pastoral god, into the shrub which has since borne her name."* næus. Patali, or Patala, the Bignonia of LinThe flowers of this tree are exquisitely fragrant, are preferred by bees to all other flowers, and compared by poets to the quiver of Camadeva, the god of love. The Patali blossoms early in the spring, before a leaf appears on the tree, but the fruit is not ripe till the following winter.”† Nagacesara, the Mesua of Linnæus, and which is described in the Hortus Malabaricus, under the name of Balutta Tsiampacum. "This tree is one of the most beautiful on the earth; the delicious odour of its blossoms justly gives them a place in the quiver of Camadeva. In the poem called Naishadha, there is a wild but elegant couplet, where the poet compares the white of the Nagacesara, from which the bees were scattering the pollen of the numerous gold-coloured anthers, to an alabaster wheel on which Cama was whetting * Jones. + Idem. + Vol. iii. p. 63. his arrows, while sparks of fire were dispersed in direction. every "'* Palasa. 66 The flowers raceme-fascicled, large, red, silvered with down. Few trees are considered by the Hindus as more venerable and holy. The Palasa is named with honour in the Vedas, in the laws of Menu, and in Sanscrit poems, both sacred and popular. It gave its name to the memorable plain vulgarly called Plassey, but properly Palasi.+ A grove of Palasas was formerly the principal ornament of Crishnagar, where we still see the trunk of an aged tree, near six feet in circumference."+ 66 Sami, Sactu-p'hala, or Siva, the Mimosa of Linnæus, but of which there are numerous species. The spikes, or flowers, yellow, perfuming the woods and roads with a rich aromatic odour. The gum, semi-pellucid, * Jones. + Where the late Lord Clive obtained, on the 23rd of June, 1757, a victory over Surajah Dowlah, which, in its consequences, gave to the English the possession of the rich provinces of Bengal. + Jones. is of the same qualities, but more transparent than that of the Nilotic, or Arabian species. The wood, extremely hard, is used by the Brahmins to kindle their sacred fire, by rubbing two pieces of it together, when of a proper age and sufficiently dried.”* Bilva, or Malura, by Linnæus termed Crataeva, of which there are three species, but the one here referred to is the Crataeva Religiosa. This plant bears a large spheroidal berry, with numerous seeds. "The fruit nutritious, warm, cathartic; in taste delicious, in fragrance exquisite. It is called Sriphala, because it sprang, say the Indian poets, from the milk of Sri, the goddess of abundance, who bestowed it on mankind at the request of Iswara, the god of nature, whence he alone wears a chaplet of Bilva flowers: to him only the Hindūs offer them; and when they see any of them fallen on the ground, they take them up with reverence, and carry them to his temple."+ Lyceum; nor is it possible to read the Vedanta, or the many fine compositions in illustration of it, without believing that Pythagoras and Plato derived their sublime theories from the same fountain with the sages of India."* In addition to what is here said by Sir William Jones, we shall observe, that Philostratus makes Pythagoras say to Thespesion, when reproaching him for his partiality to the Egyptians: "Admirer as you are of the philosophy which the Indians invented, why do you not attribute it to its real parents, rather than to those who are only so by adoption." Iarchus, the Hindu *Third Annual Discourse of Sir William Jones to the Asiatic Society. See his Works, 8vo. edit. vol. iii. p. 36. "We may venture to affirm, that, on attentive inquiry, we shall find in the Puranas, and other fabulous writings of the Hindus, almost the whole mythology of the Greeks and Romans. Some particulars may be modified, and heroes in both of the latter countries may be found, who have been transformed into demi-gods; but all the principal features of the system may be traced."-Edinburgh Review, No. 29. philosopher, likewise says to Apollonius of Tyana, who asked his opinion concerning the soul" We think of it what Pythagoras taught you, and what we taught the Egyptians." Lucian, when making Philosophy complain to Jupiter, of some who had dishonoured her by their conduct, supposes the Indians to have been the first who received her amongst them: "I went amongst the Indians, and made them come down from their elephants and converse with me. From them I went to the Ethiopians, and then came to the Egyptians." "De l'école Ionienne sortit le chef d'une école beaucoup plus célébre. Pythagore, né à Samos, vers l'an 590, avant notre ère, fut d'abord disciple de Thales, qui lui conseilla de voyager en Egypte, où il se fit initier aux mystères des prêtres, pour connoître à fond leur doctrine. Ensuite, il alla sur les bords du Gange, interroger les Bracmanes. De retour dans sa patrie, le despotisme sous lequel elle gémissoit alors, le força de s'en exiler, et il se retira en Italie où il fonda son école. Toutes les |