fortitude consists in the medium between cowardice and presumptuous rashness; a becoming and useful economy, in the medium between avarice and profusion; and all agree in inculcating sobriety, and extreme temperance in the gratification of sensual appetites, as indispensable for the practice of virtue and attainment of happiness.

The Vedanta and Nyaya philosophers, like those of Greece above mentioned, acknowledge a supreme eternal Being, and the immortality of the soul; though, like the Greeks they differ in their ideas of those subjects. The Indian philosophers speak of the Supreme Being as an eternal essence that pervades space, and gives life or existence. What we understand by nature, in their mythology is personified, and frequently and beautifully introduced into their poetry under the name of Maia, and Prakrali.* Action in Maia, is supposed to

* We conceive the two names to be nearly synonym

ous.

verse.*

be produced by the effect of the supreme pervading essence. It is said, figuratively, that the Supreme Being commanded Maia by a nod, who then spread out the uniBut after this simple exposition given by the Vedanti of their notions of the Supreme Being, as a universal and eternal pervading spirit, in their books they suppose four modifications of it: 1. Brimh; 2. Kutasth; 3. Jiv; 4. Eesh; and they are compared to four modes of existence of ether: 1, as it appears clear and limpid in the vault of heaven; 2, as it is confined in a vessel or any given space; 3, as the sky is reflected in water; 4, as it is obscured by clouds. But as these different states or modifications do not change its nature, and as it would be erroneous to ascribe to each of them a distinct essence, so it is equally erroneous, say they, to imagine that the various modifications by which the all-pervading Being exists, or displays its power, are individual existences.

* See the drama and appendix above referred to.

Creation is not considered as the instant production of things, but only as the manifestation of that which exists eternally in the one universal Being.* And in another place: "They who are ignorant of the undivided Being, Brimh, the principle, the impassible one, dispute concerning Jiv and Eesh, the soul and divine spirit; but when this delusion is dispersed, all these distinctions vanish, and there exists only one quiescent spirit."+

The Vedantas consider the occupations of life, or, according to Dr. Taylor, of action, as retaining the soul" in the prison of passion and affection;" but whilst a person continues to perform the common acts of life, it is incumbent on him, say they, to attend to religious duties and rites. It also has been found expedient to modify the doctrine in such a manner, as to reconcile it with the occupations and acts on which the existence of society depends:

* Appendix to the Prabodh Chandro Daya,

+ Ibid.

and they accordingly observe, that renunciation of the world does not require that a person should cease from the acts and duties of life, but only that he preserve his mind in a state of perfect indifference and tranquillity.*

The Nyaya schools, with all their various derivatives, admit the authority of the Vedas, or sacred writings: but the Vedanti strictly adhere to them, and announce their doctrines in an authoritative style, as things not to be reasoned on, but believed.† The Nyaya philosophy on the contrary abounds with abstruse metaphysical reasoning. It contains two sects, which were founded by two celebrated teachers, Gautam and Kanad. The sect of Gautam is the most ancient, and those who adhere to it are by way of eminence named Nyayaicks, and their philosophy, Nyayai; the followers of Kanad are frequently named

* Appendix, above quoted.

+ It may be superfluous to observe that the name Vedanta is derived from Ved.

Veisheshiks, and their system Tarkeek. Gautam is a distinguished character, not only in India proper, but also in the countries to the eastward of the Ganges;* where he has been raised to the rank of a divinity, and is worshipped under a variety of names, which, however, are all easily traced to the primitive word. There is little distinction, if, indeed, any, between the systems of Gautam and Kanad, except in the number of orders into which they have divided the different classes of being. It is not requisite to name those classes, to enumerate the accidents and logical divisions of the system, or to notice the arrangement of syllogisms, which, 'perhaps, is not less perfect than that of the Greek logician.

"The Nyayaicks (under which term I include the followers both of Gautam and Kanad) believe that spirit and matter are eternal; the former, enjoying life and

* That is, in India intra Gangem, or the countries between the Indus and the Ganges, and India extra Gangem, or the countries beyond the Ganges.