Travels in India. 



Part. II 



CHAP. V. 



What the Idolaters believe touching a ^Divinity. 



T Hough the Idolatrous Indians attribute to the Creature, as to Cows,- Apes, 

 and feveral Monfters, thofe Divine Honours which are only due to the 

 true Deity $ yet they acknowledg one only Infinite God, Almighty, and only 

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

 They call him infome places Permefer, in others Peremael, and Wefinon among the 

 Bramins that inhabit the Coaft of Cormandel. It may be, becaufe they have 

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

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

 Flintftone, which they fetch from Ganges, and worfhip as a God. They are fb 

 obftinately wedded to this foolifh imagination, that the wifèft among the Bra- 

 mins will not fo much as hear any argument to the contrary. So that it is no 

 wonder that a people led by fach blind Guides, mould fall into fuch Abyffes 

 of Idolatrv, There is one Tribe fo fuperftitious, in reference to that Article, that 

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

 Breafts, when they are at their devotions. In this dark and lamentable mift of 

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

 them Wives, imagining that theirs are the pleafures of men. Thus t-hey take 

 their Ram for a great Deity, in regard of the Miracles which they believe he 

 wrought while he liv'd upon Earth. Ram was the Son of a potent Raja, who 

 was call'd by the name of Deferet, and the moft vertuous of all his Children, 

 which he had by two lawful Wives. He was particularly belov'd by his Father, 

 who defign'd him to be his Succeffor. But the Mother of Ram being dead, 

 the Raja's other Wife, who had her Husband entirely at her beck, prevail'd 

 with him to exterminate Ram and his Brother Lokeman from his Houle, and 

 all his Territories; upon whofe exclufion the Son of that* Wife was declar'd the 

 Rajas Succeffor. As the two Brothers were -about to be gone, Ram's Wife 

 Sita, of whom he went to take his leave, and whom the Idolaters worfhip 

 as a Goddefs, beg'd of him that {he might not leave him, having made a refô- 

 lution never to forfake him ; whereupon they all three went together to leek 

 their fortunes. They were not very fuccelsful at firft ; for as they pafs'd through 

 a Wood, Ram being in purfuit of a Bird, ftray'd from the Company, and was 

 milling a long time ; infomuch that Sita fearing that fome difafter was befalPn 

 him, befought Lokeman to look after him. He excus'd himfelf at firft, by rea- 

 fon that Ram had oblig'd him never to leave Sita alone, forefeeing by a Pro- 

 phetick Spirit what would befall her, fhould fhe be left to her felf. Never- 

 thelefs Lokeman being over perfwaded by the prayers of his fair Sifter, went 

 to feek for Ram his Brother ; but in the mean time Rhevan another of the I- 

 dolaters Gods, appear'd to Sita in- the fhape of a Faquir, and beg'd an Alms 

 of her. Vow Ram had order'd Sita, that fhe mould not ftir out of the place 

 where he left her ; which Rhevan well knowing, would not receive the Alms 

 which Sita prelented him, unlefs fhe would remove to another place y whieh 

 when Sita had done, either out of negligence or forgetfulnels, Rhevan feiz'd 

 upon her, and carry'd her into the thick of the Wood, where his Train ftay'd 

 for him. Ram at his return miffing Sita, fell into a fwoon for greif, but be- 

 ing brought again to himfelf by his Brother Lokeman, they two immediately 

 went together in fearch of Sita, who was fo dearly belov'd by her Husband. 



When the Bramins repeat this Rape of their Goddefs, they do it with tears 

 in their eyes, and great demonftrations of forrow ; adding upon this fubject, 

 an infinite company of Fables more ridiculous, to fhew the great courage of 

 Ram in purfuit of the Ravifher. They employ'd all Creatures living upon the 

 difcovery ; but none of 'them had the luck to fucceed, only the Monkey call'd 

 Harman. He crofs'd over the Sea at one Leap, and coming into Rhevans Gar- 

 dens., found Sita in the extremity of affliction ; and very much furpriz'd to hear 



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