Chap.XV. 
the Eaft-India Pagans. 
would not touch the leafl; Eatables all 
that day J and ever fince keep a Faft on 
the I'jth of December in memory of this 
Difafter, being much about the fame time 
we celebrate the Feaft of our Saviour''s 
Nativity. They fay the reafon why Ixora 
Why the kili'd this Canteven^ or Cupidy was be- 
God of caufe the laft was fallen in love with 
tmldb^ Par^twc'/cef/, Ixora's Spoufe, for which rea- 
Ixora ''' ^'^^ burnt him to Afties with his fiery 
Eye on the Forehead. But the Brahmans 
fay that Ixora being for a conliderable 
time employed in holy matters, and there- 
by become forgetful of Paramefceriy fhe 
addreft herfelf to Canteven^ to infufe in- 
to her Husband frefh Sentiments of Love j 
but Ihe afterwards no fooner under- 
ftood his Death, than flie died for Grief : 
Being however brought to Life at the 
Foot of the NLonntTimana (where fhe 
ftaid for fometime after to do Penance, 
and thence got the Name of the Daugh- 
ter of the Mount Timana ) Ixora appeared 
to her, promiling to continue his Con- 
jugal Love hereafter. Paramefceri took 
this Opportunity to defire Ixora to re- 
vive Cupid from the Dead, with this ad- 
dition, that he fliould remain immortal 
for ever after *, whence they fay, that 
Cupid reigns all over the World by the 
Strength of Imagination in both Sexes ; 
by which they feemto intimate, that as 
the Inclination to Love ceafes in old Per- 
fons, itis conftantly reviv'd in the young 
ones, and fo will continue as long as the 
World ftands. 
The fourth They have another famous Faft, cal- 
Kj/?. led Adafaupafa^ from the Word Mafa 
(which in the high Malabar Tongue fig- 
nifiesaMouth) and ZJpadaa Faft, being 
the moll facred of all their Fafts, begin- 
ning with the laft day of OBober. 
Such as keep this Faft, having firit 
wafhM and drefs'd themfelves very clean, 
repair to the Pagode of Vijlnum-^ and 
the next day being the ipf^j of Novemh. 
after having chang'd their Clothes, go 
round the faid Temple early in the Morn- 
ing 1 01 times, and the moft devoted 
looi timeso The fame they repeat eve- 
ryday during the whole November and 
December^ muttering all the while by 
therafelves the Words Naraina and A- 
quanama^ Sirnames belonging to yiflnum. 
All this while they muft eat nothing but 
Milk and Figs, neither look upon a Wo- 
man, and think or fpeak of nothing 
but what relates unto njimm. The 
next following year they take the fame 
courfe, beginning with the iji day of 
Decemk and continuing till the lotb of 
Jan. m all 40 Days. The third Year 
Hour, 
they begin with the xjl of Jan. and con 
tinuethe fame Dev^otions till the loth oiEald^An. 
Feb. and thus the fame fucceffively for '-^O*^^ 
nine years longer, till the Number of 12 
years being compleated, they obtain a 
general Pardon tor all their TrefpafTes. 
Concerning their Alarriages, Polygamy Th'^irMtr-' 
and fomc other matters relating to this 
purpofe, we have had occafion to fay 
fomeching already in the Defcriprion of 
Ctylon : we will now give an account of 
fuch things as were not mentioned, or at 
leaft not circumftantially in that Place. 
The firft is, that the Brahman^ are not 
only at liberty to marry as many Wives 
as they think fit (a Privilege they al- 
ways enjoy'd, as may be feen out of their 
antient Records, calfd Porancs) butalfo 
may choofe their Wives out of four dif- 
ferent Tribes, juft as the Levitcs enjoy'd 
the Privilege of marrying ia what Tribe 
they thought fit among the Jews. 
As to their Marriage Ceremonies, fome 
precede the Marriage it fdf, fome are 
concomitant to it, and the reft follow 
it. 
The firft thing they obferve is, to con- Mayiiage- 
fult an Aftrologer abouc the Pofition ofcerma- 
the Planets, and the Time or 
when it is fortunate for the Bride to be 
married j for which reafon they alfo 
confult on what day of the Month, and 
under what Conjunction the Bridegroom 
is born. Next they apply themfelves to 
a Brahman or Prieft, who for four days 
fuccellively before the Wedding, burns 
a little Rice and Butter mix'd with Eggs 
fora Sacrifice. The cime of the foieraa 
Proraife or Engagement approaching, 
they light a large Waxcandle, and put 
fome Rice upon the Table of Quenevady^ 
the huge devouring ElephanT before- 
mention'd. This done, the Bridegroom 
throws a Necklace or Taly^ with fome 
Gold faften'd to it, about the Bride's 
Neck, as 3 Token that the Engagement 
is now made ; whence the Malabars call 
Marriage Qultha, I e. an Obligation. Tr.e 
Wife after "the Death of her Husband, 
always breaks this Necklace, as a Token 
that the Obligation is dilToIvM, after 
which the Bride fafts i 5 days. 
After the Copulation is perfornfd, 
they entertain their Friends at a Feaft ; 
but the young Couple are not bedded 
till about eight or ten days after : for 
before they can adually cohabit, they 
muft attend a fortunate Conjundion of 
the Planets •, and before they enter the 
Bedrhamber, perform their Prayers at 
the Door, in the Company of a Prieft 
who gives them his Bleffing. The next 
foi- 
