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136 BIRMAH.
some speculative point with his wife, who is pronounced
by Mrs. Judson to be the most superior woman, in point
of intellect, that she met with in Birmah.
"
If she
Rice ! what is
says, the rice is ready, he will reply,
rice? Is it matter, or spirit? Is it an idea, or
is it ? non-entity Perhaps she will say, It is matter.
He will reply, Well, wife, and what is matter ? Are
you sure there is such a thing in existence, or are you
"
merely subject to a delusion of the senses ? Yet, in
manners, our philosopher was all suavity, humility,
and respect. His
"
wife, as sharp as himself,"
harassed Mrs. Judson with all sorts of questions
relative to the possibility of sin's finding entrance
into a pure mind, or of its being permitted under the
government of a holy sovereign. In their habits and
mode of thought and reasoning, the Birmans are in-
fluenced by a high conceit of their own powers, and a
fancied superiority, fenced by strong prejudices. This
was most apparent in the very interesting conversa-
tions held with Oo-yan, a man of talents and respectability.
On doctrinal points, he discovered a most
acute, discriminating mind; and his reasoning was
both insinuating and adroit. Candour, too, was strikingly
evinced by some of the disputants. And numbers,
it appears, " indeed, all the semi-atheists," who
seem to be Buddhists par excellence, are despisers of
Guadama and the established religion of Birmah.
While the rhahaans, however, affect to make no pro-
selytes, both they and the government are strictly
jealous to detect, and relentless to punjsh any individual
Birmans who shall depart from the faith of
Guadama. They are slaves of the emperor, and it is
viewed as a mark of treason to dissent in this respect
from his will. Thus, when the keen reasoners and
disputants among their doctors could not gainsay the