204 BENGALI LITERATURE throne. Each of these images is introduced as telling a story descriptive of the princely character of that King, and showing that a prince worthy of succeeding him cannot be found. The earlier style of Mrtyufijay, as displayed in this work, if not superior to that of some of his contemporaries, was certainly less affected and pedantie than his later style, although somewhat sanseritised. It presents a great contrast indeed in language and manner at once to Carey’s Dialogues as well as to Pratapaditya- charitra published only a year before itself and Lipimala published in the same year. As on the one hand, it is marked by a total absence of Persian influence and a decided tendency to sanscriticised style, so on the other, by its preference of the classical language, it rises superior to the colloqualism and flatness of the D/a/ogues. The story with its framework is well-known. When Bikramaditya dies, his throne, the precious gift of Indra who was pleased with the King’s excellent qualities, is buried, and for a long time remains hidden. Many years afterwards, a peasant cultivating his land discovers that, when sitting on a platform in the midst of his field, he becomes endowed with the qualities of great discern- ment and decision. By the direction of Bhoja, the reigning monarch of the country, the ground is dug up, and the lost throne is duly discovered underneath the platform. When the king, =n the midst of a large circle of courtiers is about to take his seat there, the first image informs him, that without Bikramaditya’s qualities,
Printed Books in the British Museum show (p. 67). The London ed. of 1884 is also mentioned in the Catalogue of the Library of the Rast India College. 1 Tt is also sometimes known an Bikramacharitra, because King Bikrama is the hero, tales of whose prowess and virtue are told by the thirty-two images of his charmed throne discovered by Bhoja.
