OF A FAITHFUL HINDU WIDOW. 22,$ 



tc shows her friends the attentions of civility ; while 

 *• calling the Sun and elements to witness, she dis- 

 u tributes minium at pleasure; and having repeated 

 " the Sancalpa, proceeds into the flames : there em- 

 Ci bracing the corpse, she abandons herself to the fire, 

 cc calling Satya ! Satya ! Satya /" 



The bye-standers throw on butter and wood : for 

 this, they are taught, that they acquire merit ex- 

 ceeding ten million fold, the merit of an Aswamedha, 

 or other great sacrifice. Even those who join the 

 procession from the house of the deceased to the 

 funeral pile, for every step are rewarded as for an 

 Aswamedha. Such indulgences are promised by grave 

 authors: they are quoted in this place only as they 

 seem to authorize an inference, that happily the 

 martyrs of this superstition have never been numerous. 

 It is certain that the instances of the widow's sacri- 

 fices are now rare : on this it is only necessary to ap- 

 peal to the recollection of every person residing in 

 India, how few instances have actually occurred 

 within his knowledge. And, had they ever been 

 frequent, superstition would hardly have promised 

 its indulgences- to spectators. 



Vol. IV. Q^ ON 



