126 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book III. 



life, and fubmit chearfuUy to death, even the mofl tormenting and 

 excruciating. The Hindoos are commonly fuppofed to be a foft 

 effeminate people, yet the Devotees among them put themfelves 

 to death in the moft cruel manner that can be imagined. — See upon 

 this fubjed: the 5th volume of Indian Antiquities, where we have 

 an enumeration of all the various tortures by which they defpatch 

 themfelves *. One way of their putting themfelves to death 

 the author of that work has omitted in this enumeration; but he has 

 mentioned it in a following pagef. And he has given us an example 

 of it in a man, who roafled himfelf in the middle of four fires, 

 which he himfelf fed with combuftible matter that he threw upon 

 them. Thefe torments they fuffer, in order to expiate the original fm 

 of their forefathers ; for the fall of man is a dodrine maintained by 

 Hindoos as well as by Chriftians J. And they are perfuaded that, by 

 fcvere fufferhigs^ and a long /cries of probationary difcipUne^ the foul 

 may be refored to its original purity §. And they have facrifices 

 which they make for that purpofe, which they c^Wed facr if ces of re- 

 generation II . But the facrifices of all others, which they appear to 

 efteem the moft effedual for that purpofe, are the facrifices of 

 themfelves, by which they think they are to be immediately ad- 

 mitted to the joys of Heaven. But, though no doubt it be from a 

 principle of religion, that they undergo thefe penances, yet the love 

 of praife and the defire of honour is one motive likewife. And 

 there is particularly one fet of thofe Devotees, which they call Jogees, 

 who are very oftentatious in the penances to which they condemn 

 themfelves ; for they feek the crowded market-place, and delight to 

 fcourge and lacerate themfelves in the fight of innumerable fpeda- 

 tors^f. Thofe of them who live in the mountains challenge thofe of 

 the plain to endure the fame torments they endure ; and, when they 

 have not refolution to do fo, they triumph over thera^'*". Now, this 



cannot 



* Page 838. & 839. t p. ic68. & JC69. % p. 9^^. 



§ p. 9:7. il Ibid. 



f Indian Antiquities, p. 107. & 108. ** Ibid. p. \o66, & 1061. 



