12 NARRATIVE OP A JOURN^Y 



the honly or faturnalia o^ India, when liberty of fpeech 

 and adlion towards fiiperiors, are allowed to as great 

 an extent, as among the ancient Romans ; the Muful- 

 jnans are fecn to enter into the diverlion, with as 



much alacritv as the iJinJus themfclves. 



.' 



Thus, the Ma/iralta prince was not altojvether lingu- 

 lar in the attempt to unite the obfervance of both reli- 

 gions; but,hiscomplaifance, inthis refpc6t,wascertainly 

 carried to an unufual lengtli ; which is accounted for 

 in the following manner. Shah Mun^soor, B,Mii/iiI- 

 ma7i falcecr, w'ho pretended to the gift of prophecy, be- 

 ing coniulted by Sixni ah, foretold his future great- 

 nefs ; faying, " C70, I have given you the country, as 

 far as Dehlyy Such a predi(^rion, addreifed to a mind 

 fo ambitious, fo perfevering in the attainment of any 

 objedl once prcpofcd to itfelf, and fo ftrongly tin61ured 

 with fuperftiiion, may have been very inftrumental in 

 bringing about its own accomplifliment. However this 

 may be, it was fully verified ; and Sindiah naturally 

 looked on the memory of the Shah with great venera- 

 tion. He kept his difciple and fucceffor, Hubeed 

 Shah, conftantly about his perfon, alligned him a 

 jageer and a numerous retinue, and daily performed 

 the ceremony of proftration before him, and of kifiing 

 his feet. Shah Munsoor was buried sX Beer, a place 

 in the Nizam's dominions, and Hubeeb Shah had 

 frequently urged Sint)iah to vilit the tomb of that 

 faint . Several circumftances contributed at this time, 

 to give weight to his advice. Befides the veneration 

 Sivdiah had for the prophet of his greatnefs, and the 

 efBcacy he might afcribe to fuch a pilgrimage, in pro- 

 moting the future iuccefs of his affairs ; he was anxious 

 for a fon, to be the lieir of his fortunes, and hoped 

 to obtain this boon, by his devotion at the holy flirme. 

 One of his favourite wives, alfo, was lingering under a 

 fatal difternper, and Ihe imagined that the influence 

 ai Xhc holy man's allies afforded the only profpcdt of 

 relief. 



From 



