Chap. n. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 293 



fymbol of the creative or productive power of the divinity. And 

 this is Ukewife a fingularity in the rehgion of the two countries; for 

 there is no other nation that either has, or ever had, fuch an objedl 

 of worfhip, except the Greeks, who certainly got that, as well as 

 the reft of their religion, from the Egyptians. 



Further, the whole diet and manner of life of the Indians appears 

 to be Egyptian; for they live upon vegetables, and kill no beafts in 

 order to eat them, but only for facrifice, which was the practice in 

 Egypt. But, when they facrifice, they eat of the vidtim, as the 

 Egyptians did, and as the Bramins do at this day in India, accord- 

 ing to the information I have from Mr Wilkins. As they do not 

 eat flefh, except, as I have faid, when they facrifice, neither do they 

 drink any wine or ftrong liquor of any kind : And, I think, it is 

 probable, that the fame was the pradlice of the Egyptians, when 

 they imported civility and arts into India ; though, in later times, 

 they altered their manner of life in this refpect, and drank both 

 wine and beer. 



They have the fame regard for the animal life that the Egyptians 

 had. Among the Egyptians all animals, tame or wild, were facred 

 in one diftridt or another: And where they were facred. It was a ca- 

 pital crime to kill any of them willingly; but to kill the Jbis, or 

 hawk, willingly or unwillingly, was capital * : And, in like man- 

 ner, I am perfuaded, the killing of a cow, the moft facred of all the 

 animals among them, and facred in every part of Egypt, was capi- 

 tally puniihed, though I do not remember that It is mentioned In 

 any author. Among the Indians the killing of a cow Is a capital 

 crime ; and the killing of any animal tame or wild, even a tyger or 

 a bear, is punifhable by a fine f : And I have heard one proof of 



their 

 * Herod. Lib. 2. cap. 6j. 

 f Code of Gentoo Laws, p. 205. and 238. 



