ao OSBECK'S VOYAGE. 



in the year 65 zhzxChriJl's birth, havingdream- 

 ed of, and recollected an opinion of the great Con- 

 fucius, that the Mod Holy was to be found in the 

 weftern countries. He, therefore, fent to en- 

 quire for him in India ; and his people meeting 

 with the idol Fo, or Fo-e, they believed they 

 had found the true worfhip, and brought this 

 idol to China, and together with it thofe tales 

 which fill the Indian books. This infection 

 began at court, and foon took root in the pro- 

 vinces, and afterwards fpread through the 

 whole empire. Their religion confifts in not 

 killing any living creature, for they believe 

 that the fouls of their anceflors tranfmigrate 

 into irrational creatures, either into fuch as 

 they liked beit, ©r into fuch as they refcmbled 

 moil in their behaviour : for which reafon 

 they never kill any fuch animals ; but while 

 they live feed them well, and when they die 

 bury them with fplendour d . 



» Mr. Des Guignes, in his Hijicire des Huns, des Turcs iff 

 des M gels, is of opinion, that the religion or feci of Fo is 

 originally the Chriftian religion, perhaps corrupted by length 

 ot time fo far as to admit thefe abfurd tenets. Perhaps the 

 daay of his own religion was the only foundation he had 

 for this opinion. F. 



Le 



