equal in authority, their number does not affect the question; for obviously the concurrent authority of a hundred lawgivers cannot set aside that of the Ved. But in marshalling Ungira, Hareet, Vishnoo, and Vyas, against MuNoo, it is fair to recollect that Yugnyuvulkyu, Vusishthu, and others fight by his side, in giving the preference, in moral and religious merit, to asceticism over concremation.

To evade the force of the argument, founded on the superior virtue of works, performed without hope of reward, the advocate of concremation is driven to assert, that the austerities practised by widows are not amongst these; for they are taught, that they will be rewarded with a mansion in heaven. This is met, on the part of the opponent, by maintaining, that a mansion in heaven is not granted to those alone, who perform works with desire, but to those, who endeavour to acquire a knowledge of God, but come short of attaining it in this life. Such persons are not rewarded, like those, who perform works with desire, by the greatest of all bliss, absorption; but they have a mansion in heaven allowed them, where, for a longer or shorter term of years, they enjoy a portion of happiness. But they must again assume the human form, and live upon earth, until they perfect themselves in that divine knowledge, which leads to absorption. Widows who live ascetics are, therefore, like these pious devotees, and their works are without desire.

Another argument, on the part of the Hindoo advocate of concremation, is founded on its effects, in expiating the sins, not only of the widow herself, but also of the husband, and beatifying all her husband's, father's, and mother's progenitors. These, it must be acknowledged, are very mighty effects; and where they can be believed, I do not wonder at the practice of concremation prevailing. It seems that asceticism produces none of these merciful effects, and is hence held to be inferior in obligation, as in merit, to concremation. But all this argument is met by Ram Mohun Roy, by first shewing, that it is deserting the principles held by all believers in the Shastras, and admitted by the advocate of coucremation himself; and then by seemingly asserting, that these said effects of concremation, though admitted to be spoken of in the Shastras, are not to be taken literally. Now

I fear much, that unless my friend Ram Mohun speak out, and say at once, that they are fictions, his opponent will remain rather too strong for him on this point. But no: I am giving much too great importance to the value of the effects, said to be produced by concremation; and Ram Mohun is again triumphant, when he asks his opponent, "Why burn your widows, in order to secure beatitudes to your families, and progenitors, to thirty millions of lives, of whom you may purchase the salvation, by offering one ripe plantain to Shiva ?"

But the advocate of concremation, driven from other arguments, betakes himself to an accusation of the female sex, as prone to pleasure, devoted to works productive of fruits, and always subject to these passions; and while he admits the general position, that asceticism is better than concremation, maintains that woman is incapable of the former, and ought to be encouraged to the latter. And" for this reason," says Ram Mohun, "you lead women, whom you accuse of desire, to the destruction of their lives, by holding out to them the temptation of future rewards." I had, until now, imagined, that the end in view in concremation was to get quit of the widow, as completely as possible, after the death of her husband; but the reasoning of the advocate of the practice teaches me, that although asceticism would lead to absorption, and concremation only to the heaven Brumhulok, for a limited term of years, yet ought a widow to prefer that alternative, which infallibly sends her back again to live upon earth! But it is obvious, that if the doctrines of the Shastras are to decide the question, all mankind, whether male or female, are to avoid works of desire, and to be encouraged to do so by all practicable means, instead of being stimulated by the hope of reward to the very opposite conduct.

After having shewn, from the Shastras themselves, that concremation and post-cremation *, even in the strongest points of view that can be put, are but a secondary duty to asceticism, and that therefore Brahmans, in encouraging, or even permitting a widow to burn, are guilty of a contempt of their own laws, Ram Mohun proceeds to point out, in the mode by

* When a husband dies at a distance, the widow sometimes burns alone, at the place of her habitation, with some relic of her deceased husband, such as a hooqu, or sandals; and this is called Anoomarana, or Post-cremation, as burning with the body is called Sahamarana.

which they conduct their cruel sacrifices, another evidence of their disregard to these laws, and of their own cruel and avaricious dispositions. He notices a rather clumsy attempt of his opponent's to fix upon him approbation of the practice, by saying that his objections are confined to the modern mode of going about it. When the advocate of concremation urges the practice of a country in support of it, he obviously takes the whole question for granted, and is unworthy of being agreed with; yet to this illogical and absurd predicament, does our author drive his opponents. They urge, that the practice of tying down the widow is customary, and therefore cannot be criminal. Ram Mohun Roy puts it to them, if it is not contrary to the Shastras: this they deny not, and therefore, argues our philanthropist, no practice can render it commendable. We have heard so much of the Hindoo widows burning with their husbands, that we are apt to imagine it a very general practice in Hindoostan. In truth, however, it is confined to only a few districts. Over immense tracts of the country, peopled by the votaries of Bramha, it is happily unknown: and hence in part the great force of our author's argument, when he says, "The wilful murder of widows, PROHIBITED BY ALL THE SHASTRAS, is not to be justified by the practice of a few." The Veds allow no latitude, where they have themselves prescribed rites and ceremonies; and it is only in matters neither directly sanctioned nor prohibited, that they permit an established practice to be good and binding.

