calls the philofophical catechifm feems only a refinement of this legend.

This genealogical nonfenfe, however, is not confined to India. Hefiod's genealogy of the gods, though refined upon by the schools of Plato, is of the fame clafs. The Jewish fables, foolish questions and genealogies, reproved by Saint Paul, (epift. Tit.) were probably of this kind, for the Talmudical legends were not then fprung up. Binah, or Understanding, faid the cabalifts, begat Cochmah, or Wisdom, &c. till at last comes Milcah, the Kingdom, who begat Shekinah, the Divine Prefence. In the fame manner the Chriftian Gnoftics, of the fect of Valentinus, held their Пanpa, and their thirty ages. Ampfiu and Auraan, they tell us, i. e. Profundity and Silence, begat Bacua and Thar thuu, Mind and Truth; thefe begat Ubucua and Thardeadie, Word and Life, and these Merexa and Atarbarba, Man and Church. The other conjunctions of their thirty Eones are of fimilar ingenuity. The prevalence of the same spirit of mytho logical allegory in such different nations, affords the philofopher a worthy field of speculation.

Faria y Soufa, as if confcious that he had tired his reader with Indian legends, adds, that a concife view of this monftrous medley ought to be given by a writer who treats of Indian

manners.

The Gentoo religion has a principle peculiar to itself; it admits of no profelytes.

God,

God, they fay, has appointed different religions for different tribes and countries, is with the Brahmin in the temple, with the Mohammedan in the mosque, with the Chriftian in the church, and with the Jew in the Synagogue.

They have many feasts and fasts which they celebrate with many extravagant rites. In commemoration of the death of a martyr, fays Mr. Dow, "Some of the vulgar on the fast of "Oppofs, fufpend themselves on iron hooks, by the flesh of the "fhoulder blade, to the end of a beam, This beam runs round "with great velocity, upon a pivot, on the head of a high pole. "The enthufiaft not only feems infenfible of pain, but very often "blows a trumpet as he is whirled round above, and at certain "intervals fings a fong to the gaping multitude below, who very "much admire his fortitude and devotion."

The Gentoos have a particular veneration, fays Mr. Holwell, for the numbers One and Three. But of this fee a note in Lufiad X.

The Brahmin idea of a future state of retribution is strangely ambiguous. Of the human foul they fay, that after various tranfmigrations and purifications, it fhall be abforbed in the Deity and confcioufnefs loft in blifs. By this unintelligible fublimity, we are put in mind of fome of the reveries of a Shaftesbury or a Malebranche; but wild imaginations are the growth of every country.

The dreadful penances of the Brahmins ftill continue. These they esteem as the certain means of purification from fin. Many

rituals

rituals are also believed to confer holiness. Of these, immerfion in the river Ganges, and sprinklings of cow dung, are venerated as peculiarly efficacious. Yet alteration of heart, repentance, or abhorrence of moral turpitnde, appear to be no conditions of this purification. However a few individuals, whofe ideas have been improved by converfation with Europeans, may glofs and refine, that grofs ignorance of moral philofophy, which has no idea of moral turpitude, is the just character of Brahmin piety. Nor has their boafted philofophy been able to perceive the immorality of their penances, and of committing felf-murder as the certain passport to heaven. What can the true moralift think of the Indian, who, upon religious principles, drowns himself in the Ganges, or throws himself under the wheels of his pagod's chariot, to be crushed to death by the holy load? The duties we owe to our relatives in particular, and to fociety in general, the Author of Nature has impofed upon us by an indifpenfible canon. Yet thefe duties by the pious fuicide are refused on the principles of the weakest fuperftition. Nor can the moralist view the dreadful aufterities to which the Brahmin philofophers fubmit themselves in any other light. He who fixes his eyes on his nofe till he can see in no other direction; he who clenches his fift till the nails grow out at the back of his hand; and he who twifts his neck about, till his face is fixed unalterably backward; (three modes of penance mentioned by Mr. Dow;) and he who drowns himself at once, equally incapacitate themselves for the duties of fociety.

And not only the millions who thus do idle penance, but numerous fects of pilgrims alfo, are mere burdens upon the induftrious.

trious. The Fakiers are very numerous. Thefe, according to Mr. Dow, are a set of sturdy beggars, who admit any ruffian of good parts, to join them; and, under pretence of religious pilgrimages, ramble about in armies of ten or twelve thousand men. The country people fly before them, leaving their goods and their wives (who esteem it a holiness to be embraced by a Fakier) to the and luft of these villains. The prayers of a Fakier are highly efteemed, and often implored, in cafes of fterility. The wife and the Fakier retire together to prayer, a fignal is left that the Fakier is with the lady, and a found drubbing is the reward fhould the hufband dare to interrupt their devotions *

mercy

The city of Benaris is the great feminary of the Brahmin learning. Modern travellers have called it an University. Here the Gentoos ftudy divination, and fuch kind of philofophy as Meffrs. H. and D. have laid before us.

Poftellus (de Orig. c. 13. et 15.) fancies that the Brahmins are defcended of Abraham by Keturah, and named Brachmanes, quafi Abrahmaues.

Every

*When the Portuguese admiral, Pedro de Cabral, difcovered the Brazils, he found a fect of religionists called Pages, who were venerated in the fame manner as the Fakiers of India. Hi quocunque veniunt," fays Oforius, "fummo omnium plaufu recipiuntur, &c.” Whenever these come, they are received with the loudeft acclamations, the ways are crowded, verfes fung to the mufic of the country, and dances are performed before them. The most beautiful women, whether virgins or wives, are fubmitted to their embraces. Opinantur enim miferi, fi illos placatos habuerint, omnia fibi feliciter eventura; for these wretched ignorants believe, that if they can please these men, every thing will happen well to them. Such is the vaft fimilarity which obtams among all barbarous nations.

Every traveller who has vifited the East, Meffrs. Holwell and Dow not excepted, represent the great multitude of the Indians as the most fuperftitious and most abandoned of people. The moft ftriking particulars may be thus fummed up: The innumerable fuperftitions performed on the Banks of the Ganges, afford a pitiable picture of the weaknefs of humanity. As mentioned by Camoëns, (Lufiad VII. and X.) not only dead corpfes are conveyed from diftant regions to be thrown into the facred water, but the fick are brought to the river side, where

On beds and litters o'er the margin laid,
The dying lift their bollow eyes, and crave
Some pitying band to hurl them in the wave:

Thus heaven, they deem, tho' vileft guilt they bore
Unwept, unchanged, will view that guilt no more.

And hence it is no uncommon scene for the English fhips to be furrounded with the corpfes which come floating down this hallowed stream.

In confequence of their belief in the transmigration of fouls, many of the Brahmins abstain from all animal food. Yet however auftere in other refpects, they freely abandon themselves to every fpecies of lechery, fome of them efteeming the most unnatural abominations as the privilege of their fanctity.

The Gentoo mythology provides every deity with a spouse. A god without a wife being, according to them, as prepofterous and unaccomplished as a fire without heat, or a bird without wings.