in existence. Several li to the north-east of the city there is a royal field, where the heir-apparent sat under a tree and watched men ploughing.[1] Fifty li to the cast there is a royal garden, called Lun-min[2], where the Queen, entering the pool, bathed herself, and coming out twenty paces on the north side of the pool, raised her hands to grasp the branch of a tree,[3] and facing the east brought forth the heir-apparent. When the Prince was born he walked seven steps, and two dragon-kings[4] washed his body. At the place where he was washed a well has been made, and also at the above-mentioned bathing pool,[5] from which the priests are now accustomed to get their drinking-water. All Buddhas have four places everlastingly fixed. (1). Where they attain per-
- ↑ Mr. Beal says "watched a ploughing-match," but gives no explanation of or authority for such rendering. Rémusat says "considéra des laboureurs," and quotes a passage to shew that the young prince was invited to take an interest in agriculture "afin quo ses réflexions ne se portassent pas sur la doctrine."
- ↑ Lumbini. Also expressed in Chinese by 龍彌你.
- ↑ Mr. Beal says "holding a branch of the (Sala) tree in her hand" for 舉手攀樹枝 He has omitted the next two characters altogether, 東向 facing the east.
- ↑ Rémusat says in a note "Deux rois des dragons, frères, l'un nommé Kia lo, et l'autre Yü Kia lo."
- ↑ A troublesome sentence to translate satisfactorily. Mr. Beal, as is his wont with difficult passages, avoids exposing his weakness by taking no notice at all of the last five characters. The text runs 浴處遂作井及上洗浴池 The difficulty is of course with 上. Does it mean literally "over (the well)," or merely "beside," for which there would be sufficient authority in 井上有李. Or may 上 refer to (上文) the bathing-place "above-mentioned?" Rémusat gives the following forced translation:—"à l'endroit où cette ablution eut lieu, il se forma aussitôt un puits; et c'est à ce puits aussi bien qu'a l'étang où avait eu lieu le bain, quo les religieux ont coutume de puiser l'eau qu'ils boivent." It seems to us pretty clear that there were two wells, one at each place.
