Chap. II. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 291 



juft as it was among the Romans, and is among us. Now, fuch 

 a divifion of time, not neceflary for diltinguifhing feafons, or for 

 any purpofe of civil life, could not by accident have been adopted 

 by two nations, and much lefs the confecration of the days to the 

 fame planets- and in the fame order*. 



Another thing, which I think ftill more remarkable, is, that the 

 Indians divide and diftinguilh the feveral regions of the Heavens, 

 through which the fun paffeth in the courfe of a year, by fixed 

 ftars, conceived to reprefent certain things here upon earth. Thefe 

 reprefentations are v/ell known by the names of the figns of the zo- 

 diac; and, as they are altogether fanciful and i.naginary, it is impof- 

 fible they could have been hit upon by two nations that had no 

 communication together. Yet, it is as certain, that the figns of the 

 zodiac came from Egypt to Greece, and from thence to us, as that 

 they are to be found at this day in certain Pagodas in India. 



As to the religion of India, Mr Hoi well, who was 30 yeai's in In- 

 dia, and was Prefident for fome time of the Englifl\ Court of Law 

 at Calcutta, and is a man of learning as well as law, and from whom 

 we have learned many curious particulars concerning India, has given 

 us a very full account of it; from which it appears, that the Indians 

 make the fame diftindion, which the Egyptians made f , betwixt the 

 religion of the philofophers and the religion of the people. The Bra- 

 mins, like the Egyptian Priefts, are the minifters of the popular reli- 

 gion, and, at the fame time, are their philofophers; and it is from them, 

 . no doubt, that Mr Holwell has taken his account of the philofophicaL 

 religion of India. He fays, that in their facred book, which he calls 



O o 2 their 



* See what Mr Halhed has faid upon this fubjeft, in his Tranflation of the Code of 

 Gentoo Laws, p. 41. See alfo what INIr Hohvell, in bis book upon India, has faid upon 

 the fame fnbject, p. 117. and feq. 



t See p. 165. of this vol. 



