ANCIENT INDIA. 



21 



is not with the onions and garlic ; at any rate, that 

 moderate, if not tolerably free indulgence in the " pleasures 

 of the table " — only that there do not appear then to have 

 been tables— was permitted, is tolerably apparent from one 

 of the injunctions having reference to this subject which may 

 be here reproduced, namely, " a virtuous moderation, eating 

 meat, drinking fermented liquors produces signal compensa- 

 tion. " The remark is peculiar. From the account given of 

 the return voyage to China of Fah-Hien the circumstance is 

 made tolerably evident that, although the principal food stores 

 laid in for that voyage consisted of rice and fresh water, the 

 value of fresh vegetables under such circumstances was well 

 understood ; thus it is expressly stated that, when the ship 

 in which he sailed touched at Ping- Tu- Chow, a supply of 

 fresh water and of fresh vegetables was taken on board. 



14. Sleep. — As with the modern Indians, so in ancient 

 times, an approved maxim was " early to bed and early to 

 rise." They slept upon a mat and used a small pillow, 

 their bed being either upon the ground or on a charpoy accord- 

 ing to circumstances. There were various rules with regard 

 to the position of the sleeper ; sleep was said to be promoted by 

 tranquillity of mind, by music, working, anointing the body 

 with oil, the use of the bath, by eating new rice, milk and 

 ghee, by sherbets and spirits, and such articles as improve 

 the health. 



15. Clothing. — The rules with regard to clothing were 

 somewhat as follows : After bathing the body to be rubbed 

 with a piece of clean cloth ; silk and warm red clothes should 

 be used in winter ; the clothes should be light, cool and thin 

 during the hot weather ; in rainy and cold weather warm 

 white clothes of medium thickness should be used ; care should 

 be taken always to wear clean clothes, which is good for 

 the skin, looks well, and promotes happiness and longevity. 

 The turban defends the head from heat and cold, sandals 



