8i6 
A Defcripion of G E Y L O N. 
rs-^J-^ ' Eu^horbuf, the Son of Panthus in the Tro- 
^>i\rv3 i^*^ ^^^•> afterwards into Pynbus, next 
^"'^''^ into Eletis, and then into Pythagoras. All 
the Indian Pagans are infeded with this 
erroneous Opinion, as we (hall fee more 
at large hereafter : but what is more 
furprizing is, that the Sadduces among 
the Jews, who had fo much Veneration 
for the Books of Mofes, fliould deny the 
Immortality of the Soul ; when it is 
faidin Gen. i.i6. That the Soul of Man 
was not created, like material Subftances, 
but was part of the Spirit of God. 
The fame fay all the Gentiles, as Hermes, 
Zoroafter, Chalcidius and Epicharm'vs. Ci- 
cero in Somnio Scip. fays. There vs a near 
Relation betwixt God and our Souls, Seneca 
in his Letter to Lucilius tells him, That 
the Souls are in Heaven ; and fpeaking of 
the deceafed Son of Marcia, he fays, in 
meliori Statu efi, he is in a better State. 
The Turks, and Perfians, and Mahomet 
in his Alcoran acknowledg the Immortality 
of the Soul which put thefe Chriftians to 
theblufb, who affirm that fbe Souls of the 
Wicked are annihilated, or what others af- 
fert. That the Souls rejl in the Matter till the 
Day of Judgment. 
CHAP. XLVIII. 
M*ffi*ge^ of the Bellales and Brahmans. Divers Circumfiances obferved ufon 
that account. Families, Degrees, and Handicraftfinen of Jafnapatnam, Tht 
Taking and Defcriftion of Trinquenemale. 
IN the preceding Chapter we told you 
concerning the Marriages of the Bel- 
lales, and how the Brahmans often marry 
Maniagt' their Brothers and Sifters Children. A- 
cufioms. mong fome of the Chriftians in Ceylon ob- 
tains a certain Cuftora to this day, to 
tye the Tali or Bracelet of the Bride a- 
bout the Bridegroom's Neck, a thing in- 
troduced by the Pagans, and imitated by 
the Chriftians : for as Rogerim obferves, 
the Inhabitants of the Coaft of Coroman- 
del look upon it as a Ceremony fo ne- 
celTary towards the Confirmation of the 
Marriage, that whenever the Husband 
dies, the Tali he wore about his Neck on 
his Marriage-Day is to be burnt with 
him. 
As Maidens without a good Portion 
are a very bad Commodity here, hence it 
is that frequent Collections are made 
to help the poorer fort to Husbands. 
They are of Opinion, that afmgleMan 
is but half a Man ; nay that thofe vyho 
negleft or lofe any time in propagating 
their own Kind, are not far different from 
a Murderer and a Deftroyer of Human 
Kind (according to the opinion of Plato, 
which was likewife encourag'd among 
the Athenians and Romans) which is the 
reafon they often marry their Daughters 
at loand ii Years of Age, and nothing 
is more frequent than to fee them bring 
forth Children at 13 or 14. 
iViiJin^s, After they have been three times pro- 
claimed from the Pulpit, the Marriage 
Ceremony is performed by the Minifter 
theHoufe where the Wedding is kept 
Iseiflg generally adorn'd with a kind of 
Triumphal Arch raifed without Doors, 
made of Fig-tree Branches, Flowers, 
Pomegranates, and fuch like. The rich- 
er fort feldom fail to give a good Enter- 
tainment to their Friends, of Venifon, 
Hares, Partridges, Fifh, Fruits, Pre- 
ferves, (5rc. and the Evening is fpent in 
dancing, finging, and divers other Di- 
verfions. However ftrong Liquors are 
never made ufe of on fuch Occafions, un- 
lefs the Hollanders (who can't well be mer- 
ry without them) bring fome along with 
them. Thefe Marriage-Diverfions con- 
tinue fometimes four or five days fuccef- 
fively. 
\ remember that during my Reiidence 
here, fometimes Children of eight or nine 
Years of Age would have engaged in 
mutual Promifes of Marriage, in mine and 
their Friends Prefence ; which I always 
oppofed, fearing, not without reafon, 
that they might repent their Bargain, be- 
fore they came to a marriageable Age. 
For the reft they conftantly obferve this 
Cuftom, that the Female is younger than 
the Bridegroom ', nay they feldom will 
chufe a Maid, that has already had her 
Monthly Times : this Cuftom is fo ftrift- 
ly obferved on the Coaft of Coromandel, 
that if a Brahmans Daughter remains 
unmarried till that time, flie muft lay 
afide all hopes of it for the future. 
The learned Selden (hews out of Rab- 
bi Mofes Maimonides, that the Jewifh High by the 
Priefts were not allow'd to marry a Mai- jews ani 
den, unlefs Ihe was under 1 2 Years of Romans. 
Age and the antient Romans commonly 
married their Daughters at 10, 11 or 12 
^ Years 
