LITERATURE OF THE BURMAS. 3OI 



Bindujlan^ by the route of Thibet. It is undoubtedly 

 the Chmefe who have communicated this religion to 

 Japan, and to their former dependants in Tonkinand 

 CochiTCchina. Nor is it by any means improbable, that 

 it is through China that this worfliip has extended to 

 Sia7n. M. De la Lou here informs us, that the Siani" 

 mefe pretend to have got their religion from Laos, in 

 •which cafe it muft have come from China. Indeed, 

 from its very early introduction into that empire, at 

 the lateft in the fixth century of the Chrijlian aera, it 

 has had abundance of time to have reached Siam as 

 early as we can fuppofe that country to have been 

 civilized. 



In confequence of this univerfal diffufion of the 

 religion of Bouddha over the countries to the eaft 

 of Hindujlan, it has been imagined, that all the na- 

 tions inhabiting thefe extenfive regions, and that even 

 the Chinefe, are of the Hindu race ; but can we be 

 juftified in forming fuch an opinion, becaufe about 

 1700 years ago fome priefts came from Hindu/Ian into 

 China, and converted to their opinions a multitude of 

 the lower people? As well might we fay, that the 

 Romans in the time of Trajan, and of his virtuous 

 and powerful fucceflbrs, were Jews, becaufe fome 

 priefts had then come from Jtrujalan, and had con- 

 verted, to their opinions, a great number of the Ro- 

 man populace, and flaves. The learned and manly 

 Sir W. Jones, among the vaft variety of objetts 

 which engaged his attention, feems to have haftiJy 

 adopted this opinion. He fupports the hypothefis 

 entirely on a paffage in the inftitutes of iMExu, where, 

 fays he, " we find the following curious paffage i 

 " Many families of the military clafs having gradually 

 " abandoned the ordinances of the Vedas, and the 

 " company of the Brahynens, lived in a ftate of de- 

 " gradation, as the people of Pundraca, the Chinas^ 

 " and fome others." He then fays, '• this being di- 

 " red, pofitive, difinterefted, and unfufpecled, would 

 ** decide the queftionj if ws could be fure that the 



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