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This intelligence caused no sorrow to Wessantara ; and he told the noble to inform the king that on the morrow he would make an alms-offeriog, and the next day retire to the forest. Having commanded slaves, elephants, horses, and chariots, 700 of each, to be prepared, he went to Madrid^wi, and requested her to collect together all the wealth she had brought from her parents ; bat she (supposing it was with the intention of giving it away in alms), said that he had not spoken to her when on previous occasions he had distributed his bounty, and asked why he did so now ; and after further conversation, in which Wessantara set forth the benefit of alms^giving, she informed him that in his charitable deeds he had ever acted in 120 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. accordance with her own wislies. The prince then made known to her the determination of the citizens, but requested that she would continue in the enjoyment of her present ad^ant^es, and be the guardian of their children. Upon hearing this, she said that she had rather go with him to death than live without him. The queen mother entreated the king not to let his son go ; and to allay her grief, he promised that after he had remained some time in the forest, he should be recalled. The next day the principal noble of Wessantara having in- formed him that the treasures were collected, 700 of each, he commanded the mendicants to be assembled, and made an offer- ing to them of the whole collection, consisting of elephants, horses, bulls, buffaloes, cows, virgins, youths, boys and girls, with gold and silver, and all kinds of gems and pearls. When the doors of the treasury were opened, the mendicants poured upon the offering with all eagerness, like so many bees flying to a forest covered with lotus flowers newly blown ; some taking silks, garlands, robes, or chaplets, and others ornaments for various parts of the body, rings or crowns. After this Madri- dewi, in the same way, presented her own robes, jewels, and other articles of value. When they went to take leave of their parents, the queen mother again endeavoured to persuade Madridewi to remain with her, as there were so many hard- ships to be endured in the forest ; but she replied, that she had rather live with her lord in the wilderness, than without him in the city. The prince himself made known to her the dangers arising from wild beasts and serpents, but she said that she was prepared to endure all these trials ; and when he wished her to leave the children, as instead of having rich couches they must sleep upon the bare rock ; instead of being fanned by costly ch^maras, they must be exposed to the sun and winds ; instead of having delicate food, they must subsist on fruits ; she replied, that she must have her children with her as well as her lord. The courtezans and others wept aloud in unison, like a forest of sal trees struck by an impetuous wind. The nobles then brought a chariot, and Madridewi, taking her daughter in her arms, and her son by her hand, entered it. Wessantara having worshipped his parents, dismissed the courtezans, and gave good advice to the citizens ; and on leaving the city, he set off towards the north. The queen mother sent V. G6TAMA. b6DHISAT: HIS VIRTUES, ETC. 121 after them a thonsand wagons, filled with, all things asefnl and Talnable, but they gave away the whole in alms. Soon after their departure, two brahmans came to the city to enquire for Wessantara, and when they found that he had gone to the wilderness, they asked if he taken anything with hinu Being told that he had taken nothing more than a chariot, they followed him, and requested him to stop, begging that he would give them the horses that drew the chariot. Without hesitation, the horses were given; but Sekra having observed what was taking place, sent four d^was under the disguise of horses, that yoked themselves to the chariot and drew it. On the way, another brahman cried out, '^ Sir, I am old, sick, and wearied ; give me your chariot." The chariot was now given up aa readily as he had previously given the horses. The prince then carried his son, and the princess her daughter ; and though they Buffered much from the roughness of the road, their minds were filled with pleasure from the remembrance of the alms they had presented. Giving the children fruits to eat, and water from the ponds, they thus went on until they came to a place in the kingdom of Gh6tiya, whence Madrid6wi sent to inform her father they were there ; and when the king, with 60,000 princes, came to the place, surprised at what he saw, he enquired if Sanda was sick, or if some other misfortune had happened, and asked what they had . done with their retinue -and chariots. Wessantara told them the reason why they had left the city ; on hearing which, Gh6tiya invited them to come and reign in his own city; and when they declined, he ordered the place in which they remained to be properly prepared and ornamented, and prevailed on them to tarry there seven days, during which period they had all delicacies provided for them ; but at its expiration, they again set o£E on their journey towards Wanka- giri. By command of Sekra, his wonder-worker, Wiswa- karmma, had prepared them two pansals, in one of which Wessantara dwelt, and in the other Madrid6wi, with their two children. They all put on the dress of ascetics, and had no intercourse with each other, unless when the children went to the pansal of their father during the time their mother was in the forest collecting fruits. After they had lived in this man- ner for the space of seven months, there was an aged brahman, called Jdjaka, who from the age of eighteen years had been a 122 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. mendicant ; he had accnmnlated a hnndred znasnrans, which he delivered to another brahman, a poor man, to keep for him; bat when he went to recover them, the brahman said that he had spent the whole to supply his wants, and that he had now nothing to give him but his daughter Amitta-tapa; so as he could get nothing more, he took away the brahman's daughter, and she became his wife. But the other females of the house- hold became jealous of the stranger, and greatly persecuted her, particularly one day when she went to fetch water, at which she became angry and discontented ; bat Jtijaka, in order to pacify her, said that he would himself in future fetch the wood, and attend to all the work that was necessary to be done, whilst she remained at ease. Amitta-tdpa, however, informed him that the charitable Wessantara resided near the rock Wankagiri, and that if he applied to him he would be able to obtain a slave to wait upon her, and render her all the assist- ance she required. The brahman replied that the way was long, and he was old and weak ; but she persisted in her demand, at the same time upbraiding the old man ; so having prepared as much f ael and water as would be required during his absence, he set off on his journey to the rock. He first went to Jayaturd, and enquired for Wessantara; but the citizens, incensed that alms should still be asked from the prince, set; upon him with sticks and staves, and drove him away. As he fied from the city, not knowing whither he went, he was guided by the d^was towards Wankagiri ; but when he came near, he was seen by the guards who had been placed around the forest by the king of Gh6tiya, and would have been slain, had he not told a lie, and said that he was sent by the royal parents of Wessantara to enquire after his welfare. Proceeding on his way, he fell in with the ascetic Aochuta, who resided near the rock Wipula, to whom he said that he had been the preceptor of the prince in his youth. It was now noon, and thinking that at this time Wessantara would be away from the pansal collecting fruits, and that only Madrid^wi would be at home, who would pro- bably hinder the granting of his request, he resolved to remain in an adjacent cave until the next morning. That night the princess had an uncomfortable dream, and early the next morn- ing she went to the pansal of Wessantara, to have it explained. The prince enquired why she had come at an improper hour. T. GKJTAMA B<iDHISAT: HIS VIBTUES, ETC. 123 when she said that she had been troubled by a dream, in which a black man came and cnt off her two arms and plucked out her heart.