HILLS NEAR RAJAMAHALL. 37 



a man, seeing his neighbour's property, plunder or 

 steal it, the Bedo Gossaih will either order him to 

 be punished in like manner, or some of his famiiy 

 to die. Should you see a man lame, mock not at 

 his misfortune, lest God .should make you lame, or 

 punish you in some other manner. Laugh not at a 

 man who has the misfortune to be blind, or God 

 will afflict you in like manner, or some other 

 way. It has pleased Providence that a man should 

 have his back broken; whoever laughs at or mocks 

 him, will be afflicted in like manner ; God will make 

 kim blind, or lame, or poor ; therefore mock not the 

 unfortunate. If God had made the lame, the blind, 

 the broken-backed or poor, to be laughed at, he 

 would have pardoned such as mocked them ; but as 

 their defects are punishments, those who are perfect 

 should not deride their misfortunes. Those on whom 

 God bestows grain, riches, land, and power, ought 

 to be charitable, and to cherish the unfortunate, 

 should they, notwithstanding their wealth, be un- 

 charitable, Providence will punish them, by ren- 

 dering them poor, and reducing them to the neces- 

 sity of working for their bread. When great men are 

 charitable, God will protect them. 



God directs the poor to the rich man's door to 

 beg ; should the latter uncharitably refuse to relieve 

 their wants, Providence will be displeased at the 

 abuse of the good things which he had bestowed, 

 and will render the rich man poor, helpless, and 

 destroy his family. God can exalt the poor man. 

 Such are the dispensations and power of Providence. 



D 3 A man 



