I 
Chap.XIil. 
the Eaft- India Pagans. 
893 
CHAP. XIII 
The Ofinion of thefe Pagans comernmg the Soul^ and its Trmfmigration. The 
form, StruEiure^ Splendour and Revenues of their Pagodes or Temples. Of 
the Ceremony of wajhing of thefe Pagans. 
Baldaus. 
'HE modern in imitation 
of the antient Egyptians^ Thracians^ 
Druids and Germans, believe, that the 
Souls were not fuch from Eternity, but 
created by God, and kept as part of his 
Eflence, till after the Creation of the 
Earth, they were infus'd either into Men 
gorcan ^' Beafts. Concerning the Pythagorean 
Tranfmi- Dodtrine of the Tranfmigration of Souls 
grathn of (fo generally received among the modern 
the Souls. Pagans) we have had occafipn tofpeak 
before in the Defcription of Ceylon ^ we 
will only add in this Place, that the JWa- 
iabars fay on this Head, They are of o- 
pinion, that this Tranfmigration of the 
Souls from one Body into another is in- 
Itituted by God as a Punifliment for 
our Sins, which continues till they are 
either conveyed into Heaven or Hell; 
they fay, there is a certain Judg, nam'd 
Chitra Puna, who judges of the Actions 
of Mankind when they lie upon their 
Deathbed, and determines according to 
their paft Anions, whether the Soul of 
the deceas'd fhall tranfmigrate into a 
Dog, Cat, Crow, Cow, King, Brah- 
man, Serpent, 6'c. So that in cafe a 
Perfon in his Life- time has done a notori- 
ous Injuftice to another, his Soul fhall be 
tranfplanted into the Body of a Slave of 
the offended Party. The Reafon why 
they abftain with fo much Stridtnefs from 
all forts of Meat, is no other, than that 
they are afraid, as TertuUian exprelfes it, 
that in feeding upon a piece of Beef, they 
may eat a piece of their Father or Grand- 
father. 
Thefe Pagans have their Pagodes or 
Temples erefted to the Honour of their 
Idols in the choice of the Places, and 
'be BuUd. manner of the Building, they follow ra- 
ing of ther their Inftin(fl or pretended Infpirati- 
thm I'a- on, than any general Rule or Method. 
§odes. Pagodes are on the Coaft of Mala- 
bar moft commonly built of Marble, 
and on the Coaft of Corohtandel of very 
large fcjuat e Stone j fu^h is the moft ce- 
lebrated Pagodeat Koinmanakt^el, a vaft 
Strufture, and endpw'd with vaft Re- 
venues, by the great conflux of Pilgrims 
that continually ref^rt thither, of which 
I have been an eyeywitnefs my felf. 
The Pagodes 0f the Malabars are ge- 
nerally covefd with Copper, adorn'd 
with Balls gilt on the top ^ within and 
without ftand their Idols with many 
Heads and Arms, furrounded on ail 
fides with Serpents. The Pagode is 
enclofed by a Brick-wall, for the Recepti- 
on of the People, who don't enter the 
Pagode, but perform their Worlhin in 
the Court, as the did in the Hail of 
Solomon. Hence it is that the Gates are 
well guarded, being commonly either of 
Marble or covered with Brafs, with the 
Figures of Elephants, Tygres, Bears 
and Lyons upon them ; and on the Fron- 
tifpiece niany dreadful Heads of Lions 
with Hogs Tusks, reprefenting the Idol 
Patagah, Ixora^s Daughter. 
Thefe Pa^oi« are not only raaintain'd ^■''^'^ 
by thePrefents that are conftantly made, 
but have alfo a conftant Revenue from 
the Cuftoms of all Commodities bought 
or fold, an exad: account whereof may 
be feen in Roger ius, L 2. c. so. Thefe 
Pagans have alfo a great Reverence for 
their Pagodes ; whence it is r'lat they 
will not enter a Pagode with their Seri- Reverence 
/'Oifj or Slippers : and they always h^ve for their 
their Cifterns at the Entrance of the Pa- P-igodes, 
godes to cleanfe themfelves before they 
enter ; juftas the fame is praftifed among 
the modern Mahometans in their Mofmcs 
and as the Jem had the Brafs Sea 
belongmgtothe temple for the Lewcx 
towafh themfelves in. Lmfcoten menti- 
ons, that the Pagan Priefts in Calecut be- 
fprinkle thofe that are entering the Pa- 
gode with Holy Heater, like our Roman 
Catholtchs. The Pagans in Coromandel 
have abundance of fmall Pagodes on thefe 
Places, where they burn their dead, 
whereof I took particular notice at Nega^ 
patan j and in Bantam the richer fort 
maintain frequently fmall Cl^appels for 
their private ufe. Of the Pdgodes in Pe- 
gtt, fee Cafp. Balbi ; of thofe of Japan, 
Caron and Almeyda ; and of thofe oi China 
Ferdinand Pintho. 
Their Cuftom of waOiing themfelves l^Z. 
daily, feems not only to be introduced 
for the cleanfing and cooling of their Bo- 
dies, but chiefly for the purifying of 'em 
from their Sins; for as thefe Pagans 
make a Diftinftion betwixt venial and 
mortal Sins, they regulate their Wafhing 
accordingly. The firft thty are clean- 
fed 
