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bules to its own fulfilment, and is the apology of the Indian bards 

 for not being much addicted to abstinence of any kind." 



" The legend adverts to a Mundanee Misroodoo, who in the 

 beginning of the Caly-yoog, introduced certain ordinances, among 

 which was the prohibition of animal food; a reform which the 

 brahmins consented, but the bards refused, to adopt. Major 

 Mackenzie conjectures that the name Misroodoo may possibly 

 designate the country of the reformer — Mis?\ Egypt; and that 

 this well known reform may have been introduced into India by 

 the Egyptian priesthood. Shenker Acharee is mentioned in the 

 legend as reviving, at a period long subsequent, some of the doc- 

 trines of Misroodoo; and Shenker Acharee probably lived about the 

 commencement of the christian sera." 



Although Parvati, according to the preceding legend, inflicted 

 a severe punishment on the bards for not singing her praises, the 

 ladies in the easthave adopted other modes of obtainingthat satisfac- 

 tion. Their eulogy may perhaps be less public, and more limited 

 in Hindostan than some other parts of Asia. Many passages of 

 scripture and ancient history mention singing-men and singing- 

 women sounding the praises of heroes in public; but do not en- 

 tirely confine those panegyrics to the male sex. And d'Arvieux, 

 who was present at the visit of an Arabian princess to the wife of 

 an emir, or great chieftain, at her tents, says, " she was mounted 

 on a camel, covered with a carpet, and decked with flowers; a 

 dozen women marched in a row before her, holding the camel's 

 halter with one hand: they sung the praises of their mistress, and 

 songs which expressed joy, and the happiness of being in the service 

 of such a beautiful and amiable lady. Those which went first, 



