SACRED ISLES IN THE WEST, 125 



we were- to add the mystery of redemptionj it would indeed bring it very 

 -fi^ar t9 ^ Christian riBligion, 



It is trie fasliion now, to'e^tol the purity of the worship of the Druids, 

 of which we'^now but very Httle, and to suppose, that they had no idols. 

 Some modern authors have rendered the same service to the Brdhmens, 

 One even goes further/ and says, " if any body should have asked the 

 " Areopagites at Athens, or any body at the court of the kings of Persia, 

 '* whether they were idolaters or not, they would hardly have understood, 

 " what he hie ant." I cannot answer either for the Areopagites or the 

 "Persians: but ask a Hindu, whether he worships idols, he will imme- 

 'diately, and without the least hesitation, answer, " Tes, I do worship 

 " idols." Ask, on the other hand, a Hindu, whether learned or unlearned, 

 " Do you worship the Supreme Being, Parame's Vara ? Do you pray 

 " to him ? Do you offer sacrifices unto him f" He will answer imme- 

 diately " nOf never." " You certainly worship him mentally, which is the 

 " purest sort of worship, and which becomes, it seems, fashionable, as it 

 " subje61:s us to very little, or no inconvenience." The question is, whether 

 he will understand you, unless you hav^ madfe some progress in the lan- 

 guage. If he does, he will answer "«d.'^'"' Do' you praise him?" ** no," 

 " Do you meditate on his attributes and perfedlions ?" " no." " What is 

 " then that silent meditation, 'mentibned by some learned authors ^" His 

 answer will be, " when I perform thepujd in honor of some of the gods, 

 " I seat myself on the ground, with my legs crossed in such a manner, 

 " that each foot rests upon the opposite thigh, (not under it like a taylor, 

 " but) like those who perform tapasya. Then, with my eyes closed,; and 

 " looking lip to heaven, my hands moderately open, and close to each 

 " other, and a little elevated, I compose my mind and tlioughts, ajid 



H h 



