RAM 



Thefe carriages are dcCcribeJ as folid maffes of wood, of a 

 pyramidal (hapc, intended to fymbolize the Linga. ( Sec 

 LiNGA.) The exterior of tlicfe coaches are covered with 

 grofsly obfceuc carving. 



At the external corners of the temple, and in the ftreets 

 of the town, there are {mailer temples in honour of dif- 

 ferent deities, and containing images. In fome of the 

 ftreets fpreading trees, among thein the ficus religiofa and 

 tamarind, are furrounded with fquarc flone terraces, on 

 which arc placed little images of Pollear or Ganefa, (fee 

 PoLLEAR,) the Linga, two ferpents entwrned, and other 

 omblems of Hindoo mythology. Thefe terraces are ufed 

 for contemplation, or more aftive religious duties, as no- 

 ticed under the article Pkadakshxa. Rows of fruit-trees, 

 among them the cocoa-nut, plantain, and pomcgraNate, 

 ftand in gardens beyond the north and fouth walls of the 

 temple. 



On the oppofite fide of the ifland, near the fea, diftant 

 about eight miles from the temple, is the ancient fort and 

 choultry of Pombom. The road between is very elegantly 

 paved with fmooth Hones, each fix feet by four ; and the 

 greater part of the road is nobly fhaded by the moft beauti- 

 ful and majeftic trees. The larger trees of this fuperb 

 avenue are iurrounded by fmooth raifed terraces of mafonry, 

 on which travellers reft in comfort, completely {haded. 

 About half way between the grand temple and Pombom is 

 a very elegant fmall temple, built on the fame general plan 

 with the larger, having two malTy towers raifed in the 

 centre of (lie oblong area, and a covered walk, with three 

 rows of pillars on each fide, all round. The outfide of the 

 towers is completely covered with ftatues in miniature, re- 

 prefenting all the variety of their mythological divinities. 

 The choultry, for the accommodation of pilgrims and tra- 

 vellers at Pombom, has two fronts, and three inclofed 

 fquares ; and is furrounded by piazzas raifed feveral feet, 

 with fquare pillars and terraced roofs. Contiguous is a 

 fmall temple, the door of which was open, difplaying an 

 image of Ganefa or Pollear, m the ufual form, elephant- 

 headed and pot-bellied, ornamented with necklaces of 

 flowers. 



There are feveral other elegant temples on this interefting 

 !{land, which is entirely dedicated to the purpofes of re- 

 ligion. No plough is allowed to break the foil, and no 

 an:mal, wild or tame, is ever killed on it. 



Dancing girls, mountebanks, and beggars, abound here, 

 as in other reforts of the idle and v/ealthy. 



The fmall remains of antiquity ilill extant on Ceylon, 

 fufficiently prove that fimilar religious inftitutions did once 

 cxift there, and that choultries and temples were erefted at 

 the different ftages, all the way from Manaar through the 

 ifland, 200 miles, to Dondra, its fouthern extremity, and 

 the ultimate extent of Hindoo pilgrimage. At the latter 

 place, the ruins of a temple dedicated to Siva are ftil! to be 

 recognized ; but only fome rows of fcattered pillars, and a 

 few remnants of broken images, have furvived the fanatic furv 

 of the early European invaders. Rama's peaceful i{land 

 falling under the prot^ ftion of a more liberal and enlightened 

 government, fortunately efcaped thofe religious tempefts, 

 which fpread dcilruftion round the coalls of Ceylon. 



