there is no appeal. Tradition attributes to Avveyár, a name appropriated to aged matrons among the Tamil people, several works of great beauty and value, replete with lessons of wisdom, in the form of aphorisms and moral sentences. These works have never been surpassed for sententious brevity; and generally they are equally distinguished by purity of principle. Náladiyár is a beautiful composition. It consists of 400 epigrams on moral subjects, such as truth, purity, friendship, &c. Beschi thus states the tradition attached to this work:-" One thousand poets visited the court of one of the Pandya Rajas, who, being a lover of the muses, treated them with favour, and in so doing excited the envy of the resident poets, who succeeded in prejudicing their master against the new comers, and as a consequence they fled from the danger that menaced them. Previous to his departure each poet wrote a verse on a small scroll and deposited it under his pillow. When this was made known, the king ordered the scrolls to be collected and thrown into the river, when four hundred of them were observed to ascend the stream four feet (Nàladi). The king was struck with the occurrence, ordered the scrolls to be collected, and the volume was called Naladiyar."

Of the two popular writers, Avveyár and Tiruvalluvar, it may not be considered out of place to give some account, as the fabulous stories related of them and their connexions serve at once to illustrate the character, the manners, and the sentiments of the Hindus. The above-named persons are two of seven renowned philosophers, who were the children of the same parents. The legend regarding them is as follows:

The grandfather, a sage of the name of Vedamolji, saw a bright light descend from the heavens, and fall on the house of a low caste family, where a girl had just been born, and which he foresaw would become the wife of his own son Péráli, a youth then twelve years of age. He forthwith informed the fraternity of Brahmans of the phenomenon, which he said was an ill omen, but concealed from them his impressions regard.

ing his son, The twice-born informed the father of the girl that evil would befall them through his child, and it was put to him, on whom it was right it should fall, on them or on the child. He left the matter in their hands, and the holy personages resolved unanimously on the expediency of destroying the infant. Vedamolji would not consent to this decision, and an ark was therefore prepared, and the little one being deposited in it, the frail vessel was cast adrift on the bosom of the river Cauvery. The old man requested his son to ascertain if any distinguishing mark appeared on any part of the child's body; and it was found that there was a black mark on the thigh.

As the little voyager floated down the stream, it was descried by a Brahman, when performing his ablutions. He looked into the little vessel, and his eye was met by that of a smiling infant. He had no children, and he was moved to rescue this, as if sent by heaven in answer to his prayers. He adopted the child, and had her carefully educated as she grew up. Péráli, having arrived at man's estate, went on a pilgrimage to some holy place; and in the course of his peregrinations, he met with the Brahman who had adopted the little water-nymph. The young man was distinguished by so many prepossessing qualities, that the foster-father conceived a desire to retain him as a suitable match for his adopted daughter. He became her husband, and they lived happily together, till, on her changing her dress after ablution, he accidentally espied the black mark on her person, and at once inferred her low origin. He inquired after her history, and found that her birth and origin were alike obscure. He left her. She followed him, and entreated his return; but he refused, and eventually deserted his wife. She feared to return to her father, as she regarded the Brahman, and wandered about overwhelmed with grief. A Brahman seeing her, and ascertaining the cause of her distress, took her in and placed her among his own daughters, by whom she

was received as a sister. Her benefactor died and left her an equal portion of his property, with which she built a choultry for the convenience of pilgrims whom she received and entertained with water, and milk, and rice, and fruit, and indeed all, a pilgrim could desire. She also imparted to such her counsel, and elicited from them information, and gave them her own narrative. In the course of years her own husband came. They did not recognise each other, but on her relating her affecting history he perceived that in this virtuous and faithful patroness of holy pilgrims he had met his discarded wife. He was silent, indeed feigned sleep while she was narrating the events of the past. He rose early, and was departing without the accustomed salutation, on which she questioned his motive, and demanded whether he had seen aught in her conduct that was wrong, and besought forgiveness if her hospitalities had been in any respect deficient. In her gentle objurgations she remarked, "Your departure was like that of my husband." He could now no longer refrain himself, confessed his relation to her, and they became reunited. She and their children also, as they multiplied, thenceforward accompanied him in all his wanderings.