It is not a little amusing, as well as instructive, to follow the Hindoo advocate of concremation through the tortuous windings, which he pursues, in order to escape from the reasoning of his enlightened and philanthropic countryman. Driven from the number of those who have sanctioned concremation, he takes refuge in their respectability, and argues, that the most exemplary Pundits" have sanctioned the practice-therefore it ought to be followed." We need scarcely add, that Ram Mohun successfully exposes the fallacy and absurdity of this argument: but we must let him speak here for himself, in one of his small tracts, where he is meeting this logic.

"To shew that the custom of a country should be followed, you have quoted a text of the Ved, signifying that the example of Brahmuns,

well versed in the Shastrus, of good understanding, and whose practice is in conformity with reason and the Shastrus, not subject to passion, and accustomed to perform good works, should be followed. And you have also quoted the words of Vyas, signifying that the authorities of the Veds and Shastrus, as well as of reason, being various, the practice pointed out by illustrious men should be adoped. I reply, You have shewn that the example of men versed in the Shastrus, and who act in conformity with reason and the Shastrus, should be followed-but can you call those, who in defiance of the Shastrus wilfully put women to death, by tying them down to the pile on which they are burned, illustrious, acquainted with the Veds, and devoted to acts prescribed by the Shastrus and by reason? If not, their example is to be disregarded. If you can call those who wilfully tie down women to put them to death, righteous and illustrious, then there is no instance of unrighteousness and depravity. I have already said, that when any act is neither directly authorized nor prohibited by the Shastrus, the custom of the country or of the race should be the rule of conduct; but in the present case, the words are express in prescribing that the widow shall enter the flaming pile. But those who, in direct defiance of the authority of the Shastrus, act the part of woman-murderers, in tying down the widow to the pile, and subsequently applying the flame, burn her to death, can never exculpate themselves from the sin of woman-murder."

The arguments drawn from the Veds for and against the practice of concremation, necessarily rest much on the grammatical construction of the words and I do not marvel at finding a liberal portion of quibbling mixing itself up with the reasoning of the advocate, when pressed from his stronger holds. The text of Hareet and Vishnu employs the phrase, "pruviyash hootasunum," and the term "Sumaroheddhootasunum"-the former signifying "entering into the flames," the latter "ascending the flames." It is plain, therefore, that before the victim mounts the pile, it must be in flames; and as the whole virtue of the sacrifice consists in her voluntary immolation, the reason of the enactment is obvious. But how do the advocates of concremation get over it? Aware that human fortitude might often sink under the extremity of pain, which the pile presents, they must adopt means to prevent such an occurrence as the drawing back of the widow, and at the same time keep up an appearance of adhering strictly to the books, on whose authority they build the practice. They therefore connect a

rope with the funeral pile, leading to some distance, and they set fire to the end farthest removed from it; the widow then mounts, and the letter of the law is observed!! Binding her down after this is no breach of it, for she has ascended the flames! she has entered into the flames!! for, say these erudite expounders of the Hindoo law, "in the same manner, as when part of a village, or a piece of cloth, has been burnt, the village or piece of cloth is said to be burnt, so if a portion of the pile is inflamed, the whole pile may be said to be flaming. Therefore it may with propriety be affirmed, that widows do in this country ascend the flaming pile." I certainly shall not stop to notice the reply of Ram Mohun to this despicable quibble; nor shall I detain your readers by examining the argument founded on the necessity of tying down the widow, that no part of the body may by any possibility escape being consumed, the Shastras requiring that it shall be totally devoured in the flames. But I may ask one question, are these the advocates, and these the arguments, that acquire respect, to the extent of permitting a custom, which it is not attempted to defend on any ground?"

Δ.

The subject of our correspondent's letter is one, in which every friend to humanity must take a lively interest; and there can be but one wish entertained on it-that of seeing the cruel practice of burning the widow abolished for ever. It is, however, a question of greater difficulty, how this is best to be accomplished. There are some, who recommend the decided interference of the British Government, to declare it penal, and to punish it accordingly there are others, who propose gradually extending the limits, within which it is now forbidden, until the whole of our possessions are included; and there is a third party, who recommend abstaining altogether from noticing it.

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The first of these proposals is so directly at variance with all the principles, on which the Government of this country has hitherto been established, as to have found but few advocates; and great as the evil to be removed is, we are much afraid, that infinitely greater would be those, consequent on this violent mode of attempting the cure. The second proposal is only a modification of the first, and recommends the cautious trying of the experiment, on a smaller scale. As fewer objections can be urged against this measure, it may have met with more supporters; but although we are unable to discern the great dangers, with which, in the opinion of many, even such a modified measure would be accompanied, we certainly are not quite prepared to recommend it.

In looking with attention into the history of this country, it cannot fail to strike us, that whenever the conquerors of India have attempted by force to put a stop to the eruel practices of its superstition, the

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