G A N G E T I C H I N D O O S T A N. 



" people, men and women, looking on. The pile of wood was 

 " prefently all on fire, becaufe ilore of oil and butter had been 

 " thrown upon it; and I faw at the fame time through the 

 *' flames, that the fire took hold of the cloaths of the woman 

 " that were imbrued with well-fcented oils, mingled with 

 " powder of fantal and faffron. All this I faw, but obferved 

 " not that the woman was at all difturbed, yet it was faid that 

 " fhe had been heard to i:)ronounce with great force thefe two 

 " words, FIVE, TWO, to fignify, according to the opinion of 

 *' thofe that hold the foul's tranfmigration, that this was the 

 *' FIFTH time fhe had burnt herfelf with the fame hufband, 

 " and that there remained but t'joo times for perfection, as if 

 *' fhe had at that time this remembrance, or fome prophetical 

 ** fpirit. But here ended not this infernal tragedy, I thought 

 *' it was only by way of ceremony, that thefe five women 

 " fung and danced about the pit ; but I was altogether fur- 

 " prifed, when I faw that the fiame having taken hold of the 

 " cloaths of one of them, fhe call herfelf w irh her head fore- 

 *' moft into the pit ; and that after her another, being over- 

 " come by the flame and fmoak, did the like. And my aflonifh- 

 " ment redoubled afterwards, when I faw that the remaining 

 " three took one another again by the hand, continued their 

 " dance, without any apparent fears, and that at length they 

 " precipitated themfelves one after the other into the fire, as 

 " their companions had done. It troubled me faSiciently that 

 " I knew not what that meant ; but I learnt fhortly after that 

 "'< thefe had been five ilaves, who having feen their miflrefs 



" extremely 



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