of the right arm of Véna, father of Prithu or Noah. Bards, in this part of India, being without em. ploy, are become a most despicable race of men. They are more rc. spected in the Deccan, according to Major Mackenzie, who says, that they are generally called Cavísars, from Cávyéswaras, or the Lords of the Drama.

The merchants of Magad'ha formed not only a peculiar class, but also a particular tribe, called the Magad'hì tribe. It seems, that they were bold, enterprising, and at the same time cautious and cir. cumspect; hence they are said to be merchants by the father's, and warriors by the mother's side, according to Mr. Colebrooke's ac. count of the Hindu classes. According to the Vishnu-purán'a, the kings of Magad'ha originally resided at a place called Giri-Vraja, or Giri-Braja. Vraja is synony. mous with Ghosha, a herdsman, also the abode of a herdsman; and being situated in the hills, it was called Giri-vraja. From that circumstance, the kings of Magad'ha were, till a very late period, called Vraja-balas, or rather, in the spoken dialects, Vraja-wàlàs, or Braja-walas, distorted afterwards by Musulman writers, into Birdaoval, according to Herbelot, and Birdawal according to Abulfeda; who says it was also the name of their metropolis. GiriBraja was situated in the province of South Bahar, among the moontains of Sivira, now called the Rája-gir, or the royal mountains; but more probably the real name was Rájagriha, from a place of that name, implying the royal abode. It is erroneously written, in Major Rennel's atlas, Rargiara.

This is acknowledged to have been one of their places of abode; for they say, that the royal throne was at a place called Asana, above Gáyá, on the river Balga, now Fulgo, called Cacuthis by Arrian. Asana signifies a royal seat, or throne; and Ptolemy mentions, also, a place of that name, Asana Mára, or the destroyed throne. It is called Pràcjyotisha in the Purán'as, and its remains are near Go-háti, on the frontiers of Assam.

There, among the Rája-gritha mountains, the unfortunate Jara. sand'ha had a palace, near some hot springs, where he generally resided; some remains of it are to be seen to this day, and it is coa. sidered as a place of worship. The Pújá is there performed, first in honour of Crishna and the fire Pándavas; then with flowers in honour of old Sand'ha, and his sen Sahadéva. There, in memory of this unfortunate hero, martial games are annually exhibited. They are performed with clubs, whilst drums are constantly beating. I am informed, that there is a statue of him, of an ordinary size, and seemingly of great antiquity. He is represented naked, with a club in his hand. Formerly the same games were exhibited, in his honour also, opposite to Patna, in a small island, called, from that circumstance. Sam-Mallaca, and Sambalaca by Ptolemy. They were then celebrated with great solemnity; people came from distant parts, and, during the time they lasted, a fair was held there. The games, the fair, and the place where it was held, were famous all over India, and the name of Sam. Mallaca became synonymous with Patali-putra.

Patali-putra.

It is now called

Summalpoor, or Sumbulpoor, and, in Major Renuel's atlas, Sabel. poor.

From the manner in which JaraSand'ha is represented there, and also, from other circumstances, he is fully entitled to the epithet of Hercules, or Haracula, given to him by Nounus in his Dionysiacs.

The 'Sinhalas, according to Captain Mahony, say that Buddha was born in the country of Maddadesa (Magad'ha-desa), in Dumba-deeva (Jambu-dwipa). at a place called Cumbool-wat-pooree, (Camalá-vatí-puri); and that he died at Cooseemapooree (Cusumápnri) in the same country. Camalávatí. puri is the same with Padmavatipuri, or the city of the Lotos; which we have seen is the same with Cusumapuri, now understood of Patna. It is added, that he died at the court of king Mallalel, which should be Mahá-ballala, or Má-vallala, a very common name for kings. I have shewn before, that Cusumapuri, Padmavatí, Ca. malá,vati-purí are epithets, and not proper names of places; and applicable, and generally applied, to the place of residence of great kings. Patali-putra is never mentioned in the Purán'as, or Sanscrit books of any antiquity; and its grammatical name is Pátalí-pura. As it was the metropolis of the empire of Magad'ha, in latter times, and had also the emphatical name of Padmá-vati-puri given to it; every transaction mentioned, as having happened at Padmávatí, was of course understood of the last known place under that name; and indeed, it was soon forgotten, that there were once several cities of that name in that country.

VOL. LI.

The Magas in Bengal are men. tioned by Pliny under the name of Macca.Calingas. It appears from the context, that the upper part of the Bay of Bengal was divided into three parts, called in general Ca linga, or the sea-shore in Sanscrit, from its abounding with creeks. West Calinga extended from the river of Cuttaca to the western mouth of the Ganges. In an island of the Ganges, ample magnitudinis, of very great magnitude, and of course the Delta was a single nation called Modo-Galica and Modo-Galenca, from the Sanscrit Madhya Calinga, or Middle Calinga: then came the Macco Calingas, or the Magas of Chittigong, from Maga-Calinga. The Magas or Mugs maintained themselves as an independent tribe in the Delta for a long time; and they were at last expelled by the Musulmans and the Rájas of Tipera, about the beginning of the sixteenth century, as mentioned by P. Monser. rat. Through the Burman empire, Arracan and in Chittigong the priests only are called Magas, according to Col. Symes; but in Chittigong and adjacent countries, the name of Muga is also attributed to the whole tribe.

