bed, and a hide for vesture; to renounce all ties of family or connexions;—who would not receive delight from this devout abhorrence of the world?*

"Set not thy affections on foe, or friend; on a son, or a relation; in war and in peace bear an equal mind towards all; if thou desirest it, thou wilt soon be like Vishnu.

Day and night, evening and morn, winter and spring, depart and return! Time sports, age passes on, desire and the wind continue unrestrained.

"When the body is tottering, the head grey, and the mouth toothless; when the smooth stick trembles in the hand which it supports, yet the vessel of covetousness remains unemptied.

"So soon born, so soon dead! so long lying in thy mother's womb! so great crimes

* Hence those devotees, who, renouncing the world, are to be found living under the shade of a tree, or in solitary caverns.

are committed in the world!

How then, O

man, canst thou live here below with complacency ?*

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Brahma, Indra, the sun, and Kudra-These are permanent, not thou, not I, not this or that people:-what, therefore, should occasion our sorrow?

In thee, in me, in every other, Vishnu resides in vain art thou angry with me, not bearing my approach :-this is perfectly true, all must be esteemed equal: be not, therefore, proud of a magnificent palace.

This is the instruction of learners, delivered in twelve measures-what more can be done with those, whom this work doth fill with devotion?

"Thus ends the book, named Mohad

* To this and similar passages may probably be ascribed the too frequent practice of devotees voluntarily destroying themselves; some, in abstaining from food, others by throwing themselves under the wheels of those moveable towers, on which images at particular festivals are drawn in pompous procession.

mudgara, or the Ignorant Instructed,' composed by the holy, devout, and prosperous Sancar Acharya."

Abul Fazil says in the Ayeen Akbery :*

* Iellaleddin Akber, sixth in descent from Timur, was one of the greatest and wisest princes that ever sat on the Mohammedan Imperial throne of Hindūstan. His father Humaioon, by the rebellion of Shir Khan, having been obliged in 1541, to quit his capital, and take refuge with his family in Agimire, Akber was born at Amercot in 1542. From Amercot, Humaioon went into Persia, and by the assistance of the Persian monarch recovered his crown in 1554; but, dying in 1556, Akber was proclaimed sovereign at the age of fourteen years, and died at Agra in 1605, after a happy and glorious reign of forty-nine years. He greatly extended his empire; but though a conqueror, he seems to have been truly the father of all his subjects. Hindūs and Mohammedans were equally protected by him; to all, justice was speedily and impartially administered, and the people in general secured against extortion and violence. In the execution of his wise and virtuous intentions, he was powerfully assisted by his celebrated Vizir, Abul Fazil, who by order of the Emperor, composed the work named Ayeen Akbery, containing an account of the empire, and the various institutes of Akber. He had also written the history of this prince, in a work named Akber-Namma, down to the forty-se

It has now come to light, that the ge nerally received opinion of the Hindus being polytheists, has no foundation in truth; for, although their tenets admit positions which are difficult to be defended, yet that they are worshippers of God, and only one God, are incontrovertible points."

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They unanimously believe in the unity of the Godhead; and although they hold images in high veneration, yet they are by no means idolaters, as the ignorant suppose. I have myself frequently discoursed upon the subject with many learned and upright men of this religion, and comprehend their

venth year of his reign, but was unfortunately murdered that year in his way back to court from the Deckan, whither he had been deputed by his master on some important affairs of government. Abul Fazil seems to have been not only a statesman, but a man of learning; and, when treating of the sciences and doctrines of the Hindus, he frequently quotes Greek and Arabian authors. The Ayeen Akbery was translated into English by Mr. Francis Gladwin, and published at Calcutta in September, 1783, under the patronage of Mr. Hastings: an edition was printed at London, in 1800, in two vols. 8vo.

doctrine; which is, that the images are only representations of celestial beings,* to whom they turn themselves whilst at prayer, in order to prevent their thoughts from wandering; and they think it an indispensable duty to address the Deity after that

After several other observations he adds: "Without compliment, there are to be found in this religion, men who have not their equal in any other for their godliness, and their abstinence from sensual gratifications.'

He mentions different opinions, or sects, that have arisen among them; a thing unfortunately common to all religions: and when speaking of Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, or Mahadea, he says: "Some believe, that God, who hath no equal, appeared on earth under these three forms without having been thereby polluted, in the same manner as the Christians speak of the Mes

*Instead of celestial we presume imaginary is meant ; the whole turn of the passage implies this.