perform, for his tutor, the office of a fervant without reward. By his hands the confecrated wood, for the facrificial fire, must be gathered; by his hand the flame kindled; he must carry the water-pots for ablution, the flowers, fresh earth, and cufa-grafs, used in the facred ritual; and, at intervals, intensely read the holy Veda, and implore food around all the district.

Nothing can be conceived more fevere than this state of fervile pupillage, which continues to the twenty-fifth year; it shews the abject obedience in which the elder Brahmins hold not only the younger of their own order, but all the orders dependent upon them. Many of the ftanzas, in this chapter, contain very excellent moral doctrines, though much overftrained. By others we are filled with fentiments of detestation and horror at the fanguinary interdictions contained in them, for the most trivial faults and the moft pardonable fallies of youth. At the clofe of this long vaffalage, the Brammaffari, when he leaves his preceptor to return to his natural father, is fubject to a mulct, and muft gratify the avarice of the holy Indifferent with the best gifts in

his power, a piece of land, a present of gold, a jewel, a cow, a horfe, or fome fimilar present. The ultimate reward, however, for this patient fervitude and voluntary munificence, is not a little flattering; for, the last stanza declares, that "the twice-born man, who shall thus, without intermiffion, have paffed the time of his studentship, fhall afcend after death to the most exalted of regions, and no more again spring to birth in this lower world."

CHA P. III.

In the third chapter are discussed the TIME and DUTIES of marriage.

Having paffed through the ftate of pupillage, according to the rigid rules laid down in the preceding chapter; having obtained his tutor's confent, and received from him a prefent of the Vedas, the young Brahmin is permitted to efpoufe a wife of his own tribe, but not within the fixth degree of confanguinity. Some very judicious, and other very curious, rules are laid down for his conduct in the choice of a wife; in par ticular, he is recommended not to marry any woman with red hair, deformed in her

limbs, or immoderately talkative, nor into any family that has produced no male children, or that is fubject to any hereditary complaint, as phthifis, epilepfy, and elephantiafis. Let him, fay the wife Inftitutes, choose for his wife a girl whose form has no defect, who has an agreeable name, who walks gracefully, like a phenicopteros, or like a young elephant, whose hair and teeth are equally beautiful, and whose body has exquifite foftness. A marriage, in any tribe below his own, degrades him, but ftill it may be contracted; he may legally efpoufe four wives according to the number of those tribes. There are eight forms of marriage, four are holy and four are impure. They are enumerated, and the latter are to be avoided, because it is declared that a guilty marriage invariably produces a miferable offspring. If a Brahmin marry a girl of the Kattry tribe, she must approach the nuptial fire bearing an arrow in her hand; if one of the Bice tribe, a whip; if one of the Sudra tribe, she must hold the skirt of a mantle; I prefume as a mark of her being of the lowest class. The instructions of this pious book are fo very VOL. VII. I i minute

minute as to defcend to a defcription of the proper periods, that is, the auspicious nights, for conjugal embraces; and many other circumstances which it would be neither ufeful nor decent to infert in this epi

tome.

The Brahmin must be conftant, affectionate, and indulge his wife in all the innocent diverfions and all the perfonal ornaments fuitable to his rank and abilities ; and the perfection of nuptial felicity is thus fummarily described and forcibly recommended. "In whatever family the hufband is contented with his wife, and the wife with her husband, in that house will fortune be affuredly permanent." Being now become a housekeeper, maxims, appropriate to his new station, are inculcated; the fucceffive facrifices and ablutions to all the gods and genii refpectively; by day, to the fpirits who walk in light; and, by night, to those who walk in darkness.” The numerous and varied duties of hofpitality, to different guests, according to their rank and confequence, are now laid down and ftrenuously recommended. They imprefs the mind with the liveliest idea of the

generous

generous liberality of the benevolent race of ancient Indians. This chapter concludes with a very ample and curious detail of the ceremonies customary at that particular facrifice which the Indians denominate SRADDA, or oblation to the manes of their departed ancestors, who are represented as exulting in delicious repafts of rice, honey, and clarified butter, offered up to them by their grateful descendants; and as bleffing the pious donors through a thousand ge

nerations.

СНАР. IV.

On Economics and private Morals.

The art of prudently managing domeftic concerns, and the legal and honourable methods by which a Brahmin may increase a fcanty income, are here difcuffed: his chief business is about the altar, he must constantly attach himself to fome confecrated fire, he muft duly and devoutly perform the offices of religion, and be particularly attentive to thofe rites which are performed at the end of the dark and bright fortnight, and at the folftices; another proof how ear

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