was unable to avenge his death. The nobles fomented discords in the state from motives of self-aggrandizement, and passed directly from slavery to independence. They declared for the rivals of their master by whom they had been reduced to servitude.

Mandara, King of Burma took advantage of their internal dissensions to attempt the conquest of Pegu. He invaded the Kingdom at the head of an army of 1,000,000 men and 5,000 elephants. His fleet was commanded by Cayero, a daring Portuguese adventurer who had 1,000 of his compatriots under him. The Peguans were unable to oppose a barrier to the swarms of the invaders.

Mandara, conqueror of Pegu then turned his arms against the vassal states of the Empire which he had just conquered. Martaban, the capital of a Kingdom of the same name was taken, but the brilliancy of the action was tarnished by acts of cruelty. Mandara had promised to spare the lives of the King and his wife and children who were ordered to spend the rest of their days in exile; but the savage conqueror was faithless to his word. The captured Queen was conducted to his pavilion together with her two sons and forty young girls who charmed all by their beauty and still more so by their misfortunes. Priests recited prayers to appease the wrath of heaven. The King her husband at last appeared, mounted on an elephant and dressed in black velvet. He had a rope round his neck and seemed to be more concerned at the misfortunes of his family than with his own.

The next day the Queen and her children with the ladies of the court were led to a mound in the midst of the soldiery who forgetting their natural savagery, appeared to be moved by pity.

The Princess and her children were suspended by the feet to gallows destined for criminals of the deepest dye. The unfortunate King was allowed to survive his family for a few days to brood over the sadness of their fate. He was afterwards hung in a similar fashion and a stone being tied round his neck he was cast into the sea together with fifty of his chief officials who had committed no crime further than their devotion to King and country. This gross act of barbarity aroused the indignation of all the Burmans, and a revolt was imminent had it not been crushed by the diplomacy of the conqueror who held out the prospect of unlimited plunder. The capital was given over to pillage, a hundred million gold pieces were taken from the public treasury and distributed to the army. Everything that did not excite the greed of the conquerors was given over to the flames. Seventeen hundred temples and 140,000 houses were destroyed 60,000 of the inhabitants perished by fire and sword. The survivors of their country's downfall were condemned to drag out the rest of their days in slavery. The neighbouring Kings, jealous of Mandara's rapid success leagued themselves together to check his victorious progress. In great alarm he strengthened his out-posts and put himself at the head of 900,000 men. The rapidity of his movements anticipated the designs of his foes to whom he gave no time to collect their scattered forces. He laid siege to Prome the capital of a Kingdom of the same name which at that time was governed by a Queen acting as regent for her son aged 13 years. A stubborn defence was offered and the Princess's spirit so animated the courage of the troops, that the efforts of the besieging force would have been rendered futile, had it not been for traitors who opened the gates. As soon as the Burmans had proved victorious, the King ordered that the bodies of 2,000 children who had been killed in the general carnage should be dismembered and given to the elephants. The Queen, in a state of nudity, was given over to lust of the brutal soldiery, after which, executioners armed with whips, tore her in pieces. When, amid fearful tortures, she had breathed her last they tied her corpse to that of the King her son and cast them into the water. It is said that Mandara indulged in this cruel excess, because of his hatred towards, her father the King of Ava, who had refused her in marriage. Three hundred of the chief officials of the State were impaled and their corpses had no burial other than in the water.

The King of Ava, learning of the tragic end of his daughter, raised a large army, the command of which he entrusted to his son, who had no thoughts but those of vengeance for the death of his beloved sister. Mandara sent a force of 200,000 men to oppose his progress under the command of his foster-brother, a leader of proved courage and ability. The Burmans made a furious onslaught on the rear guard of the foe. The battle was hard fought, but the victory was gained by the Burmans who lost 115,000 men, although the army of the Prince of Ava numbered about 30,000 men of whom at least 800 deserted to the conqueror.

Mandara, who knew both how to conquer and how to turn his victories to account, sought enemies everywhere in order to increase the number of his vassals. No sooner was he informed of the troubled condition of Siam than he made preparations to annex so rich a prey, but before making a start, he wished to consult with his subjects, not so much as for taking their advice as for assuring himself of their support. The scheme, which, if successful would open a way to China, met with universal approbation. Martaban was the rallying point of his army which consisted of 800,000 infantry 40,000 cavalry, 5,000 elephants, and 1,000 pieces of artillery drawn by buffaloes and rhinoceros. The commissariat and the baggage was carried by oxen. This brave, but undisciplined array was far more suitable for a marauding expedition than for one of conquest. A force of ten thousand Europeans skilled in military tactics could have easily dispersed this motley rabble, which had to deal with a people quite as undisciplined, and less brave than themselves.

The chief strength of the Burmans consisted in a force of 2,000 brave Portuguese commanded by one Diego Suarèz, who, by favour of the King, had been raised to one of the chief dignitaries of the State. We must remark that in this century the Portuguese scattered over the Indies sold their lives to the service of any King who would pay them well enough. These adventurous heroes decided the issue of wars by their bravery, and the Monarch who had the greatest number in his pay, marched confidently to victory.

The first blow fell on the fortified post of Taparan whose garrison of 6,000 Siamese were put to the sword. This slaughter was insufficient to satisfy the fury of the pitiless conqueror who was so cruel as to sacrifice women and children to the memory of the soldiers killed in the operations.

After this carnage, he determined to make himself master of the capital, and without halting at unimportant places, which might have weakened his army, he advanced directly on the royal city, headed by a force of 60,000 pioneers who levelled the difficult tracks through a country covered with forests.

The Siamese, having no sound knowledge of the methods of attack and defence, remained apathetic whilst a numerous army surrounded their ramparts. Terrified, and unskilled in combat, they put their whole trust in their lofty walls which they regarded as being impregnable to attack. At last they were roused from their lethargy by the sounds of an onset. The love of life, rather than that of liberty aroused their courage and they offered a stubborn resistance to the foe who were repulsed with great loss. The besieging force adopted new tactics, which though deadly were not successful. Suarèz, seeing the repulse of the soldiers and that the elephants were terrified by the fire, thought it best to beat a retreat. But the King inflexible in his resolution to capture the city, ordered a fresh assault in the course of which he displayed the greatest bravery, but was wounded by an arrow which confined him to his bed for the space of a week. His wound relaxed the vigour