Page:Prachum Phongsawadan (01) 2457.djvu/16

 I am not certain whether it was obtained in the reign of King Rama IV or earlier. There is another Khmer chronicle containing corresponding and shorter contents, called the Chronicle of Lawaek. The Thai-language manuscript containing it as obtained by the Royal Library was written in the reign of King Rama I. I believed that, during the reign of King Rama I, [the original of] the Khmer chronicle herein printed was not yet obtained. I ordered an inquiry to be held in the Kingdom of Cambodia, intending to find Khmer chronicles for verification, and became informed that the Khmer chronicles available in the Kingdom of Cambodia are just as herein printed.

The Chronicle of Bamars and Ramans herein printed was translated into Thai in the Year of the Snake, Year 9, 1219 LE, 2400 BE, by Khun Sunthonwohan from the Royal Scribal Department together with four interpreters, Khun Aksonraman, Nai Kham Parian, Nai Sut Parian, and Nai Chu, at the behest of His Majesty King Chunlachomklao. The original text obtained seems to be in the Raman language and the author seemed to be a Raman because there is another Bamar chronicle written by Bamars, called the Great Chronicle, which contains very long contents written on a multi-volume Thai manuscript and is being translated by the Royal Library.

There are two chronicles of Lan Chang: one written at the behest of King Mongkut, the other submitted for publication in the journal Wachirayan by Phraya Prachakitkorachak (Chaem Bunnak) after obtaining a manuscript in the original language. Having compared them together, I found that the version by Phraya Prachakitkora-