thousand years, expired last night. I purposed, after attending the Assembly held at the festival of Tyrambaka, in the city of Srávasti, to reseek my Lord, and I was on my way, when I beheld you here, and heard you solicit the protection of the Dryad: the effects of my curse prevented me from properly recognising you, but I could not abandon you in the forest, and I accordingly transported you with me: as we approached the city, I considered that I could not take you to the meeting, and as it chanced we were near the apartments of the Princess Navamáliká, the daughter of Dhermavanddhana, King of Srávastí, I determined to leave you there; it was an open terrace on the roof of the house where the Princess and her attendants were sleeping. I left you among them, whilst I repaired to the heavenly Assembly. When the ceremonies were over, and the Assembly broke up; I took my leave of my friends, and paid my homage to the Lord of the three worlds, and then offered my respects to the Goddess, to whom my heart is most devoutly attached: she smiled upon me, and said: do not fear, your period of absence is expired, go and be happy with your husband. Thus favoured, I returned to you, and being restored to my proper nature, knew you now to be my son, and the dear friend of Arthapála. I knew also the events of the night, and that you and the Princess had beheld and were enamoured of each other, and although fear and shame had withheld you from any communication, yet a feeling of love deterred the Damsel from alarming her attendants. I resolved by some means to bring the event to a favourable conclusion, but was then obliged to carry you back to the forest. I must now hasten, and prostrate myself at your father's feet. So saying, she once more embraced me tenderly, and then departed, whilst I took the road to Srávastí. On the road I came to a Bunjara camp, where a great crowd was collected to behold a cock fight. I looked on for a time, and could not suppress a smile. An old Brahman who sat near me, noticed it, and in a low tone asked the reason: I said to him; this is absurd, how could the people have thought of matching that large strong cock of the cocoanut breed, with one of the Valáka* tribe. He said: you are right, but they are not up to it, so mum: and thus saying, he offered me betel from his box, and entered into discourse with me. The Valáka cock was beaten, and the Brahman to whom the other belonged, was highly pleased with his victory, and my connoisseurship: he invited me to his house, and treated me with every mark of attention. When I took leave of him the next day, he begged me not to forget him, and to depend upon his friendship, if ever I had occasion for it. I left him after due acknowledgement of his kindness, and proceeded to Srávastí. Being fatigued with the length of the way, I stopped at a garden in the suburbs, and lay down to rest at the * THE Valúka, white, long-necked, long-winded, but dunghill (Skhalamúna.) foot of a tree, when I was suddenly roused by the musical clank of female anklets, and looking up, beheld a Damsel approach. When she came opposite to me, I observed that she had a picture in her hand, with which she evidently compared my features, and having done so, appeared to express delight and surprize having looked at the picture, and recognised the resemblance it bore me, I begged of her to stop, and sit down. She accepted of my invitation, and sitting down, entered into conversation with me, giving me an account of the country; at last, perceiving, she said, I was a traveller, and looking as if wearied by my journey, she asked me to rest at her house. I accepted the invitation, and followed her home, where I was regaled in a princely manner. In the course of conversation, she enquired of me, what I considered as the most marvellous circumstance that had befallen me in my travels: the question inspired me with hope, and I entertained" no doubt that the picture was the work of the Princess, to explain to her attendants, the cause of that change in her appearance, which her passion had inflicted. I therefore replied; allow me to look at the picture. She gave it me, and taking it, I delineated the Princess as she slept, and then said, I saw in a dream as I thought such a maiden as this, as I slept, once in a forest, but it' was not merely a dream. When the Damsel saw this she was highly delighted, and begged me to explain the whole, with which request I complied. She then related to me the sufferings of her friend, and we consulted by what means our union might be effected. I told her it was necessary for that purpose, I should quit her for a few days. I accordingly took my leave, promising to return as soon as I had matured my scheme. I went to the old Brahman, with whom I had formed an acquaintance, who was astonished to see me back so