164 Travels in India. Part. II 



CHAP. V. 



What the Idolaters believe touching a T>ivinity. 



T Hough the Idolatrous Indians attribute to the Creature, as to Cows An 

 and'feveral Monfters, thofe Divine Honours which are only due t V 

 true Deity ; yet they acknowledg one onlv Infinite Cod, Almighty and nil 

 Wife, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, who fills all places with his prefen 

 They call him in fome places Permejfer, in others Peremael, and Wejtnon amone th 

 Bramins that inhabit the Coaft of Cormandtl. It may be, becaufe thev ha7 

 heard that the Circle is the moft perfect of all Figures, therefore it is ill 

 they fay God is of an Oval Figure; for they have in all their Pagods an Ov I 

 Flmtftone, which they fetch from Ganges, and worfhip as a God Thev are ? 

 obftinately wedded to this foolifh imagination, that the wifeft among the Br 

 mms will not fo much as hear any argument to the contrary So that if ic "" 

 wonder that a people led by fiich blind Guides, mould fall into fuch \h <r° 

 of Idolatry There is one Tribe fo fuperftitioais, in reference to that Article a 

 they carry thofe Oval Flints about their Necks, and thump them againft t he 

 Breads, when they are at their devotions. In this dark and lamentable mift nf 

 ignorance, thefe Idolaters make their Gods to be born like men andVL 

 • them Wives, imagining that theirs are the plcafiircs of men. Thus the,, T 

 their Am for a great Deity, in regard of the Miracles which they believe £ 

 wrought while he liv'd upon Earth. R am was the Son of a porent *! Iwho 



,V f ft A h u 6 Mme °'" D * r "> and the moft ""WW of all his Childm, 

 which he had by two lawful Wives. He was particularly beloVd by his Father' 

 who defign'd him to be . his Succefior. But the Mother of xL be ng S 

 the W, other Wife, who had her Husband entirely at her beck nfeS 

 w.th himto exterminate Ram and his Brother Lokcma. from his Houfe a j 

 all his Territories; upon whofe ex-clufion the Son of that Wile was decUrtS 

 R*,as Succeifor. As the two Brothers were about to be none, Ws Wife 

 nf a Vnn7f°^ ^7? to take his leave, and whom the ' Idolaters woS 

 asaGoddefs, beg'd of him that (he might not leave him, having madearrf? 

 lutipn never to forfake him , whereupon they all three went o|e™e r t0 frek 



\ wlTT I 1 '" 5 ' "'"' n r m Vfry ftcCtftful at " rft » for « WS5 throS 

 a Wood *,» -being in purfuit of a Bird, ftray'd from the Company and Z 

 ruffing a long time,, infomuch that Sua fearing that fome di.aher was befX 



fn^'r^r ^ ht n X ^Tr J°u °° k after ** H C " CUS ' d hi '^lf « V* by ea- 

 fon that A* had oblig'd him never to leave Si,a alone, forefeeing by a Pm- 



S,^ Wh u at W0U,d befa " her ' ftou 'd lie be left to her felf Nem- 

 thelefs Lvkeman being over perfwaded by the prayers of his fair <, M» Zl\ 

 to feekfor^ his Brother'; but in the" mean^me *IZ 'an Jrlfr^. 

 dolaters Gods, arpear'd to Sit* in the fhape of a F^u.r , and beg'd an Atas 

 whi!- H h ,°7 t" m h l d ? rde , r ' d S " a > that fo <hould not ftir out o g f the ptarc 



for him. *.„ Return mi^g ^ *„ — SfeSlX 



»l?t *,h agam r° h u mfeIf b ? his Brother ***»"», they two 8 mmedi telv 

 wen tog her in fearch of Sun, who was ib dearly belov'a by he Xb n I ' 



in Sfr ' T" S ^f ,his Rape of thcir God ^> they do it wh tears 



an 



