming indeed. It was filled with flowers, and flower and fruitbearing trees. Swarms of bees were attracted by the smell of the jasmine and other scented blossoms; peacocks spread their gorgeous tails and screamed as they strutted about the grass; and the Indian cuckoo made his voice heard. The area was broken up by artificial pieces of water, on which grew the lotus, and any one who has seen the red and white lotus growing together will understand the richness of that scene! The park was enclosed by railings decorated with rows of images carved in ivory. And actually some of the buildings set in it and minutely described in the Mahawansa are to be seen to this very day. Turning out of the rest-house we pass to the left under the shade of a great bo tree, and follow a roadway parallel with the tank side. Below this, on the right, are various ruins: the remains of the sluice from the lake, and of baths and pokuna. A little further, on the lefthand side, are some ruins showing not much more than the outlines of the basement of a large building. Here can be traced an octagonal hall with sides fourteen feet in length. This opened into a rectangular hall, which in its turn communicated with a square water-tower by means of a fanshaped drain on raised brick-work. The floor of the hall was laid in concrete, and sockets cut to receive wooden posts show that it was sixteen pillared. On one side were seats. The whole is obviously a bathing-house of a special kind, and the water for use therein must have been raised by artificial means to the top of the tower in order that it might spray forth with force. Now what does the Mahawansa say? This garden of Parakrama's was" ornamented with a bathing-hall that dazzled the eyes of the beholder, from which issued forth sprays of water that was conducted through pipes by means of machines, making the place to look as if the clouds poured down rain without ceasing a bathing-hall, large and splendid, and bearing, as it were, a likeness to the knot of braided hair that adorned the head of the beautiful park-nymph. It also glittered with a mansion of great splendour and brightness such as was not to be compared, and displayed the beauty of many pillars of sandalwood, carved gracefully, and was like an ornament on the face of the earth. A hall shaped like an octagon, and a beautiful and pleasant hall, formed after the fashion of the |