HURD WAR. 
209 
for a long time in a paroxysm of mental agony. I 
love not to depict the tortures of the deeply afflicted : 
let this suffice ; he endured the penalty of his disobe- 
dience to the extreme of his fathers imprecation. 
For many days a malignant fever prostrated the 
energies of the unfortunate Purwatti, but with the first 
return of sufficient reason and strength, firmly casting 
off his repugnance to be seen by his neighbours in his 
lamentable disfigurement, he took a staff in his hand, 
and bent his feeble steps towards certain temples of 
Mahadeo, situated upon the heights above his cot- 
tage, which, owing to their great antiquity and the 
character of the attendant Brahmins, were held in 
high veneration by the devout, and had been from 
time immemorial a favourite resort of the inhabi- 
tants of the surrounding country, whenever they re- 
quired the prayers or advice of the priests ; for these 
men were reputed to be skilful both as bodily and 
spiritual physicians. 
The temples are in themselves beautiful objects, 
both on account of their picturesque form and posi- 
tion, and also as fine specimens of the force and 
merit of ancient Hindoo sculpture ; many of the 
figures with which they are adorned, although origi- 
nally but roughly hewn, and now crumbling with 
decay, being admirably spirited and full of energy, 
albeit the postures and proportions are somewhat 
extravagant. The ornaments upon the exterior are 
very elaborate, but consist chiefly of flowers and 
t 3 
