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He then sent to all their relatives on both sides, commanding them to bring their princesses, that they might be the inferior wives of Sidh^ta, or remain as attendants in the private apartments of Yas6dhara, but the relatives replied, " The prince is very delicate ; he is also young ; even to this day he has not learnt a single science ; if hereafter there should be any war, he would be unable to contend with the enemy ; he has not the means of maintaining our daughters ; we cannot, therefore, consent to send them to one who is so utterly destitute of every endowment that he ought to possess." When the prince heard this, he resolved to * According to Yarro, boyhood ceased among the Bomans with the fifteenth jear, t^r the close of which the praetexta was exchanged for the manlj toga at the next Liberalia. — Niebohr. 156 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. exhibit his real strength; and caused it to be proclaimed throughout the city by beat of drum, that whosoever might be wishful to see his prowess, was incited to come to the palace in seven days from that time. On the day appointed, an immense pavilion was erected, and a vast multitude assembled in the court of the palace. Surroanded by a countless retinne, and in the presence of 160,000 of his relatives, he took a bow that required the strength of a thousand men to bend it; and placing the lower end on the nail of the great toe of his right foot, without standing up, he thrummed the string of the bow with his finger nail, as easily as if it were merely the bow by which cottqn is cleaned. The sound produced by the vibration of the string was so loud, that it rolled to the distance of a thousand yojanas ; and terror seized hold upon the inhabitants of Jambudwipa, as they supposed that it thundered, thongh it was not the season of rain. After this he placed four plantain trees at the comers of a square, and by one flight of the arrow pierced them all. Even in the dark he could send the arrow with so steady an aim as to split a hair from which anything was suspended. The prince also proved that he knew perfectly the eighteen silpas, though he had never had a teacher,* and that he was equally well acquainted with many other sciences. The relatives were thus convinced by what they saw and heard that he was no ordinary being ; and soon afterwards 40,000 princessesf were sent to remain in the apartments of the palace. * It is said in the Milinda Prasna that Sudanta beoame the preceptor of the prince, and that he was succeeded in his office by the learned brahtoan Sabbamitta, upon whose hands the king poured water, when he delivered him into hiB charge, as a token that he was entirely resigned to his oare until he had acquired the knowledge it was necessary for him to ki^ow ; whilst in other works it \a said that he had had no teacher at the time of his marriage. N&gas^na says that he had five preceptors ; some of whom are, howeyer, not to be regarded as teachers in the ordinary sense of the term : — Sudanta ; Sabbamitta ; the charioteer by whom he was driven when he saw the four signs ; and the ascetics Alara and Uddaka ; as will afterwards bo more fully explained. t They are called nitaka-istri, literally, dancing women ; but it is evident that they were considered as inferior wires, the same word being used here, both in Singhalese and Pali, that is used in reference to the hareems of other kings and princes. In many instances they are called queens, of whom TaB<5dhadl is said to be the chief. The exaggeration in the text may throw light upon the conduct of Solomon (1 Kings xl. 8), as we may infer there from that it was common for the monarchs of that age to have an immense Bumber of wiyes. Abu Fazel tells us that the hareem of Akbar was of such extent as to contain a separate room for every one of the women, whose number exceeded 5,000 ; and Ferishtah says that the emperor Shere wps vn. LEGENDS OF g6tama budha. 157 Whilst living in the midsb of the full enjoyment of every kind of pleasure, Sidhiirtta one day commanded his principal charioteer to prepare his festive chariot ; and in obedience to his commands, four lily-white horses were yoked. The prince leaped into the chariot, and proceeded towards a garden at a little distance from the palace, attended by a great retinue. On his way he saw a decrepid old man, with broken teeth, grey locks, and a form bending towards the ground, his trembling steps supported by a staff, as he slowly proceeded along the road. The dewas had seen that the time was now approaching when he was to become Budha, and it was one of their number who had assumed the appearance that was presented to the prince; but it was seen only by himself and the charioteer.* The prince enquired what strange figure it was that he saw j and he was informed that it was an old man. He then asked if he was bom so, and the charioteer answered that he was not, as he was once young like themselves. '^Are there," said the prince, '* many such beings in the world?" " Your highness," said the charioteer, 'Hhere are many." The prince again enquired, '' Shall I become thus old and decrepit ?" and he was told that it was a state at which all beings must arrivcf It was by the aid of the d^was that the charioteer was enabled thus pertinently to answer. The prince now saw that life is not to be desired, if all must thus decay ; and he therefore proceeded no further towards the garden, but returned to the palace. When Sudhddana saw him, he enquired why he had returned so soon ; and the prince informed him that he had seen an old man, which had made him resolve to become an ascetic ; but the king conjured him to put away thoughts like these, and enjoy himself with the princesses of the palace ; and to prevent him from carrying his resolution into effect, he placed an ad- enraged because one of the yiceroys who had reduced a neighbouring district kept no less than 2000 concubines and dancing girls in his hareem.— Calcutta Beriew, Jan. 1845. * When Xerxes left Sardis in grand procession for the invasion of Greece, his charioteer, whose name is recorded, sat by his side, whence we may infer that this office must have been one of considerable dignity. — Herod. Tii. 40. t The charioteer was more honest than the French ecclesiastic. ** Quoi done," (exclaimed the young Dauphin to his preceptor, when some book mentioned a king as having died) — " Quoi done, les rois meurent-ils ? " " Quel- quefois, monseigneur,*' was the cautious but courtly reply. — Brougham's Historical Sketches. 158 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. ditional nnmber of guards, extending to the distance of eight miles roand the city. Fonr months after this event, as Sidh&rtta was one day passing along the same path, he saw a dewa nnder the appear- ance of a leper, f nil of sores, with a body like a water-vessel, and legs like the pestle for pounding rice ;* and when he learnt from the charioteer what it was that he saw, he became agitated, and returned at once to the palace. The king noticed with sorrow what had occurred, and extended the guards to the distance of twelve miles round the city. After the elapse of another period of four months, the prince, on his way to the garden, saw a dead body, green with putridity, with worms creeping out of the nine apertures, when a similar conversation took place with the charioteer, followed by the same consequence. The king now placed guards to the distance of sixteen miles. There are some Budhas that appear when the age of man is immensely long, and in such instances the space of one hundred years elapses between these appearances. At the end of the next four months, on the day of the full moon, in the month JBsala, Sidhdrtta saw in the same road a recluse, clad in a becoming manner, not looking farther before him than the distance of a yoke, and presenting an appearance that indicated much inward tranquillity. When informed by the charioteer whom it was that he saw, he learnt with much satisfaction that by this means successive existence might be overcome, and ordered him to drive on towards the garden. That day he sported in the water, put on bis gayest apparel, and remained until the going down of the sun. The nobles brought the 64 different kinds of orna- ments that are required in the complete investiture of a king, and a vast retinue of courtiers ministered to his pleasure.