It had been engaged between them that all his injunctions must be most promptly obeyed. In the course of events, he directed her to abandon all her children to the care of Providence, and leave them in the open forest. This was a trying behest, but she nevertheless obeyed. The tender sympathies of maternal love were repressed as far as possible, and she gave each a parting kiss. Seeing her deep agony of mind each endeavoured to assuage the mother's grief by appropriate words of comfort. One said, "My Maker formed me in thy womb, nourished me, and there till birth caused me to grow; canst thou doubt his future care of me? Go, put thy trust in him and follow his ways." The second observed, "God provides even for a frog in a stone, can he do less for me? why art thou careful about me? be of good comfort, and go thy way." The third

spoke as follows, "God has brought me into the world, and has appointed my destiny; can it be that he is dead? Surely he will not desert me; go, dear mother, and fear nothing on my account." The fourth observed, at parting, "Is not the egg surrounded with a hard shell? yet God vivifies the little chick within it; will he not feed it after it has broken the shell? He will also feed me; be not troubled, be cheerful, and trust in God." The fifth said, "He who has made the finest veins and channels within the trees, through which the nourishing particles of the earth circulate and cause their growth, and who has formed the smallest insects in so wonderful a manner, and sustains them; will he not do the same for me? be not, therefore, cast down, be firm, and hope in him." The sixth remarked, "Manifold and trifling are the occupations of men, but the great work of the Almighty is to create and preserve; believing this, be comforted." The seventh, at parting, thus encouraged his sorrowing mother; "God creates such different qualities in the trees and plants, that they produce sour, sweet, bitter, and various delicious fruits. He who is powerful to do this, will also provide for me: why weepest thou, dearest mother? Be cheerful and hope in him." These children were found. One was trained by a king; another by a washerman; another by a poet and philosopher; another by a climber of the palm-tree; another by a basket-maker; another by a Brahman; and the seventh by an outcast. Avveyár was educated by a poet.

This distinguished matron is said to have lived to be 240 years old, because she was in possession of some secret chemical preparation that prolongs life. Her works are most popular; she wrote five treatises, which are the first books taught in Tamil schools. The first work I propose to select quotations from is written alphabetically, i.e. each successive precept commences in the order of the Tamil letters, and has been not inaptly called the "golden alphabet." The following beautiful and sententious aphorisms are familiar to all who can read, and are the first moral lessons inculcated. How

often have I heard them quoted by all classes, male and female, as conveying sentiments which none can reject.

Be virtuous.

Conceal not your means of doing good.

Begging is disgraceful.

Subdue anger.

Shrink not from doing good.

Having given alms, eat.
Be polite.

Speak not enviously.

Speak to good effect.

Reciprocate known friendship.
Forget not a kindness.
Do no wrong thing.
Do not speak deceitfully.
Fasting must be observed.
Desert not a friend.
Associate with the wise.
Love not gambling.
Revile not.

Act as one who is worthy.
Put away vicious acts.
Consider, then act.
Walk uprightly.

Live so as to be respected.
Do not speak much.

Listen to the wise.

Speak not angrily.
Strive to get to heaven.
Rise at daybreak.
Neglect not learning.
Say what you saw.

Build not a large house.
Protect your father and mother.
Sow in due season.
Play not with a snake.
Do not sleep long.
Avoid base actions.
Be firm in right ways.
Avoid doing injury.

What you undertake, do well.
Wander not in idleness.
Serve God.

Yield not to adversity.
Do nothing hazardous.
Do not feed on delicacies.
Aspire after eminence.
Till the ground and eat.
Be not gluttonous.

What you say, say correctly.
Desire knowledge.

Live on terms with your neigh-
bours.

I have been obligingly favoured by my friend, the Rev. E. J. Robinson, formerly one of the members of the Wesleyan Mission in North Ceylon, with the following poetic versions of the Hindu Matron's thirty aphorisms. They are very beautiful, and will be read with equal pleasure and regret, when it is known that the English versifier is not now in circumstances where his superior talents can avail at once to benefit the Hindus by his labours, and his countrymen by continued examples from an ancient literature that, in some of its moral features, suffers nought from comparison with the best ethical writings ever brought to light. Mr. Robinson is now pursuing his ministerial labours in England.