tify him extremely, and he was beginning to hesitate about going, when, sorry am I to say, the proprietor, fearful lest the fellows should escape from him, gave his assent to the Indian's request, but at the same time he begged that he would not destroy them if he could possibly avoid it. What the result was I never learned; but from the apparent satisfaction with which the Indian set out after he had obtained his dreadful permission, there was every reason to imagine that one of the negroes at least would be sacrificed.

"This indifference in the mind of the Indians about taking away the life of a fellow creature, makes them appear, it must be confessed, in a very unamiable point of view. I fear also, that, in the opinion of many people, all the good qualities which they possess would but ill atone for their revengeful disposition, and for the cruelties which, it is well known, they sometimes inflict upon the prisoners who have

fallen into their power in battle. Great pains have been taken, both by the French and English missionaries, to represent to them the infamy of torturing their prisoners; nor have these pains been bestowed in vain; for though in some recent instances it has appeared that they still retain a fondness for this horrid practice, yet I will venture from what I have heard, to assert, that of late years not one prisoner has been put to the torture, where twenty would have been a hundred years ago. Of the prisoners that fell into their hands on St. Clair's defeat, I could not learn, although I raade strict inquiries on the subject, that a single man had been fastened to the stake. As soon as the defeat was known, rewards were held out by the British officers, and others that had influence other them, to bring in their prisoners alive, and the greater part of them were delivered up unhurt; but to eradicate wholly from their breasts the spirit of re venge has been found impossible."

“TH

HERE are eighteen Vidya's, or parts of true knowledge, and some branches of knowledge falsely so called; of both which a short account shall here be exhibited. "The first four are the immortal Véda's evidently revealed by God; which are entitled, in one compound word. Rigyajuhsámát harva, or, in separate words, Rich, Yajush, Sáman, and Atharvan: the Rigvéda consists of five sections; the Yajur véda, of eighty-six; the Sámavéda, of a thousand; and the Atharvavé. da of nine; with eleven hundred s'ác'ha's, or branches, in various divisions and subdivisions. The Véda's in truth are infinite; but were reduced by Vyása to this number and order: the principal part of them is that, which explains the duties of man in a methodical arrangement; and in the fourth is a system of divine ordinances.

"From these are deduced the four Upavédas, namely, Ayush, Gandharva, Dhanush, and St'hápatya; the first of which, or Ayurvéda, was delivered to mankind by Brahmá, Indra, Dhanwantari, and five other deities; and comprises

the theory of disorders and medicines, with the practical methods of curing diseases. The second, or music, was invented and explained by Bharata: it is chiefly useful in raising the mind by devotion to the felicity of the Divine nature. The third Upavéda was composed by Viswamitra on the fabrication and use of arms and implements handled in war by the tribe of Cshatriya's.

Vis'wacarman revealed the fourth in various treatises on sixtyfour mechanical arts, for the improvement of such as exercise them.

"Six Anga's, or bodies of learning, are also derived from the same source: their names are Sicshà, Calpa, Vyácarana, Ch'handas, Jyotish, and Niructi. The first was written by Pánini, an inspired saint, on the pronunciation of vocal sounds; the second contains a detail of religi. ous acts and ceremonies from the first to the last; and from the branch. es of these works a variety of rules have been framed by A's'walayana, and others: the third, or the Grammar, entitled Pán'iníya, consisting of eight lectures or chapters (Vriddhiradaij, and so forth), was the production

production of three Rishi's, or holy men,and teaches the proper discriminations of words in construction; but other less abstruse grammars, compiled merely for popular use, are not considered as Anga's: the fourth, or Prosody, was taught by a Muni, named Pingala, and treats of charms and incantations in verses aptly framed and variously measured; such as the Gayatri, and a thousand others. Astronomy is the fifth of the Védínga's, as it was delivered by Súrya, and other divine persons: it is necessary in calculations of time. The sixth, or Niructi, was composed by Yásca (so is the manuscript; but, perhaps, it should be Vyása) on the signification of difficult words and phrases in the Véda's.

