advice, that his majesty had arrived at the upper landing-place, about two miles to the northward, there not being water enough for his boat at the lower one. About nine A. M., the Enga Tekaing passed by, on his way to meet his father; at ten, the gun fired as a signal for his majesty's landing. About half-past ten, the head of the procession began to pass by; first, a string of his majesty's elephants; next, a body of foot soldiers, each with a rusty musket on his shoulder, clothed like the common people of the country; they marched, or rather walked, in two Indian files, without any regularity; next followed the king's grandson, on a very lofty elephant; he sat on the neck of the elephant; and held the guiding-hook himself, but in fact the animal required no guiding. A well-dressed mohaut sat behind him, and supported him in his arms. The young prince was naked from his waist upwards, having on only a silk lungee, and an embroidered handkerchief on his head, gold bangles on his ancles and wrists, and several chains set with stones, on his neck. After him came several gilt palkees, with women of the palace, &c.; at a distance behind him followed a son of the king's by a favourite concubine, on a small elephant, which he guided himself; after him followed five of the king's elephants, with warhowdahs, having large shields on each side of the howdah, painted red and gilt; then followed his majesty's troopers in their war-dress, but very shabby, and on wretched, half-starved, small horses, of thesc there might be sixty or eighty; then several gilt, brass three-pounders, on field-carriages, drawn by men, with several red-painted and gilt ammunition carts, drawn by two horses each; on each side after these marched foot soldiers, armed and clothed as those before mentioned; then followed the carriage I brought, drawn by men; and immediately after it, his majesty with the first queen in his old carriage, drawn by four led horses; the blinds down. He laughed, and spoke out loudly while passing, seeming well pleased with my attention. I was seated in a chatr at the door of the hall, and when he came in front I rose up, took off my hat, bowing and placing my hand on my breast; Mr. Burnett and Mr. Rowland standing on either side, and bowing at the same time. The rest of my suite were arranged on either hand of the verandah. Before the front of my house I had made a railing of bamboo lattice work, covered on the outside with yellow cloth, and over it gold and silver tange was spread; immediately in front of the verandah, was a portico forty-eight feet long, covered on the top with scarlet cloth, hanging down towards the front about three feet, with gold tange along the front, dropping about two feet below the red cloth. The bamboo pillars, &c., covered with yellow silk, and a screen of yellow silk curtains along the front of the verandah, so as entirely to cover the piers, leaving the doors open. The house was also newly white-washed, and the road levelled and sanded before the door; and just before his majesty passed, I had the road strewed with gold-leaf: the crowd were kept clear of the front by a Burmhan peon; and on the whole, for this place, we made a very fine show. The intent, however, was every thing, and it being wholly unexpected, he was highly

gratified, saying aloud to his courtiers, Ah, this is the company, that is my Resident,' and kept his eyes on me the whole time he was passing. On each side his majesty's carriage marched spearmen, and it was surrounded by a crowd of his courtiers, &c. &c.; immediately after it, followed foot soldiers, troopers, and war-elephants, but the whole too irregular and insignificant to make any impression on me. After his majesty, came the Enga Tekaing on horse-back, preceded and followed by foot soldiers and spearmen, and surrounded by his particular servants. He looked towards me till he came immediately opposite, and then affected to turn his head another way. I rose and bowed to him as he passed. After him came a number of gilt palkees, with the queens and concubines, each with their particular female servants; young princes carried on men's shoulders, with gilt umbrellas over them; and hackeries variously decorated with women of the palace. About half-past eleven the prince of Prone passed on horseback, with something less state than the enga. He looked steadfastly. at me the whole time he was passing, and I rose and bowed to him. I waited half an hour longer for the other princes; when, hearing they had taken another road, I ordered money to be distributed among the crowd, and retired. The whole of the procession was very irregular, and the paraphernalia much below what I expected. In the intervals, between the passing of the several persons of the royal family, the crowd could hardly be kept within bounds by my peon; but, when any of the royal family approached, they flew like so many shadows crouching to the ground. I also observed, that the gilt chattres, servants, and carriages, were obliged to make several trips for the inferior branches of the royal family. There might be altogether about one hundred elephants in the procession, but some of them very small, and most of them very poor, and meanly equipped. The foot-guards could not amount to more than five or six hundred men altogether, and the troopers to sixty or eighty." P. 254.

His favour at

Things continue to go on in the old way. court, such as it was, declines. Symptoms of a strong antiEnglish party make their appearance, and he even hears some gasconading about the invasion of Bengal through the Chittagong frontier.

"I have been informed from several quarters that the cause of the sudden change of court favour against me, arose, as I suspected, from the influence of the Assamese party. His majesty, at their instance, having renewed his intentions of placing the father of his new mistress, who is a great favourite, on the throne of his rival, Seruck Dheo Mah Rajah, sovereign of lower Assam; this man having promised to become his vassal, and forward his views on Bengal. However wild it

may appear, I am well informed that the invasion of Chittagong was undertaken with serious views of conquest and of penetrating Bengal by that route: and that the Enga Tekaing, prompted by a better ge

nius than in general influences them, consulted every intelligent foreigner on the feasibility of the scheme; and being convinced of the ruinous consequences that must flow from the just vengeance of the English, he at length prevailed with his father to desist from the attempt at that time. But it is also well known, that he still retains the inclination to renew the attempt the first favourable opportunity, and does not want for prompters to stimulate him." P. 329.

He makes a last effort to have a letter delivered to his majesty, but those who were applied to refused, saying, that they dared not, adding a curious specimen of Burmhan jurisprudence.

