Chap. IL of the E A s 
In a Word-, the Indian Cohftitution was wholly of- a 
Piece ; and, if we take it throughout, was the belt cal- 
culated for the Good of the Whole, of any Form of Go- 
vernment deviled by the Wit of Man. By confidering it, 
as we find it ftated at large in this SeCtion, we fhall eafily 
difcern, why the antient Indians were fo jealous of Fo- 
reigners fettling amongft them ; fince it is very evident, 
that a mixed People could never be brought to live peace- 
ably under fuch a Conftitution, which required a fuitable 
Education, from their very Infancy, to difpofe the Minds 
of Men to fubmit to it. It is alfo no lefs dear, that they 
difcouraged as long as they found it practicable, all foreign 
Trade, from the fame Principle ; on which they reasoned 
after this manner : The great End of Commerce is to pro- 
cure and to maintain Plenty ; and as this was already well 
provided for by the Nature of their Conftitution, and their 
: Taws, in favour of Husbandmen, it feemed to them, that 
: there was no foreign T rade requifite for completing the Hap- 
I pinefs of their Subjects ; but that, on the contrary, it muft 
i be attended by Confequences detrimental to that Form of 
! Government, upon which their Felicity depended ; which 
1 they thought therefore juftified this Prohibition. 
Hence, likewife, we difcover the true Grounds of that 
1 Policy which reftrained the Ambition of Indian Princes, 
: and deterred them from making Conquefts. The Profpe- 
rity of an Indian Kingdom did not depend upon an Extent 
of Territory, or a Multitude of Subjects ; but upon the 
find Obedience of thofe Subjects to the Laws, which never 
would have been fecured by over-running their Neigh- 
bours ; for either the conquered Nation muft have been 
incorporated with their own, which would have been a Work 
difficult, if not impracticable, or thefe new Subjects muft 
i have lived after their old manner, which would have pro- 
duced numberlefs Jnconveniencies. It was therefore the 
Intereft, even of the moft powerful of their Monarchs, 
rather to fatisfy the Avarice of fuch as invaded them, by 
coftly Gifts, than to run the Hazard of ruining their Do- 
? minions, and their Subjects, by long and bloody Wars, 
which never could produce them any Good, and were, in 
their Nature, pregnant with Mifchiefs. 
T 1 N fi 1 E S s 
Blit what i$ ttioft wonderful, aftd belt deferves otir No 2 
tice, was the Care taken by the Indian Conftitution, to con- 
ciliate the Love of Peace with undaunted Courage, and 
the furprifing Expedients they made ufe of, to infpire 
their Subjects with a Contempt of Deaths at the fame time 
that the great End of all their Laws was, to render their 
Lives eafy and happy. Where People are frequently ex- 
pofed to Dangers, the Senfe of Danger wears off} and they 
acquire an habitual Courage ; but where People lead an 
eafy, regular Life, in the full Poffeffion of all that they 
defire, they naturally become timorous and effeminate. 
Phis, however, was not the Cafe of the antient Indians $ 
among whom, there were daily Inftances of Men dyings 
becaufe they were not inclined to live longer ; and of Wo- 
men that chofe to accompany their Husbands in Death, 
rather than endure Life without them. By thefe Examples, 
a Spirit of Heroiim was kept up, and the Brachmans, by 
feahng their DoCtrines with their Blood, fecured an impli- 
cit Belief of all they taught; that is, of all the Principles on 
which their Religion and Government were founded. 
1 here cannot, therefore, furely, be any thing more in- 
ftruClive, more entertaining, or more worthy of the 
Reader’s Attention, than an ample and diftinCt Account of 
thefe extraordinary Men, their Tenets, Difcipline, and 
manner of Living ; by a thorough Examination of which, 
we fhall be able to difcover what mighty things the human 
Underftandfng is capable of atchieving, when it is not de- 
preffed by Tyranny, or weakened by a luxurious way of 
Living. We fhall fee too* with how much Juftice the 
Brachmans held the firft Place affigned them in their Cafts 
or Tribes, as Men who fpent their Lives in the Study of 
T ruth, and in teaching it to others ; whereby they main- 
tained andexercifed a Power equal to Kings, in virtue only 
of the Wifdom of their Words, and the Conformity of 
their Actions to their Profeftions ; and how the Being of 
this moft excellent Conftitution depended on the Main- 
tenance of this Order of Men, in their primitive Inte- 
grity. 
SECTION XII. 
■ 
*lhe Learnings Dijciphne , Offices, Mdnner of Living, and Privileges of the Brachmans 5 
including aljo an Account of their peculiar ID odd lines in 'Theology and Divinity. 
1. 
Phe Care taken of the Women, before the Children of the Brachmans were born ; and the Tains bellowed oii 
toe Education oj their Sons , in order to fit them for this ProfeJJion . 2. The Difcipline in their Schools , 
and their Exercifes, in order to form their Minds, and qualify them for their public Offices . 3. Their 
Conduct, . in quality of Priefls and Prophets ; their Precautions for fecuring their Authority ; and Pun - 
Ihiality in Dif charge of their Duties . 4. A rational and diftinti Account of their Philo fophy ; and an 
Explanation of the Doctrine of the Metempfychofis, as it was taught by them. 5. The Time at which they 
cwer pff}f w ffi t0 dots aufiere CourJ'e of Life, to marry and to fettle in Towns , with their Privileges 
6. Of the Germanians, Sarmanians, or elected Brachmans; the manner of their coming into the Society 5 
toeir Studies and Employments. 7. Of the Brachmans, which Alexander the Great met with in the 
Indies ; with fame Conjeclures as to their Form of Government. 8 .Of the Miftakes, Fables and im- 
probable Reports, concerning thefe Sages, and their Philofophy. 9. Of the Proofs derived from the present 
uue of ttse Brachmans, or Bramins, in the Indies, in Support of the foregoing Particulars. 10. Some 
Remarks upon what modern Authors have delivered upon this Sub] eel. n. The Converfation of Alexander' 
the Great , with Dindamis the Brachman. 
1. 
T H E Brachmans were a T ribe, or Cafi of In- 
dians, who accuftomed themfelves to the Study 
of fublime Things, and were efteemed the firft 
Cafi, on Account of the Excellence and Importance of their 
Duty, upon the right Difcharge of which depended, in a 
great meafure, the Safety and Profperity of the State, as 
1 iwill 'more clearly appear, when we come to fpeak of their 
civil and facred Functions : They were divided into Brach - 
fdff anc '- Germanium ; The former were Brachmans by 
;Defcent, the latter by Election, as fhall be explained here- 
3 ter. Their Attention to their Pofterity began very 
-arly, and even while their Children were in their Mo- 
ther s Womb. As foon as it was known, that one of 
their W iVes was become pregnant, fuch of their Society as 
were charged with the bringing up of Children, went to 
vifit the Mother, under colour of giving her their Bleffing, 
but, in Reality, that they might have an Opportunity of 
bellowing on her good Counfels % fuch as engaging her 
to abftain, during her Pregnancy, from vftiat might be 
hurtful to the Child, informing her what Exercifes Use 
niight ufe, and what it was fit for her to avoid. Accord- 
ing to the Reception flie gave to thefe Admonitions, they 
regulated their Conjectures, as to the Genius and Difpofi- 
tton of the Child \ 
• WA; I , A ’ ri “ n ' * ***■ AkXanii * Vii - P,rfijr ■ * AlJ,i "‘ nt - l V v - ?*** * S. Mr* * Mrriius iraM 
$ Y 
As 
) 
