or uneven, and so on. This being accurately settled, the bones are, after the chanting of baydin, and cabalistic spells, held up side by side, and critically examined. An experienced eye is necessary to read the result properly, and interpret the full signification of the omens. Fortunately, or unfortunately, as you like to take it, if there are two augurs present, they almost always differ, and the intending experimenter is left free to follow the opinion that he approves of, or which fits in best with his plans. This superstition, besides being abhorrent in itself, on account of the taking of life, is particularly objectionable to the mendicants, as implying that there are others besides themselves commanding respect and receiving reverence. The openly avowed alchemists are therefore a much abused body. But they have the consolation of knowing that almost every Burman has tried his hand at eggayat htohthee and failed.

CHAPTER XIV.

SUMPTUARY LAWS AND ETIQUETTE.

IN Mandalay the sumptuary laws are exceedingly strict and most elaborate in their character. Out of the capital the regulations are equally in force; but never, as a matter of fact, come into action, because the country governors take very good care to replenish their coffers out of the money-bags of every one who may chance to be fortunate in his speculations. Speaking generally, officials are the only rich people; but in no country in the world is the official rank more open to competition, or more subject to the caprice of the king. The present mayor of Mandalay, who is also Governor of the Rafts-that is to say, Lord High Admiral-was not many years ago little better than a slave, and owed his first start in life to a lucky accident. Several other of King Theebaw's most prominent advisers were among his personal attendants before he ascended the throne. There is, therefore, nothing of the caste prejudice of the Hindoos to be found in Burma. Burmans will often declare there is caste, but what is called by that name is nothing more than the arbitrary settlement by the sumptuary laws of what a man may wear and what is forbidden; what language he may use and what must be used to him. Captain Forbes, in his book on Burma, said that these prohibitions extended in native territory to the names which

might be given to a man. The term Shway, meaning gold, was, he said, restricted as a name to people of rank. This is certainly a misapprehension. It is not so restricted at the present day in Mandalay. I am as much Shway Yoe there as in Rangoon; and as far as my knowledge goes, there never was such a rule, even in the times of the haughtiest and most unreasonable monarchs, such as Tharrawaddy and Mintaya Gyee. The appellative is perhaps not so common as in British territory; but as far as the law is concerned, the poor man may call himself and his children Shway as much as he pleases; only he must be very careful how he uses any of the gold he may possess in decorating his person or in adorning his house.

If the regulations do not apply to the name a man may have, they certainly do to the language he may make use of. Oriental forms of speech in self-depreciation are familiar enough. They are universal with all the nations of the East, and even turn up in the democratic West in the petitions of "your humble, obedient servant. The magniloquent and supreme nga, as applied to one's self, is not peculiar to Burma; while hnin, addressed to an inferior, is only a little more contemptuous than the Er of the small German courts. The difference between the various ranks is far more distinctly marked than this in the employment of different forms of speech; an entirely special language as applied to the royal blood, and in a scarcely less adulatory way to the members of the Assembly of the Perfect. A man "dies "; a monk " goes back' to the blissful seats whence he came, or to neh'ban; a king "ascends to the village of Nats"; one of the six heavens of happiness, where the passions still reign, and in the contemplation of which Buddhists find consolation for the otherwise dismal forebodings of their faith. The Buddhist religion is thoroughly democratic. A man only

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is what he is through his actions in past existences. The accumulation of merits must therefore vastly outweigh the demerits in the kan of a king. However badly he may act in his regal existence, he cannot fall below the lowest seat of the dewahs-at least, so official language declares. Similarly, an ordinary man " walks"; a mendicant "stalks,' or "strides," or "paces with dignified gait," or whatever may be the English honorific equivalent of the Burmese chuwa; while a king ❝ makes a royal progress." The latter expression is emphatically correct as far as personages of the Burmese royal blood are concerned. The descendants of Mahah Thamada never go on their own legs in the open air. If they do not mount an elephant, some official is honoured with the weight of majesty on his back. In the same way, while a humble subject "eats," a pohn-gyee sohn pohn pay-thee "assimilates," or "nourishes his body with the alms of the pious "; and a king demeans himself to nothing less than "ascending to the lordly board." You may "call" or "invite" an ordinary man; to an ascetic you may "suggest an interview"; you would be a reckless man indeed if you sought a formula which in the faintest imaginable way would suggest to the king that you wanted him to come to you. When your visitor departs, if he is on familiar terms, he says, Thwa-mee no, "I say, I'm going," and you politely respond, Thwa-ba, "By all means, go away"; if he stands a little in awe of you, he says, Thwa-daw-mee, "Honoured sir, I take my leave"; on the other hand, when, after a conference with a holy brother, you take your departure, you say, "My lord's servant does obeisance" (literally, "thinks on his forehead"); the king does not give you the chance to say anything; he flings out of the throne and disappears behind a blue curtain, while your eyes are fixed on the ground a couple of feet before you.

And so it goes on through a triple language, which makes Burmese in the palace an unknown tongue to the best foreign scholar. Tales are told of the ludicrous mistakes of men, who to ordinary people could speak Burmese, and therefore imagined they might venture on it with the king. Thus it was with a bluff English manager of one of the numerous mills which the late king built and kept going till he got tired of them. This gentleman, in replying in the affirmative to some remark of the Lord of the Golden Palace, horrified the court by saying hohk-de instead of the prescribed tin-ba payah, “I think with your majesty.” The expression to palace ears was much the same as if some one were to say to Her Majesty, the Queen of England, "Right you are, old lady."

If the proprieties of language are carefully observed, the regulations as to wearing-apparel and ornaments are far more minute, and guarded with the most jealous care. The almost wretched character of the houses of Upper Burma, as compared with those in English territory is very apparent; but what strikes a stranger even more is the absence of the gay dress which is so pleasant and picturesque in Pegu and the seaboard provinces. There is indeed no law against any one wearing the most brilliant pasoh he can get; but the money is wanting to support the character. A man with a fine waistcloth would be considered to have money at the back of it, and might have to sell his dress to meet the contributions demanded accordingly by the local official. In Lower Burma, every one has a feast-day dress, however poor he may be. He gets the money for it by a week's work, perhaps, backed up by a lucky bit of gambling. Then he is at liberty to strut about and do nothing till the clothes get shabby, when he has to bestir himself again. In English territory, too, he may decorate his kilt with any number of repre