Page:Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal Vol 7, Part 2.djvu/81

1838.] in the &trap coins of Sarásktra. The native kings were apparently allowed to have the copper coin to themselves. The religion here however is polytheistic, the efilgy that of Hercules or Baladeva.

Without insisting upon their being the same person, I cannot help. mentioning that the name of Balarielai is found as one of four brothers by different mothers who cut a conspicuous figure in Indian fable. B.1.ri,AI, Vicramarka, Bel and I3hartriliari; the second of these is the celebrated Vicramddiya, whose reign falls 56 years before Christ, and be was the son of one Candhs.rupa or, as the fable has it, of a gaadkes-se in the mortal disguise of an ass: WILPOKD interprets the tale by making Vicramdtya the son of BAHKAM Goa of Persia by an Indian princess, and, to account for the anachronism of 400 years, is forced to imagine there wore several kings of the same namc,— which would be likely enough if he admitted (as seems certain from ow cobis) that Vioramdditya is a mere title. We shall presently allude again to this circumstance.

Fig. 11. From General V.NTUUA’S collection. A more perfect specimen of a hitherto illegible coin. It is now seen to belong to MATE8,

Obverse. BAIAEZ BAZIAEflN )SErAAOT MATOT. Front figure of the king seated on a chair or throne, a shawl (?) on his should- era, and a club or knotted sceptre in his right hand like that given to Mokadpbises.

Reverse. Much worn and indistinct, a female holding some object like a scarf with both bands, and having a flowing robe behind, like that of the VoNonEs group. Bactrian legend P9.’ Pi1.u rujadhi rssa maloatasa maasa, and on the field wL used numerically (?).

The discovery of this rare specimen, only the third known of the prince whose name it bears°, will be highly gratifying to the numismatists of Paris. It will in the first place remove the doubt entertained by M. RAOUL Da Rocnn himself whether the un-Greek appellation May.. might not be used for Mao, the moon, as a divinity and net as a king; or whether united to the title BAZ1ETZ the compound may not be equivalent to the name of ApolloStus; “ce n’est là, du reste, qu’une conjecture quo je soumets avec beancoup de defiance aux hnniires de nos philologues indianistes, desquels souls ii eat permis d’espfrer Ia solution de cc curieux problême.”

The problem is now solved so far that we find him an earthly lovereign with similar titles to those of Azss, —and that he is not.AP0LL0- Doves! The native name composed of three letters, I should have for

I bave just received another Mayes of different type from Capt. BUaNEI, tOO late for iaaeçtion bere.—J. P.