to the tenderness of the female conftitution. The disgusting nature of the fubject, added to the indelicacy of many of the precepts here given, induces me rather to refer the reader to the book itself than to dilate upon them. The following energetic fentence, however, can by no means be omitted: "the man, who preferves his wife from vice, preferves his offspring from the fufpicion of baftardy, his ancient usages from neglect, his family from difgrace, himself from anguish, and his duty from violation." In this chapter occurs the permiffion, previously noticed as fo congenial with the Levitical law, Deut. xxv. 5, for the brother to afcend the bed of the deceased brother, if the widow bave no issue, for the purpose of producing fuch iffue. It is to be observed that the permiffion, in the Hindoo code, is limited to the production of one fon only; ever after both the brother and the widow, who have thus united, muft live together like father and daughter by affinity. This law ceased among the Jews at the period of the Babylonish captivity; and, in the Cali age, is forbidden in Hindoftan.

Το

To the laws refpecting legal union and iffue are properly subjoined those concerning inheritance. In thefe laws, and in a vari. ety of inftances, throughout the volume, may clearly be traced the remote origin of those which, in Europe, we call feudal. The elder brother is ftated to be in the place of both father and mother to his younger brethren, and they are to look to him as to a parent: in this venerated fituation there can be no wonder at his being appointed to fucceed to the greater part of the father's fortune, and to all his best goods and chattels; the remainder is divided, in proportion to feniority, among the other fons. The widow must be fupported by the benevolence of her eldest son. To the daughters, unmarried at the decease of their father, each brother fhall give, by way of portion, a fourth part of his own diftinct allotment. Eunuchs, perfons expelled from their caft, ideots, and those born blind, deaf, or dumb, the impotent, and incurably difeafed, are declared incapable of inheriting; but the heir, under severe denunciations of fpiritual vengeance, is bound to fupply them through life with

food

food and raiment to the best of his abilities. Under this head of inheritance, will be found fome very nice and wife diftinctions, worthy the minute attention of the legal ftudent, but into the difcuffion of which it cannot be expected that I should enter,

The laws against gaming engrofs another grand divifion of the Hindoo penal code, and the penalties are extremely fevere, whether it be performed with dice, or with living creatures, that is, by matches between rams and cocks, to which the Indian nation have ever been greatly addicted. A prevailing fpirit of gaming is truly stated to be the forerunner of deftruction to princes, and the fubverfion of the empire. The fovereign muft labour to fupprefs it, therefore, by every poffible means, and punish the profeffed gamefter and keeper of a gaming-house as open thieves. High fines and corporal feverities, according to the elevated or inferior clafs of the offender, are the allotted punishments. To the above enumeration of crimes fucceeds, in regular order, the detail of a great variety of offences and laws that could not well be claffed under any of the preceding general heads.

Iniquitous

Iniquitous and ambitious minifters, who, inflamed by the blaze of wealth, prostitute their high stations to the purposes of gain, are to be ftripped of their property. The forger of royal edicts is to be put to death: The incestuous violator of the paternal bed; foldiers who intoxicate themselves with arrack, mead, or rum rum; the facrilegious ftealer of the gold of Brahmins; are to be ranked among criminals of the highest degree, and punished accordingly. The perfon who is guilty of cheating in the public bazar, and he who robs in the fecluded foreft, receivers of bribes, extorters of money by threats, debafers of metals, fortune-tellers, profeffors of palmeftry, and a long train of petty offenders, whofe crimes often evade the vigilance of the public functionary, are to be hunted out by means of spies and emiffaries once thieves themselves, but reformed, who, by careffes, prefents, and other gra tifications, having made their way into their hearts and affections, are to turn, public informers, and become the means of dragging them from their haunts to the tribunal of national justice. Thofe who ftand by, neutral and inactive, when they are wit

neffes

1

neffes to attacks by robbers, or who fupply them with fuftenance, are to be confidered as equally guilty, and share their punishment. The destroyer of a dam, the violator of a pool or well, the obstructer of a watercourse, the breaker of a foot-bridge, of a public pavement, or palifade, fhall all be refpectively and highly mult. The prifons and places of correction are ordained to be placed as near as poffible to the public road, that all men may mark the punishment of guilt, and profit by the groans of the fuffering. Then follows a farther recapitulation of the character and duties of a great and good king, and the innumerable bleffings that await an empire thus wifely governed. The chapter concludes with laying down a variety of general precepts for the regulation of the two laft claffes, the commercial and the fervile.

Of these the VAISYA (or Bice) is the fupe rior; his proper business is agriculture, commerce, and keeping of cattle. While to them the Lord of all created beings intrusted the herds and flocks that range the mountains and the valleys; to the Brahmin and the

Khettri