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BIRMAH. 39
persons bound themselves, under an oath of secrecy
and fidelity to each other, to take away the life of
the king. Whether Minderajee-praw had infringed
on any privileges, or excited hatred by the outrage
against Momien's sacred person, whatever were
their motives, their attempt to effect their pur-
pose was so energetic and powerful, that, breaking
through the customary guard of seveu hundred men,
they were on the point of succeeding : nothing preserved
the king but the casualty of his having retired
to the range of apartments allotted to the women. Dis-
appointed of their prey, and surrounded by the guards,
the conspirators were all put to death.
Although, as votaries of Buddha in his character of
Guadma, the Birmans are exempted from the yoke of
Hindoo castes, and pay no regard to the innumerable
deities of the Hindoo mythology, yet, there is a close
connexion between the two forms of superstition.
Brahmins admit Buddha into their pantheon as an
incarnation of Vishnu the preserver ; while the Bir-
mans, although esteeming
the Brahmins inferior in
sanctity to their own rhaha'dns, yet hold them in high
respect, and these personages have for ages been
accustomed to migrate from Cassay and Arracan to
Ava. The habits of the Brahmins, and their intercourse
with society, must raise them in general knowledge
far above the Birman priesthood, who are an
order of monks residing in convents, and holding it to
be an abuse to perform any of the common functions
of life. The Brahmins, skilfully availing themselves
of the early predilection of Minderajee-praw for the
science of judicial astrology, and flattering him with
favourable prognostics, soon introduced themselves into
high influence at court, obtained the grant of a college