Lord Valentia has more recently vifited this interefting 

 fcene, and Mr. Silt, who accompanied his lordlhip, has 

 publi{hed a very elegant view of the temple. The entrance 

 is defcribed to be through a gateway, about 100 feet high, 

 covered with carved work to the fummit. The door is 40 

 feet high, compofed of fingle ftones placed perpendicularly, 

 with others crolTing. This maffive workmanlhip reminded 

 lord Valentia of the ruins of Egyptian architefture. He 



RAM 



defcribes the quadrangle to be about 600 feet eacli iide, 

 and fays that, on the whole, this temple is the finell piec- 

 of architecture that he had feen in the call. Words, hi' 

 fays, cannot defcribe its magnificence. The coiicourfe of 

 pilgrims is very great, and brings in a large lum ; eacli 

 paying according to his rank. The raja of Tanjore had 

 been expcftcd the year before, but could not afford it ; as 

 in prcfeiits and various expences, it was eftimated that his 

 highnefs could not have performed this ait of devotion under 

 60,000 j)agodas, about 25,000/. flerling. His whole fa- 

 mily would of courfe have expefted to participate in the 

 iiappinefs and benefits of the pilgrimage. The idol ufes no 

 water but what is brought from the Ganges by fakirs : 

 with this it is bathed every morning ; and this holy water, 

 thus acquiring additional fanftity, is fought and purchafed 

 by the devout for fin-expelling purpofes. 



RAMISTS, in the Hijlory of Learning, the difciples of 

 Peter Ramus, who was born in a fmall village in Picardy, 

 in 1515, and from being a fervant in the college of Navarre 

 at Paris, became, by his talents, induftry, and perfeverance, 

 one of the mofl famous profeffors of the fixteenth centur)-. 

 By attacking the authority of Ariftotle, and attempting to 

 fuhftitute in tfae place of his logic a method of reafoning 

 better adapted t<V the ufe of rhetoric and' improvement of 

 eloquence, he excited a terrible uproar in the Gallic fchools ; 

 fo that the two firlt books he publifhed, lA-z,. his " Inflitu- 

 tiones Dialeilicse," and " Arilfotelicae Animadverfiones," 

 were prohibited through the kingdom of France, and the 

 author prohibited from any more teaching philofophy. His 

 enemies perfecuted him with lampoons and fatires, and even 

 held him up to public ridicule on the ftage. However, 

 Ramus aftervvards recovered his credit, fo that he obtained 

 the royal profefTorfhip of philofophy and eloquence, and 

 afterwards of mathematics, at Paris, in 1547. But his 

 enemies were inveterate in their perfecution of him, and as 

 foon as it was known that he favoured the party of the 

 Hugonots, he was obliged once again to withdraw him.felf 

 from the effefts of their refentment. In the intervals of 

 peace, he returned to his ftaticn ; but in 1568, when the 

 civil war was a_ third time renewed, he relolved to leave 

 France, and make a tour through Germany. After fpend- 

 ing three years in vifiting the principal German univeriities, 

 and receiving many tokens of refpecl, he refolved, fatally 

 tor himfelf, in 157 1, to 'return to his own countrj-. Ac- 

 cordingly he fettled at Paris, where he perifhed in the maf- 

 facre on St. Bartholomew's day. On the tumult of this 

 execrable day, Charpentaire, profefibr of mathematics, who 

 had been eclipfed by the fuperior talents of Ramus, fcized 

 the opportunity of being revenged upon his rival, and, under 

 the pretence of religion, employed afiafiins to murder hira. 

 His body was afterwards thrown into the ftreet to the en- 

 raged pupils of Charpentaire, who dragged it ignominioufly 

 along the ftreets, and then caft it into the Seine. 



The difciples of Ramus, fuch was the aftonifhing influence 

 of their mafter's learning and charafter, prevailed fo far as 

 to banifh the Peripatetic philofophy from feveral feminaries 

 of learning, and to fubftitute in its place the fyftem of their 

 maiter, which was of a more praftical kind, and better 

 adapted to the purpofes of hfe. 



Although he had confiderable merit in expofing the de- 

 fefts and inconfiftencies of the Ariftotelian philofophy, he 

 does not feem to have been equally fuccefsful in his attempt 

 to eftabhfh a new logical inftitute. The general outline of 

 his plan is as follows. Confidering dialecitics as the art of 

 ueducing conclufions from premifes, he. endeavours to im- 

 prove this art, by unitins; it with that of rhetoric. Of the 

 feveral branches of rhetoric he conliders invention and dif- 



pofitiosr 