Lastly, there are four Upán, ga's, called Furána, Nyaya, Mímáush, and Dherma s' ástra. Eighteen Purána's, that of Brahma, and the rest, were composed by Vyisa for the instruction and entertainment of mankind in general. Nyaya is derived from the root mi, to acquire or apprehend; and, in this sense, the books on apprehension, reasoning and judgement, are called Nyáya: the principal of these are the work of Gautna in five chapters, and that of Canada in ten; both teaching the meaning of sacred texts, the difference between just and unjust, right and wrong, and the principles of knowledge, all arranged under twenty three heads. Mimánsà is also two-fold; both shewing what acts are pure or impure, what objects are to be desired or avoided, and by what means the soul may ascend to the first principle the former or Carma Mimáns, comprised in twelve chapters, was written by Jaimini, and discusses questions of moral duties and law; next follows the Upásaná

Cánda in four lectures (Sancarsha na and the rest), containing a survey of religious duties; to which part belong the rules of Sándilya, and others, on devotion and duty. to God. Such are the contents of the Púrva, or former, Mimánsà. The Uttara, or latter, abounding in questions on the divine nature and other sublime speculations, was composed by Vyása, in four chapters and sixteen sections; it may be considered as the brain and spring of all the Anga's; it exposes the he retical opinions of Rámánuja, Mádhwa, Vallabha, and other sophists; and, in a manner suited to the comprehension of adepts, it treats on the true nature of Ganésa, Bhi-cara, or the sun, Nilacants, Lac'shmi, and other forms of one Divine Being. A similar work was written by S'i Sáncara, demonstrat ing the supreme power, goodness, and eternity of God.

"The body of law, called Smriti, consists of eighteen books, each divided under three general heads, the duties of religion, the administration of justice, and the punishment or expiation of crimes: they were delivered, for the instruc tion of the human species, by Menu, and other sacred personages.

"As to ethics, the Véda's contain all that relates to the duties of kings; the Purána's, what belongs to the relation of husband and wite; and the duties of friendship and seciety (which complete the triple division) are taught succinctly in both: this double division of Anga's and Upánga's may be considered as denoting the double benefit arising from them in theory and practice.

"The Bhirata and RamayanS, which are both epic pcem, comprise the most valuable part of ancient history.

"For the information of the lower

lower classes in religious knowledge, the Pásúpata, the Pancharátra, and other works, fit for nightly meditation, were composed by Siva, and others, in a hundred and ninetytwo parts on different subjects.

"What follow are not really divine, but contain infinite contradictions. Sánchya is twofold, that with Is'wara and that without Is'wara: the former is entitled Pátanjala in one chapter of four sections, and is useful in removing doubts by pious contemplation; the second, or Cápila, is in six chapters on the production of all things by the union of Prácriti, or nature, and Purusha, or the first male: it comprises also, in eight parts, rules for devotion, thoughts on the invisible power, and other topics. Both these works contain a studied and accurate enumeration of natural bodies and their principles; whence this philosophy is named Sánc'hya. Others hold, that it was so called from its reckoning three sorts of pain.

"The Mímánsà, therefore, is in two parts; the Nyáya, in two, and the Sanc'hya, in two; and these six schools comprehend all the doctrine of the theists.

"Last of all appears a work written by Buddha; and there are also six atheistical systems of philosophy, entitled Yógáchára, Saudhánta, Vaibhashica, Mádhyamica, Digambara, and Chárvác; all full of indeterminate phrases, errors in sense, confusion between distinct qualities, incomprehensible notions, opinions not duly weigh ed, tenets destructive of natural equality, containing a jumble of atheism and ethics; distributed like our orthodox books, into a number of sections, which omit what ought to be expressed, and express what ought to be omitted; abounding in false propositions,

idle propositions, impertinent propositions: some assert, that the heterodox schools have no Upánga's; others, that they have six Anga's, and as many Súnga's, or bodies and other appendices.

