Indeed He Would In That
Case Surely Have Given A Distincter Account Of So Important A City, The
Aspect Of Which In Its Glory We Have Attempted To Realize In The Plate Of
"The City Of Mien."
It is worthy of note that the unfortunate King then reigning in Pagan, had
in 1274 finished a magnificent Pagoda called Mengala-dzedi (Mangala
Chaitya) respecting which ominous prophecies had been diffused.
In this
pagoda were deposited, besides holy relics, golden images of the Disciples
of Buddha, golden models of the holy places, golden images of the King's
fifty-one predecessors in Pagan, and of the King and his Family. It is
easy to suspect a connection of this with Marco's story. "It is possible
that the King's ashes may have been intended to be buried near those
relics, though such is not now the custom; and Marco appears to have
confounded the custom of depositing relics of Buddha and ancient holy men
in pagodas with the supposed custom of the burial of the dead. Still,
even now, monuments are occasionally erected over the dead in Burma,
although the practice is considered a vain folly. I have known a miniature
pagoda with a hti complete, erected over the ashes of a favourite
disciple by a P'hungyi or Buddhist monk." The latter practice is common
in China. (Notes by Sir A. Phayre; J.A.S.B. IV. u.s., also V. 164,
VI. 251; Mason's Burmah, 2nd ed. p. 26; Milne's Life in China, pp.
288, 450.)
NOTE 3.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 231 of 1350
Words from 62038 to 62292
of 370046
