CHRISTIAN RELIGION IN INDIA. QS 



soner, and empaled alive, with his limbs trussed up, 

 upon a double cross ; and in that state hurled into 

 the infernal regions. Saman'a-Gautama, however, 

 foretold, that in the end he would really become a 

 god. Budd'ha, or Gautama is also represented 

 waging war with Pra-'Aria-Seria, for Pua-'Aryya - 

 'Sir A, the venerable chief, or Sire of thcAryyAs or 

 Christians; and another chief of them, called Pra- 

 SwANE, or Pra-Swaxa, from his loudly preaching 

 against the doctrine of Gautama. Budd'ha and 

 De'va-Twasht'a' are made contemporaries in this 

 romance : but this can be no objection ; for it is only 

 in allusion to the wars of their followers in subse- 

 quent times. The learned are very well acquainted, 

 that this mode of writing history once prevailed in 

 the west at a very early period. 



The beginning of the seventh century is remark- 

 able for the introduction of new eras among the 

 civilized nations of the world. The Chistian Era 

 was introduced at Constantinople in the year 5Sl6; 

 but, as the learned observe, it was a hundred years 

 before it was. generally adopted, and this was in the 

 beginning of the seventh century. 



In Persia, the era of Yezdegird began in the 

 year 63^1; that of the Hcjra was introduced hy 

 Omar in the year 6^8. Those of Siam with the 

 Bur77idhs have an era beginning in the year 638; 

 but as they borrowed every thing relating, either to 

 their religion or their astronomy, from Ceylon, and 

 the Peninsula of India, this period must have origi- 

 nated there. The Japanese consider the ascension of 

 the latter Budd'ha, under the name of Guso-bosatz, 

 as a memorable epocha; and it happened in the year 

 6^31, because they say that he lived only fifty-nine 