"One of them said, his majesty's sword is too sharp; you see a rich man was beheaded but yesterday without committing any fault. He then stated his case; the unfortunate man had been renter of a considerable district, and amassed wealth by oppression; complaints were lodged, he was tried, found guilty, mulcted, and declared incapable of serving his majesty, who ordered him to retire from court, and never appear before him again. Unfortunately for him, his ambition would not permit him to remain quiet in obscurity; his wealth enabled him to find patrons, and through them he twice petitioned his majesty for permission to reside at the capital, and be enrolled as one of his merchants; these petitions were rejected. He, notwithstanding, persevered to a third attempt, and to ensure success, offered a considerable bribe to one of his majesty's favourite daughters to present it, which she undertook. The king, on receiving the petition, was extremely enraged, and exclaimed, I have repeatedly ordered this villain not to presume to approach me; let him be immediately apprehended and confined. This order was given at four o'clock in the evening, and immediately executed. The man, too late dreading the effects of his majesty's wrath, immediately began to scatter his wealth among the royal family; money and jewels were sent to all such as were supposed to have influence: the bribes were received, and he was told not to suffer any apprehension; however, at seven, the same evening, his majesty ordered that he should be beheaded, and his property confiscated. The sentence was immediately carried into execution, and the myrmidons of the palace took possession of his property. His body is exposed above ground, pinned to the earth, where it is to rot: the king's doctor cut off the tip of his nose, ears, lips, tongue, and fingers, which, with some of his blood, is to form a compound in some medicine of wonderful efficacy in ensuring longevity and prosperity to those who are so happy as to obtain a portion of it from his majesty's bounty. This is one of the palace nostrums, of which there are many others equally mystic in the preparation, and wonderful in the operation; these his majesty occasionally dispenses to the credulous multitude. The fall of a rich man proves a source of revenue beyond the amount of his immediate assets. His books are

carefully examined, and all whose names are there entered, whether the account has been settled or not, are sued for the full amount of the entry, and are obliged to pay the demand, without daring to demur or question the legality of the action; and names are often inserted on the occasion. My cash-keeper is among the sufferers on this; his name is down for six hundred ticals, which he solemnly declares he paid near two years ago; and many other merchants in town have been charged in sums proportioned to their supposed fortunes. Exclusive of these mulcts, the defunct was found possessed of cash to the amount of forty thousand ticals: and jewels and merchandise amounting to as much more. The principal part of this sum the king, it is said, has given to his favourite grandson." P. 340.

It is dangerous to tamper with such a correspondent, and accordingly the letter scheme dropped, negociations still continued to linger on, but no progress was made towards a satisfactory completion. Captain Cox therefore determined to return, and arrived again at Rangoon on the 1st of November, after a fruitless expedition of eleven months wanting four days.

We should hope that our present contact with the Burmhans will produce something conveying valuable and extensive information of their affairs. As we have gone to war with them, we hope and trust that it will be carried on in such a way as to convince not only these deluded and insolent demi-barbarians, but the entire east of the infinite superiority of our power. A single campaign should conclude the war. If the Burmhans be properly put down, it will operate as a hint to that domineering empire which hides its real weakness by swaggering pretension, and which by being impermeable, is one of the greatest bars to the spread of civilization throughout Asia-it is almost needless to say that we mean China. The time perhaps is not far distant when a more marked lesson may be given it on its own territory. A long arrear is due.

Self Advancement. Svo. Pp. 334. London. Whittaker. 1824.

A little volume of which the design is better than the execution. It contains a collection of lives of persons who have risen to high rank from obscurity, by means of their own abilities; and the compiler proposes it to the attention of youth, that they may "emulate the virtues and talents by which emi

nence has been obtained." But the choice ought to have been more unexceptionable. The lives chosen are those of Adrian IV.; Basil I.; Rienzi; Alexander V.; Cardinal Ximenes; Adrian VI.; Cardinal Wolsey; Thomas Cromwell; Massaniello; Alberoni; B. Franklin; and Bernadotte. Of these, Rienzi and Massaniello, who raised themselves in a season of turbulence, whose career was marked with folly and extravagance; and whose deaths were unhappy are poor patterns. Nor can we help thinking that Cardinal Wolsey, Cromwell Earl of Essex, or Cardinal Alberoni, are not happy specimens. We must remember Juvenal, who bids us praise the eloquent voice of him, who told Croesus, to look to the end of life as the criterion of a successful career; and theirs was not very enviable. Franklin's rise is more in point, and he gives a sufficient example of the result of early decency, industry, and sober pursuit of a rational object. For this purpose, however, the earlier portion of his career is much more valuable than the latter. The American revolution was an extraordinary event, to which none of our young aspirants can expect anything similar; yet without this revolution, Franklin would have been nothing more than an opulent trader. Examples of successful statesmen, fortunate public agitators, soldiers of eminent genius and success, are, of course, useless; as they are inapplicable to the purposes of general, honourable, and virtuous excitement. As a small gallery of remarkable portraits, this book has its merits, and may deserve popularity; but, for its declared purpose of stirring the laudable emulation of the youthful mind, a much better one might be formed out of the biographies of the clever and virtuous men, who, from humble life, have raised themselves into opulence and estimation in our own country.

Memoirs of Henry the Great, and of the Court of France during his Reign. 2 Vols. 8vo. London. Harding, Triphook, & Co. 1824.

THERE exists an odious wish in the present day to deprive history of much of its dignity, in order to please our languid students. The important fact is to be omitted, if an alluring shape cannot be given to it; the weighty truth is to be kept in shade, lest its severity should startle our nerves; historic painting is to give place to portraiture; the annals of a world to the life