19 



notions, not being bent upon hatred and opposition, but consider- 

 ing the collected body of creatures as an object of the power of 

 the Almighty, by investigating the contrarieties of sects, and the 

 different customs of religion, have stamped to themselves a lasting 

 reputation upon the page of the world; particularly in the ex- 

 tensive empire of Hindostan, which is a most delightful country; 

 and wherein are collected a great number of Turks, Persians, 

 Tartars, Scythians, Europeans, Armenians, Abyssinians, &c." 



The beauty and philanthropy of this quotation will, I trust, 

 apologize for its prolixity. During my residence among the brah- 

 mins and religious sectaries of the Hindoos, I witnessed so much 

 of their life and conduct as convinced me of the usefulness of 

 many who performed their active duties; and, as far as the laws 

 of caste and their own knowledge permitted, instructed those who 

 were allowed to learn, in their religious and moral duty. I am 

 also convinced, that the most enlightened brahmins believe in the 

 unity of God, although they think it necessary to represent his 

 different attributes under symbolical forms, for the comprehen- 

 sion of the vulgar. They have also permitted the representation of 

 celestial beings for a similar purpose; in the same manner as the 

 stoics and other philosophers, who were unwilling to disturb the 

 popular religion of their country, yet knowing how truth was ob- 

 scured by fable and allegory, they ventured to establish tenets 

 which enlarged the ideas, and ennobled the minds of their fol- 

 lowers; and went as far in their system as human nature can 

 attain, unenlightened by the Sun of Righteousness. Many of 

 their writings clearly indicate the sublimity of their conceptions. 

 Strabo, probably, gives the general opinion of those ancient sages 



