AMRA. 15 



and they would almost have died on the spot for the privilege of 

 confuting those blasphemers, who rejected Abu Becker; who main-, 

 tained, with Abu Zail, that blue was holier than green ; or with 

 Mozar, that a sinner was worse than an infidel ; or believed with 

 the Morgians, that in paradise God is beheld only with the eyes of 

 our understanding ; or with the Kharejites, that a prince who abuses 

 his power may be deposed without sin. But the sultan had for- 

 bidden all argument in his presence, and they were constrained to 

 keep silence, though it was pain and grief to them. 



The Seiks, from Lahore, then a new sect, and since a powerful na- 

 tion, with their light olive complexions, their rich robes and turbans 

 all of blue, their noble features and free, undaunted, deportment, 

 struck the whole assembly with respect, and were received with pe- 

 culiar favour by the sultan. So also were the Ala-ilahiyahs, whose 

 doctrines are a strange compound of the Christian, the Mohammedan, 

 and the Pagan creeds ; but the Sactas, or Epicureans of India, met 

 with a far different reception. This sect, which in secret professed 

 the most profane and detestable opinions, endeavoured to obtain 

 favour by the splendid offerings they laid at the foot of the throne, 

 and the graceful and seducing eloquence of their principal speaker. 

 It was, however, in vain, that he threw over the tenets of his religion, 

 as publicly acknowledged, the flimsy disguise of rhetoric and poetry ; 

 that he endeavoured to prove, that all happiness consisted in enjoy- 

 ing the world's goods, and all virtue in mere abstaining from evil ; 

 that death is an eternal sleep ; and therefore to reject the pleasures 

 of this life, in any shape, the extreme of folly; while at every pause 

 of his oration, voices of the sweetest melody chorussed the famous 

 burden : 



" May the hand never shake which gathered the grapes i 

 May the foot never slip which press'd them ! " 



Akbar commanded the Sactas from his presence, amid the mur- 

 murs and execrations of all parties ; and though they were protected 

 for the present by the royal passport, they were subsequently ban- 

 ished beyond the frontiers of Cashmere. 



The fire worshippers, from Guzerat, presented the books of their 

 famous teacher, Zoroaster; to them succeeded the Jainas, the Budd- 

 hists, and many more, innumerable as the leaves upon the banyan 

 tree countless as the stars at midnight. 



Last of all came the deputies of the Brahmans. On their ap- 

 proach there was a hushed silence, and then arose a suppressed 

 murmur of amazement, curiosity and admiration. It is well known 

 with what impenetrable secrecy the Brahmans guard the peculiar 



