﻿OF THE i?EOPLE OF CKYlON. 401 



stance, we see the number 432, followed by any 

 number (no matter how great) of zeros, which 

 among the Indians is the result of certain combina- 

 tions in the movement of the heavenly bodies; com- 

 binations which agree almost exactly with the calcu- 

 lations founded on Newton's system. This same 

 number 43i\ among the Botidhists, is no longer the 

 result of astronomical combinations, but of arithme- 

 tical ones, arranged expressly to obtain it. The 

 Boudhists have only a mechanical knowledge of it, 

 and generally attach sixty zeros to it; whereas the 

 Bram'nis put but three or four : had the former re- 

 ceived it from the latter, they would have either kept 

 it entirely, or changed it entirely in its mystico- 

 numeric details, so that the number 432 would either 

 have been kept in its original purity, or entirely lost; 

 but if, on the contrary, they transmitted the science 

 to the Bramins, as in the unfortunate wars which; 

 they must have suffered in the reformation by the 

 Bramins, they were driven from their country ; and 

 their effects, books, observatories and astronomical 

 tables were lost ; they could preserve only a loose 

 remembrance of their former science, (for they were 

 obliged to wander a long time before they could 

 unite in a body either on Ceylon ox Sia??i.) IJence^ 

 is it not evident that the Boudhists were possessed of 

 astronomy before the Bramins, and as both religion 

 and astronomy are united, is it not probable that the 

 religion of the Boudhists is the more ancient.'^ It is 

 ascertained that Zoroastp:r is not very ancient ; it 

 is said that a council was held on the subject of his 

 priuciples, and that the result was an adherence to 

 their belief in the immortality of the soul : therefore, 

 Zoroaster must have established something, per- 

 haps the adoring of fire, or somewhat of that kind 

 at present used by the Parsees of Bombay and Surat. 

 The Bramins do not adore, but they respect fire, and 



D D keep 



