in a rice-mortar by their mother’s hands; which, to save herself from a diabolical torture and exposure,” (concealments are here properly practised in the report, for the sake of mere human decency,) “she submitted to attempt.  The eldest boy shrunk (shrank) from the dread ordeal, and clung to his agonized parent for safety; but his younger brother stepped forward, and encouraged him to submit to his fate, placing himself before the executioner by way of setting an example.  The last of the children to be beheaded was an infant at the breast, from which it was forcibly torn away, and its mother’s milk was dripping from its innocent mouth as it was put into the hands of the grim executioner.”  Finally, the Adikar’s brother was executed, having no connexion (so much as alleged) with his brother’s flight; and then the two sisters-in-law, having stones attached to their feet, were thrown into a tank.  These be thy gods, O Egypt! such are the processes of Kandyan law, such is its horrid religion, and such the morality which it generates!  And let it not be said, these were the excesses of a tyrant.  Man does not brutalize, by possibility, in pure insulation.  He gives, and he receives.  It is by sympathy, by the contagion of example, by reverberation of feelings, that every man’s heart is moulded.  A prince, to have been such as this monster, must been bred amongst a cruel people:  a cruel people, as by other experience we know them to be, naturally produce an inhuman prince, and such a prince reproduces his own corrupters.

Vengeance, however, was now at hand:  a better and more martial governor, Sir Robert Brownrigg, was in the field since 1812.  On finding that no answer was forthcoming, he marched with all his forces.  But again these were inadequate to the service; and once again, as in 1803, we were on the brink of being sacrificed to the very lunacies of retrenchment.  By a mere godsend, more troops happened to arrive from the Indian continent.  We marched in triumphal ease to the capital city of Kandy.  The wicked prince fled:  Major Kelly pursued him—­to pursue was to overtake—­to overtake was to conquer.  Thirty-seven ladies of his zenana, and his mother, were captured elsewhere:  and finally the whole kingdom capitulated by a solemn act, in which we secured to it what we had no true liberty to secure, viz. the inviolability of their horrid idolatries.  Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s—­but this was not Caesar’s.  Whether in some other concessions, whether in volunteering certain civil privilages of which the conquered had never dreamed, and which, for many a long year they will not understand, our policy were right or wrong—­may admit of much debate.  Often-times, but not always, it is wise and long-sighted policy to presume in nations higher qualities than they have, and developments beyond what really exist.  But as to religion, there can be no doubt, and no debate at all.  To exterminate their filthy and bloody abominations