Chap. II. of the East Indies. 447 
the Courage, but more the Clemency of Alexander % and 6. In a Country fo happily fltuated ds theirs', and Whitlr 
did no lefsjuftice to the Bravery of their own Prince Po~ has been, in all Ages, renowned for its Abundance, they 
rU s , , taking care that the Statue of the one fhould be con- might certainly have lived with as much Delicacy ai 
ftantly accompanied by that of the other. Their Brack- their Neighbours the Perfians, who* from the mod hardy 
mans were continually inculcating Principles of Virtue in and frugal, became the mod luxurious and profufe People 
their Sermons to the People, which Sermons are dill con- in the Ead. But, amongd the Indians , the Love of 
tinued, though the Subjects of them are much changed : Temperance, indilled into them as a Principle of Re- 
For the Brachmans, finding their People began to relidi ligion by the Brachmans , prevented any Excefs of this 
the fabulous Theology of the Greeks , invented one of kind, and redrained them to a very moderate Ufe of that 
their own, which is now the current Religion of the Indies. Plenty which they poffeffed f . 
But what mud appear an incontedable Proof of their They had not, properly fpeaking, any Wine of theif 
o-reat Regard for Virtue, is, the Law they edablifhed •, by own Growth and the Liquor fo called by antient Writers* 
Virtue of which, when any eminent Perfon died. In- was drawn either from Rice, or from the Cocoa-tree : But* 
fpeCtors were appointed to examine ftriCUy into his Life as both forts of Liquor were very apt to intoxicate, they 
and Actions, of which they compofed a Memoir, con- were very feldom ufed but in Sacrifices, public Feads, and 
eluding with his Character in which, if they were guilty in very fmall Quantities at the Tables of their Kings. If 
cither of Partiality or Prejudice, they lod their Offices, at any time a Prince fo far forgot his Dignity and Cha- 
and were delared infamous to all Poderity •, but there rafter, as to differ himfelf to be over-taken with Liquor* 
were very few Indances of their incurring this Punifhment. their Laws allowed any Woman, who was about him, to 
It was in confequence of this Law, that they never ereCted put him to Death while he was drunk j and his Sueceffor 
any Monuments to the Memory of the Dead ; for they was obliged to efpoule this Woman, and make her the 
fuppofed that this Memorial of their Virtues fecured their Partner of his Throne. The common Drink of the In- 
Fame more effectually a . dians, in general, was Milk and Water s . 
They had, naturally, a great Love for Order, and were As for their Food, the Sydem of the Metempfychojis * 
exceedingly attentive to whatever might promote, or pre- which prevailed generally throughout the Indies , kept their 
ferve it. They could not be faid to have borrowed any Tables within due Bounds, allowing nothing more for 
Part of their Policy from foreign Nations, becaufe, as we their Supply than Corn, Roots, Fruit and Milk-meats 5 
have often obferved, they had not, for a long Series of yet fome kind of Animal Food they had, fuch as Tygers* 
Ages, any Correfpondence with Strangers : And though and other wild Beads ; and Fifh too ; but they were very 
it be true, that the Egyptians , Spartans , and Romans , di- plainly dreffed, without any Sauces, or other Allurements 
vided their Subjects into Tribes, yet it is certain, that none to the Tade, that they might not be tempted to eat mor£ 
of thefe Nations carried this Regulation near fo far as the than was neceffary for the Support of Nature, and, thereby* 
Indians , who took in all forts of People ; fo that, by the render themfelves liable to Difeafes. As they lived fpa- 
Frame of their Conditution, the lowed, as well as the ringly, they dept not much at their Eafe, having nothing 
highed Orders of Men, were under the immediate In- but a Mat, or the Skin of a Bead, between them and the 
IpeCtlon of their Government ; and could not be wanting. Ground. Their Houfes were low, compofed, for the 
in any refpeCt, to their Duty, without falling under the mod part, either of thin Planks, or of Reeds, fmall* 
Cenfure of their Superiors ; which was a Thing of infi- with little Furniture, and no Ornaments at all, unlefs w£ 
nite Confequence to the Well-being and Tranquillity of fhould account for fuch their Roofs being made of Tor- 
the State b . toife-fhells h . Thus, in all refpeCls, they were perfectly 
It was in virtue of this Regulation, that the Govern- uniform, and led their Lives in the quiet Poffefiion of 