A Country-house-and a House in the Country. [From the Morning Chronicle, Aug. 26, 1809.]

MR. EDITOR,

AS there may be some little in. terval between the taking of Flushing and of Antwerp, I hope you will find room to represent the grievances of a man who dates all his misfortunes from that which 3 K from

forms the hopes and happiness of two-thirds of his fellow-citizens, I mean the possession of a country. house.

Influenced by my wife and family, and by the physician and apothecary, who, I verily believe, were in league with them, to persuade me that London, at this season of the year, is very pernicious to the health, and on Sundays absolutely fatal to human life and happiness; I say, Sir, teased, tormented, and half convinced by these arguments, in an evil hour, I took a country house-a house, Sir, in which I was taught to believe that I could enjoy the calm pleasures of rural solitude, unruffled by the buz of promiscuous society, and the many external and discordant noises which disturb the auricular faculties of the Londoners.

A country-house I took, and that it might be the more conzenient, within five miles of the metropolis, close to a road through which coaches were hourly passing and repassing, so that any of my family might have a cast, as it is called, at a very trifling expense, besides the great convenience of errand-carts, return-chaises, and other vehicles for lumber or plea.

sure.

But, Sir, let no quiet citizen henceforth hire a house that is beset with so many conveniencies, and let him know, by my hard fate, that the conveniencies he enjoys may be enjoyed by others; that the carriages that are hourly pass. ing and repassing may convey those whom he does not wish to see, and that a house within five miles of London, on a public road, is a fair mark for loungers, idlers, and

consumers of time and provisions. I had not been quietly settled s fortnight at my country-house, when I found it turned into an ien, or a Sunday ordinary, a cake. house, a tea-drinking place, and, in short, every thing but what I intended.

In an evil hour I praised the conveniencies of my house-How could my friends believe me with. out witnessing them? I spoke of my lofty rooms-they must dine in them; of my excellent bed-cham. bers-they must stay a night with me; of my garden and fruit-they must pluck it with their own hands; of my fine arched cellarthey must taste my wine; and of the many pleasant rides in the neighbourhood-they must come down for a week!

1 vainly hoped for one day of quiet. Sunday, emphatically styled a day of rest, I thought I could depend upon. Alas! Sir, it is with me a day of bustle and per. plexity. Although I have neither licence nor profits, I am all day providing for my guests, who are so good-natured as to praise the contents of my pantry and my cellar in the most extravagant terms. There is no port in the country equal to mine; my Madeira is better calcelated for gouty habits than any that ever passed the line; and my hock is so healthful in hot weather, and so little disposed to turn acid on the stomach, that the greatest compliment they can pay me is to use it as a substitute for malt liquor!

Sir, I once tried what an early hour would do. Loving to have all my children and grand-children about me on Sunday, I fixed my dinner-hour at three o'clock, fond.

ly thinking that I should bilk those impromptu visiters, who are then only drawing on their boots, and thinking which way they shall turn their horses' heads, and upon whom they shall inflict a visitation. But let no simple soul depend on his cunning. My three-o'clock scheme made no alteration but this, that what I called dinner became a luncheon to my visiters, who having eat, and drank some of my excellent light wines, departed just in time to gallop five miles farther, and dine with another friend, who does business of that kind in the evening. And scarcely are they gone, when they are replaced by another set, who having been compelled to dine with old Squaretoes at his d-d hour of half past two, pop in on me, to tell me the news, and taste that curious claret they had heard so much about!

I have only to add, that the present summer has contributed not a little to my grievances-so many wet evenings, "one could not turn out a dog in such wea. ther;" and my beds are so excellent, many of my friends never slept so sound any where and then a ride next morning is so pleasant-the dust laid-even when the weather is as favourable as can be wished, yet the cool of the morning has so many charms, that my spare beds (I wish there had never been such a piece of furniture invented) are all occupied; and were you to hear of all my excellencies and conveniencies, you would be puzzled to know whether I was most renowned as the keeper of an inn, a tavern, or a hotel.

But an end must be put to these things, and I hereby give notice,

that if any London gentleman wishes to go into this line of business, I shall be happy to treat with him for the lease of the house, and he shall have the goodwill for nothing. I cannot, however, conclude without mentioning the opinion of a friend to whom I lately communicated my grievances. After a short pause, and striking his forehead, he exclaimed- Mr Placid, I have hit it!I have hit it !—all your distresses arises from this one mistake-you took a countryhouse instead of a house in the country!

I am, Sir, your's, &c.
HUM. PLACID.

Parallel between Linnæus and Buffon. [Extracted from the Notes of Cuvier on the Abbé de Lille's Three Reigns of Nature.]

IT is an ingenious idea of the author of the Three Reigns, to bring together (in the Botanical Garden at Paris) the shades of two rivals who were far from being friends, but who, nevertheless, notwithstanding the oppositeness of their views and characters, or rather from that very oppositeness, co-operated for an advancement of natural history, as rapid as it was extensive.

Linnæus and Buffon seemed, in fact, to possess, respectively, qua lities that could not be found in conjunction in the same person, but whose union at the same time was necessary to give to the study of nature so powerful an impul sion.

Both of these men, enthusiasts, in their respective studies, and burn3 K 2

ing