soon, and enquired the cause. I told him I had received a deep wound from the eyes of the Princess, and depended upon him to extract the dart: he agreed readily to assist me, and this was the plan we adopted. HE disguised me in female apparel, and I passed as his daughter: then taking me with him, he went to the King as he held public audience, and said to him; Sire, this is my only daughter, her mother died, whilst she was a child, and she has been reared by my cares alone. A young Brahman, connected by marriage, went some time since to Ujayin to earn her dower. I have promised to give her to him but as he delays returning, and as she is now a young woman, I purpose going myself to bring him hither, and transferring to his charge the anxious trust, thence forward lead a religious life: for the care of a full-grown daughter is at all times arduous; much more so is it, when there is no mother. In the mean time I must solicit your Majesty, the parent of your subjects, to allow her to repose in the shadow of your protection, until I return with the bridegroom. The King complying with his petition, made me over to his daughter, and I thus obtained the means of gratifying my passion. On the ensuing Phálgun, the inmates of the female apartment celebrated a festival, when all the women repaired to bathe in the river, at an Island, on which stood a Temple of Kartikeya: here whilst sporting heedlessly in the stream, I dived and disappeared, coming up in a retired place, where my friend awaited me with male apparel. The women thought I was drowned; the Princess exclaimed, she would not survive me, and a scene of grief and alarm ensued, which spread to the city, and excited the attention of the King. Whilst vainly searching for me, the Brahman appeared with me as his intended son-in-law, and expatiating on my acquirements, my knowledge of the four Vedas, six Angas, sixty-four Kalas, of the four branches of tactics, and the use of weapons, and of every branch of Science and Literature; demanded his daughter. The King was overwhelmed with confusion and grief, and unable to answer; the chief attendants relating what had chanced, endea→ voured to console and pacify the supposed father, but he was not to be silenced, and insisted, that in reparation for his loss, and my disappointment, the King should give me his own daughter. To this request no attention was paid, and we were at last forced out of the hall we were not however to be so easily baffled, but collecting a quantity of wood, which we piled up at the palace gate; my friend, the Brahman, threatened to set fire to, and ascend it, unless his 1equests were granted: he was seemingly about to put his threats in execution, when the King attended by his chief Counsellors, entreated him to desist, and agreed to his conditions. Thus I obtained the hand of the Princess, and after a time the King finding my fitness, retired from the cares of Government, and placed it hands. in my AT this time Sinhavermá solicited my aid, and I advanced in consequence to Champú, where I have been so fortunate as to find my Prince. Rajaváhana, expressed the pleasure he had received from the account of his friend's ingenuity and fortune; and then requested Mitragupta to narrate what had befallen him. STORY OF MITRAGUPTA. I ob WHILST engaged in the same object as my companions, and in quest of your Highness; I came to a city in Suhma called Dámalipta; in the skirts of which, in a stately grove, I found a crowd collected in observance apparently of some festival. served also in a bower of Atimukta creepers, a young man sitting by himself playing on his Víná, and approaching him, I enquired what celebration was going forward, and why he sat thus apart from the rest he replied: Tungadhanwa, King of Suhma, had no progeny: he addressed his prayers to Vindhya Vásiní, who had forgotten in her residence at this place, her passion for her abode at Vindhya, and obtained from her favour, two children: the Goddess appeared to him in a dream, and announced to him the birth of a son and sa daughter the former she said, should be the servant of the busband of the latter and she directed, that the girl from the age of seven until her marriage, should worship her every month on the Kritika Nakshatra by playing at ball in public, and further, she should be allowed to marry any one whom she should choose. The festival was to be called the Kandukotsava. In a short time the prophesy of the Goddess was fulfilled, and a son and daughter were born to the King: the Damsel was named Kandukavati ; and she comes abroad to-day to play in public. Her foster sister and dear friend Chandraséná is prevented from coming with her, by her wish to avoid the young Prince Bhimadhanwa, who teazes her with a suit, to which she prefers mine: her absence is the cause of my solitude and