STUDY VIT. 65 



their imagination. They dance in the midfl of 

 famine, as of abundance; in chains, as when at 

 liberty. If a chicken's foot infpiresthem with ter- 

 ror, a fmall flip of white paper reftores their cou- 

 rage, Every day they make up, and pull to pieces 

 their gods, as the whim ftrikes them. 



It is not in ftupid Africa, but in India, the an- 

 cient wifdom of which flands in fuch high reputa- 

 tion, that the miferies of the Human Race are car- 

 ried to their higheft excefs. The Bramins, for- 

 merly called Brachmans, who are the priefts there, 

 have divided the Nation into a variety of Cafts, 

 fome of which they have devoted to infamy, as 

 that of the Parias. No one will doubt that they 

 have taken care to render their own facred. No per- 

 fon is worthy to touch them, to eat with them, 

 much lefs to contract any manner of alliance. They 

 have contrived to prop up this imaginary gran- 

 deur by incredible fuperftitions. From their hands 

 have iffued that infinite number of Gods, of mon- 

 ftrous forms, which fcare the human imagination 

 all over Alia. The Commonalty, by a natural re- 

 adion of opinions, render them, in their turn, the 

 mod miferable of all mankind. They are obliged, 

 in order to fupport their reputation, to wafii them- 

 felves from head to foot, on the flighted contami- 

 nation by contadl ; to undergo frequent and ri- 

 gorous fadings ; to fubmit to penances the mod 



VOL. II. F horrible. 



