richly dressed, with an expression of distress, before the
Buddha who comforts him. The scene is framed in darkness, the two
figures being lit up by a torch.

3. A CHILD'S OFFERING.

Old frescoes in the Ajanta Caves show a mother sending a gift through
her child. It looks as if they were Buddhist illustrations of Christ's
injunction, "Suffer little children to come unto me."

ACT IV.

FIRST SCENE

[A room in the Jetavana. The wheel of the law pictured on one side and
the wheel of becoming on the other. Otherwise swastikas and lotus
flowers serve as ornaments. A large opening exhibits a view into a
garden with running water. On the right side there is a platform with
low seats, on the other there is a low table with a divan, on which
Anatha Pindika is seated, looking over palmleaf manuscripts.]

_Present: ANATHA PINDIKA (A); Servant (St.); PRINCE JETA (J);
later on KALA UDAYIN (K) and the BUDDHA (B)._

_A servant enters._

_St._ His Highness the Prince Jeta.

_A._ Show him in.

_JETA enters. A. rises to meet him with bows._

You are most welcome, my Prince.

_J._ I have come from my brother, the King, to express to you his
thanks for having bought my pleasure grounds for the noble and great
purpose of affording a worthy resthouse to the Buddha and his
brotherhood.

_A._ Kindly tender my gratitude to your royal brother for his gracious
message.

_J._ I hear that King Bimbisara has sent an embassy to the Buddha to
induce him to come back to Rajagaha. Has the Buddha received these
men?

_A._ Not yet. He will see them this morning.

_J._ We ought to keep him here. He is a wonderful man, and I consider
our city fortunate to have him reside with us. What astonishes me is
his way of conquering the hearts of all men, even of his opponents,
and he is so sensible.

_A._ What do you mean?

_J._ I am not a religious man; I am too worldly, but him I would
follow.

_A._ Why?

_J._ He is perhaps the only religious reformer who does not go to
extremes. He rejects on the one hand austerities, self-mortifications,
penances, and severe fasts as useless, and on the other hand, he would
not allow his followers to indulge in pleasures; but he insists most
sensibly on keeping between the two extremes and proclaims the middle
path of leading a righteous life. There is nothing absurd about him.
Think of Devadatta. He insists that the monks should dress in rags
picked up in cemeteries. The Bu