128 



ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF 



by the Poryas (public executioners) ; if the wretch be a Brahman, his fore- 

 lock must be shaved off ; his thread broken ; he must have a stripe of the 

 hair on all four sides of his head shaved off ; must be crammed with all 

 forbidden food, and, in a word, utterly defiled and degraded ; paraded thus 

 through the whole city ; his infamy proclaimed ; and finally he must be 

 driven out of the country, with confiscation of all his property. 

 3rd. 3Iatricide. — This is punished like patricide. 



4th. Killing acoiv. — ^Punishment the same as for patricide ; and if a 

 Brahman, also as provided above. 



5th. Killing a Srahman. — Ditto ditto. 



6th. Killing a ivoman. — If any one should kill his wife on suspicion of 

 having defiled his bed, the Mahdns, having seized him, bring him before 

 the court and he is beaten till he confesses, when he is obliged to " touch the 

 stone," his property is confiscated, and he is delivered to the Poryas for 

 execution. If he has children, his children's rights or shares are exempted, 

 but all the rest of his property is confiscated. 



7th. Procuring abortion. — If any husband depart on a journey, and his 

 wife commit adultery in his absence ; or if a widow become incontinent ; or 

 if a man inadvertently marry within the prohibited degrees, and, in any of 

 these cases, the woman prove with child, and she and her paramour procure 

 medicine and destroy the fruit of her womb ; the woman, if proved guilty, is 

 seized and maltreated till she confesses, and when by her confession the 

 mediciner and the paramour are known, both are severely fined. 



8th. Killing a Guru, an elder brother, or a child. — A person committing 

 these crimes is seized and confined, and if on investigation he be proved 

 guilty, he is delivered to the Poryas who conduct him through the city, 

 proclaiming his sin and its penalty, and warning the people ; and then, 

 taking him forth from the city, execute him. His wife and children are 

 given in slavery to the stranger, and his property confiscated. 



9th. Arson. — Whoso sets fire to another's house is punished with death. 



10th. Poisoning. — This crime is also punished with death. 