affliction. HE had scarcely ended, when we were startled by the tinkling of anklets near us, and a female entered the bower, whom as soon as the youth beheld, he tenderly embraced, and making her sit down, introduced her to me as his other life. After condoling with each other upon the danger and uncomfortableness of their situation, they spoke of making their escape to some other country, and the youth appealed to me, to inform him which of the places I had visited, was the most fertile and civilized. I told him that there was no dearth of pleasant regions in the world, where he might find a suitable habitation, but that it was not impossible, perhaps, for them both to be happy where they were: if it was, I would show them the way. Before I could explain myself, the sound of female ornaments was distinctly heard, and the Damsel sprang up in a hurry, and said to us; the Princess Kandukavati approaches, doing honour to the Goddess in her sports. A sight of her on these occasions is allowed to all; come and behold her, and may the result be fortunate; I must attend her. So saying she departed. I followed and beheld the Princess seated in an open pavilion of great splendour: the moment I saw her, my heart received the impression of her beauties: as I gazed upon her with intense love and admiration, she rose gracefully, and touched with the tips of her lovely fingers, the footstool of the Goddess as she hastily paid her devotions; she then took the ball like the red eye of love when moved to wrath: she first let it gently strike the ground, and as it slowly rose, beat it down with her open hand, till at last, catching it at the rebound on the back of her hand, she threw it up as high as she could; caught it in its descent, and tossed it up again. As long as it kept good time, she struck it gently, but when it slackened, reiterated the blows without mercy: occasionally she kept it fluttering in the air like a bird, hitting it up alternately with either hand, in a straight line above her, whilst at others, when it descended obliquely, she sprang forwards, backwards, and sideways to catch it. Thus sporting gracefully, she attracted the gaze and applause of the people collected around the pavilion: as I stood, leaning on the shoulder of my new friend, lost in admiration, I drew her notice, and then first she felt the power of Kanderpa, communicated by a glance, and with her sighs repelled the bees, that were attracted by the fragrance and beauty of her Lotus cheeks encreasing in her speed, and driving the ball in a circle, she stood as it were, as if absahed by my gaze, in the centre of a flowery cage: she then followed the game in every direction, and stooping, rising, shrinking, watching, standing, and running pursued her sport. AFTER this, she united her companions in the pastime, and one ball traversing the space between heaven and earth seemed as if it were fifty: she then closed her exercises by repeating her homage to the Goddess, and withdrew, followed by her attendants, and by my whole soul, darting at me as she passed, sidelong looks, as fatal as the chosen shafts of the flower armed deity, and reverting as she retired, her moon-like face, as if she sought to reclaim the heart, she had deposited in mine. BEING quite beside myself with love, I readily accepted the invitation of Koshadása to take up a temporary abode at his house: he treated me most hospitably. In the evening Chandraséná appeared, and having saluted me, inclined herself close to her lover for a little, and then sat down. Koshadása smiled and said to me; may I always find favour in your sight: I asked him what he meant: whether any unguent had been applied to the eyes of his rival, so as to induce him to cast his looks in a different direction, and regard Chandraséná as a monkey. She replied laughingly: your humble Servant, is much obliged to you, if in this life you convert her from a human being to an ape; so be it, for thus only our desires will be gratified; the Princess was so much struck by your appearance at the festival, that she immediately became the prey of the foe of Hara: this was at once perceived by me, and I shall tell my mother of it: she will inform the Queen, who will certainly communicate it to the King; he must consent to give his daughter to you, and the Prince will then become your dependant, for so the pleasure of the Goddess was announced: When the Kingdom is your's, Bhimadhanwa will no longer be able to disturb our happiness; only wait here for three or four days. So having said she embraced her lover and went away. Koshadása, and I spent the night discussing what she had told us. In the morning after we were dressed, I went again to the grove where I had seen the Princess. I was there met by the Prince, who shewed me great civility, and pressing me to accompany him, NN |