"Such is the analysis of univer sal knowledge, practical and speculative.

..

THE COMMENTARY.

"This first chapter of a rare Sanscript book, entitled Vidyádersa, or a View of Learning, is written in so close and concise a style, that some parts of it are very obscure, and the whole requires an explana tion. From the beginning of it we learn, that the Véda's are considered by the Hindus as the fountain of all knowledge buman and divine; whence the verses of them are said in the Gità to be the leaves of that holy tree, to which the Almighty himself is compared :

úrdhwa múlam adah s'éc'ham as wait'bam práhuravyayam • ch'handánsi yasya pernáni yastam véda sa védavit.

The wise have called the incorruptible one an Awatt'ha with its roots above and its branches below; the leaves of which are the sacred measures: he who knows this tree, knows the Véda's.'

"All the Pandits insist, that As'watt'ha means the Pippala, or Re ligious Fig-tree with heart-heped pointed and tremulous leaves; but the comparison of beavenly knowledge, descending and taking root on earth, to the Vaia, or great Indian Fig-tree, which has most conspicuously its roots on high, or at least has radicating branches, would have been far more exact and striking.

"The Véda's consists of three Candac

Cán'd'a's or General Heads; namely, Carma, Jnyána, Upásanà, or Works, Faith, and Worship; to the first of which the author of the Vi dyádersa wisely gives the preference, as Menu himself prefers universal benevolence to the ceremonies of religion:

'Japyénaiva tu sansiddhyedbráhmanó nátra sansayah: Curyádanyatravá curyánmaitró brahmana uchyatè;

that is: By silent adoration undoubtedly a Bráhman attains holiness; but every benevolent man, ⚫ whether he perform or omit that ceremony, is justly styled a Bráh• man.' This triple division of the Véda's may seem at first to throw light on a very obscure line in the Gità:

or,

Traigunyavishayah védà nistraigunya bhavárjuna : 'The Véda's are attended with three qualities; be not thou a man of three qualities, O Arjuna.'

"But several Pandits are of opinion, that the phrase must relate to the three guna's, or qualities of the mind, that of excellence, that of passion, and that of darkness; from the last of which a hero should be wholly exempt, though examples of it occur in the Véda's, where animals are ordered to be sacrificed, and where horrid incantations are inserted for the destruction of enemies.

"It is extremely singular, as Mr. Wilkins has already observed, that, notwithstanding the fable of Brahma's four mouths, each of which uttered a Véda, yet most ancient writers mention only three Véda's, in order as they occur in the compound word Rigrajuhsama; whence it is inferred, that the Atharvan

was written or collected after the three first; and the two following arguments, which are entirely new, will strongly confirm this inference. In the eleventh book of Menu, a work ascribed to the first age of mankind, and certainly of high antiquity. the Atharvan is mentioned by name, and styled the Véda of Véda's; a phrase, which countewho asserts, in the preface to his nances the notion of Dárá Shecúh, Upanishat, that the three first Védas are named separately, because the Atharvan is a corollary from them all, and contains the quint'essence of them." But this verse of Menu, which occurs in a modern copy of the work brought from Bánáras, and which would support the antiquity and excellence of the fourth Véda, is entirely omitted in the best copies, and particularly in a very fine one written at Gayá, where it was accurately collated by a learned Brahman; so that, as Menu himself in other places names only three Véda's, we must believe this line to be an interpolation by some admirer of the Atharvan ; and such an artifice overthrows the very doctrine, which it was intended to sustain.

"The next argument is yet strong. er, since it arises from internal evidence; and of this we are now en'abled to judge by the noble zeal of Colonel Polier in collecting Indian curiosities; which has been so judiciously applied and so happily exerted, that he now possesses a complete copy of the four Védas in eleven large volumes.

"On a cursory inspection of those books it appears, that even a learner of Sanscrit may read a considerable part of the Atharvaveda without a dictionary; but that the style of the other three is so obsolete, as to seem almost a different dialect: when we

are