ment was perfectly acquainted with the Rank and Fortune what their Labour and Indudry procured ; content with 
of every one of its Subjects j fo that none were permitted what they poffeffed, and willing rather to part with fome* 
to travel fo much as from one Town to another, in any what of their own, to fecure that Peace, which they held 
other manner than was fuitable to their Characters. Thus, their greated Bleffing i , than defirous of employing Force 
for indance, their Princes, and great Lords, rode upon to enrich themfelves at others Expence. It was, indeed* 
Elephants ; fuch as were next to them in Rank were al- the great Felicity of thefe People, that they aCted in every 
lowed four Horfes in their Retinue *, the next in Degree relpeCt upon Principle ; and were fo addicted, from their 
travelled on Camels ; the ordinary fort of People rode Infancy, to a regular Life, and an equal Contempt of 
either on Horfes or on Affes c . Danger and of Pleafure, that they were not liable to the 
It is eafy to conceive, that by adhering driCtly to thefe common Failings of Men, but were capable of redding 
Rules, Pride and Ambition were hardly known, or, at Temptations, and of defpifing Threats, 
lead, could not gain much Ground amongd them. If at 7. If we had no other Proofs of the condant Courage* 
any time, in fpite of all the Care that could be taken, and magnanimous Spirit of the Indians , we might be con- 
Difputes arofe about Place or Precedency, they were termi- vinced of it from that Readinefs with which almod every 
i nated in a public Audience before the King and Senate. Rank of People not only met, but, if Otcafion required 
There, alfo, all Controverfies relating to Property were it, hadened Death j and, if we may be allowed the Ex- 
I heard and decided almod as foon as they role ; and it predion, went out to receive him. It was not the Brack - 
! was, by this means, that all the Mifchiefs arifing from mans only, who, from the Maxims of Philofophy, were 
Law-fuits were prevented, and the Peace and Quiet of able to fteel themfelves againd the common Weaknefs of 
i the Nation effectually preferved d . human Nature; but even Women, who, by Conditution 
Their Monarchs, in regard to the Love of Peace, fet and Education, were in the Indies , as well as every where 
1 their Subjects a condant and perfuafive Example : For elfe, naturally of a more timid Difpofition than the Men; 
’ though they had all of them great Armies, and thofe per- The Accounts we have of this differ fomething from one 
feCtly well difeiplined and provided, perpetually on Foot, another ; but, by a little Attention, they may be eafily 
■ yet they very rarely brought them into the Field ; thongh reconciled k . It was certainly in the Beginning a voluntary 
it appears from the Example of Porus , and from the Re- ACt, arifing from an extravagant AffeCtion, which in* 
lidance that Alexander met with from the free Cities of duced them to quit that Life which appeared to them' more 
India , they were capable of making a great Figure, as a hateful and terrible, than Death itfelf : But, afterwards, 
■ warlike People, if they had affected it : And this appeared there were fome Reafons which made it requifite to en* 
5 ltd! more clearly from the ConduCt of the famous Sandra - courage this Practice by Laws ; yet dill the Spirit and 
c coitus , and his Succeffors, who were content to purchafe Courage of the Women, who thus devoted themfelves to 
1 Peace, though at the Head of Armies, capable of ac» Death, rather than furvive their Husbands, deferved Ad- 
quiring and maintaining Conqueds e » miration 1 . An , antient Writer, of great Integrity, aa 
s Tfzodor. Stcul. lib. iii. Arri n. Indicts, Philojlrat. lib. ii. b Arrian. Gtejtas in Indicts. c Arrian. Strabo. d Diodori 
; Siyul.'Ubi fupra, e Strabo, Arrian. Philojlrat. f Diodor. Stcul. ubi Jupta. 8 Strabo-, lib. xv. At ben. Deifm. lib. xii. Pltn. 
hb. \i. c. 28.^ Philojlrat. lib n. c. y. b Arrian, lib. v. c. 4. Philojlrat. lib. iii. Mela, lib. iii. 1 Diodor. Stcul. Strabo. Philojlrat , 
That is to fay, when fome attribute this to the Laws, and others to the Will of the Women themfelves, they may be proved to agree, by (hewing 
that the Laws made this honourable^ and, in fome rneafure, requifite ; and yet without impoiing an abfoiute Necehity, for that would have ren- 
f! ® ere d it qo longer commendable. 1 Strabo , lib-, xv. Curt, lib . viih Pomp. Mela } lib , iii. 
