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Island be England, and the Sacred Isles of the Hindoos the Bri- 

 tish isles. After having maturely considered the subject, I think 

 they are." To this may be added the conclusion of Sir William 

 Jones's third discourse delivered to the Asiatic Society in 1786. 

 " Of these cursory observations on the Hindoos, which it would 

 require volumes to expand and illustrate, this is the result: that 

 the}' had an immemorial affinity with the old Persians, Ethiopians, 

 and Egyptians; the Phenicians, Greeks, and Tuscans; the Scy- 

 thians or Goths, and Celts; the Chinese, Japanese, and Peruvians. 

 Whence, as no reason appears for believing that they were a colony 

 from any one of those nations, or any of those nations from them, 

 we may fairly conclude they all proceeded from some central coun- 

 try, to investigate which will be my future object." 



It has been observed by careful investigators, that there is a 

 great resemblance between many of the Hindoo festivals and the 

 old feasts in England. Colonel Pearse remarks, that on the festi- 

 val of Bhawanee, which answers to our May-day, the Gopas and 

 all other herdsmen frequent the gardens on that day, erect a pile 

 in the fields, and adorn it with pendants and garlands. Mr. 

 Paterson, on the origin of the Hindoo religion, in describing the 

 festival of the Hooli, compares it with the Hilaria of the Romans, 

 celebrated at the vernal equinox in honour of the mother of the 

 gods. " It was a festival which was continued for several days, 

 with great display of pomp and rejoicing. It began the eighth day 

 before the calends of April, or the 25th of March. The statue of 

 Cybele was carried about in procession, and the attending crowds 

 assumed to themselves whatever rank, character, or dress, their 

 fancy led them to prefer. It was a kind of masquerade, full of 



