480 
MYTH'OLOG Y. 
the Hindoos, been able to fubvert a fyftem of theology 
and jurifprudence, founded on a firm bafis, and inter¬ 
dicted from all change by the moll rigid laws. 
This religious and moral fyftem is no doubt of great 
antiquity; but thofe who have deeply inveftigated the 
ancient and pleafing fictions in the Hindoo mythology, 
which bears a great refembiance to that of the Greeks, 
and may perhaps be traced to the fame origin, are of 
opinion, that the religious and civil laws of the Hindoos, 
called the Inllitutes of Menu, were compiled about 880 
years before the birth of our Saviour; that the Vedas, or 
lacred volumes, were written three hundred years.prior 
to the Inllitutes; and that, preceding this period, every 
thing being handed down by oral tradition, the account 
was obfcure and fabulous. 
But, diverted of extraneous matter, there appears to be 
a great degree of purity and fublimity in the genuine 
principles of the Hindoo religion, though now obfcured 
by fuperftitiqus rites and ceremonies, and blended with 
grofs idolatry: in their original fimplicity, they teach 
that there is one fupreme ruler of the univerfe; who is 
rtyled Brnhm/j or the Great One: they inculcate alfo, 
that this fupreme intelligence confifts of a triad, or triple 
divinity, exprefied by the myrtic word Om; and diftin- 
guilhed by the names of Vijhnu, Brahma, and Siva; or the 
creating, preferving, and deftrufitive, power of the Al¬ 
mighty. Images of thefe attributes are placed in their 
temples ; and worlhip and facrifices are daily performed 
before them, and a variety of other ftatues, reprefenting 
the different qualities of the Supreme Being: fo that it 
is a cpmplete lyrtein of polytheifm, and the fource of a 
thoufand fables fubverfive of truth and fimplicity. Yet 
it ever was, and ever mull be, difficult, for either Chriftians 
or Mahojnedans, to convert a Hindoo: for, with them 
theology is fo blended with the whole moral and civil 
obligations of life, that it enters into every habit, and 
fanfitions almoft every afition. 
“ On withdrawing the veil from the facred volumes of 
the Hindoos, we fee Brahma, or the Supreme Deity, re- 
prefented as abforbed in the contemplation of his own 
eflence, but, from an impulfe of divine love, refolving to 
create other beings to partake of his glory, and to be 
happy to all eternity. He fpake the word, and angels 
role into exiftence! He commanded, and the hoft of 
heaven were formed ! they were created free; and were 
made partakers of the divine glory and beatitude, on 
the ealy condition of praifing their Creator, and acknow¬ 
ledging him for their fupreme Lord. But, not content 
with this happy Hate in the celeftial regions, fome of 
the principal fpirits rebelled, and drew a number after 
them ; who were all doomed to languiffi in that fcene of 
horror fo finely defcribed by our fublime poets. 
“ In procefs of time, at the interceffion of the faithful 
angels, the fatal doom of thefe fallen fpirits was revoked ; 
and they were releafed on the conditions of repentance 
and amendment in a ftatc of probation. For this pur- 
pofe a new creation of worlds took place; and mortal 
bodies were prepared for the apoftate angels, which they 
were to animate for a certain fpace; there to be fubjeil 
to natural and moral evils ; through which they were 
doomed to tranfmigrate under eighty-nine different forms ! 
the laft into that of man ! when their powers and facul¬ 
ties are enlarged, and a merciful Creator refts his chief 
expectations of their repentance and relloration to his 
favour. If they then fail, their puniffiment is renewed, 
and they are doomed to begin again their firft (late of 
tranfmigration. In this fyltem we are (truck with the 
intermixture of truth with error, and falfe traditions, 
bearing in many particulars a refembiance to the facred 
truths of divine revelation. 
“ On this hypotheiis, it appears that one principal 
reafon for the Hindoos regarding the cotu with fuch re¬ 
ligious veneration, is, that they believe the foul tranfmi- 
grates into this animal immediately preceding its affump- 
tion of the human form. No Hindoo, even of the lowed 
carte, will kill a cow, or tafte its flefit; they will die with 
perfect refignation rather than violate this tenet; as has. 
been frequently experienced on-board the veffels in the 
Indian feas, when all the provifion except fait beef has 
been expended. But I am not certain refpeCling the 
firft principle of the Hindoo’s veneration for the cow ; 
fince many conjeCture the command to have originated 
in the prefervation of an animal fo ufeful to mankind : 
and it is well known, that the Egyptians, Phoenicians, 
and other ancient nations, have equally venerated this 
valuable animal. 
“ The Hindoos ertimate the delinquency of thefe apof¬ 
tate fpirits, by the clafs of mortal forms which they are 
doomed to inhabit; thus all voracious and unclean ani¬ 
mals, whether inhabitants of earth, air, or water, as well 
as men whofe lives and aftions are publicly and atro- 
cioufly wicked, a> e fuppofed to contain a malignant fpirit; 
on the contrary, thofe animals which fubfift on vegetables, 
and do not prey upon each other, are pronounced favoured 
of the Almighty. 
“ That every animal form is endued with cogitation, 
memory, and reflection, is one of the eitablifhed tenets of 
the Brahmins, indeed it mull neceflarily follow, from the 
fuppofed metempfychofis of the apoftate fpirits through 
thefe mortal forms: they alfo believe that every diftinCt 
fpecies of the animal creation have a compreheniive mode 
of communicating their ideas, peculiar to themlelves; 
and that the metempfychofis of the delinquent fpirits 
extends through every organized body, even to the fmallefl 
infeCl and reptile. They highly venerate the bee, and 
fome fpecies of the ant; and conceive the fpirits animat¬ 
ing thefe forms to be favoured by God, and that the in¬ 
tellectual faculties are more enlarged under them than in 
moll others. 
“ The devotion of the Hindoos to the Supreme Being, 
and the inferior deities, confifts in a regular attendance 
at the (lewals, or temples, efpecially at the foiemn feftivais; 
in performing particular religious ceremonies in their 
own houfes; in prayers, ablutions, fading, and penances; 
but efpecially in oblations, which confilt chiefly of fpices, 
incenfe, rice, fruits, and flowers; and,although they have 
been in former times accufed of offering human facrifices, 
it is certain they now very rarely fhed e-ven the blood of 
an animal in their religious Cervices.” 
We need not dwell here on the religious books of the 
Hindoos, having extracted largely from them under the 
article Hindoostan; but it would be injuftice to omit 
the following fublime defeription of the Supreme Being, 
from the writings of governor Holwell; who was an early 
inveftigator of thofe fubjeCls, before the field of oriental 
literature fo laudably engaged the attention of the Eng- 
lifli. “ God is one ! Creator of ail that is! God is like a 
perfeCt fphere, without beginning, and without,end! 
God rules and governs all creation by a general provi¬ 
dence, refuiting from firft determined and fixed princi¬ 
ples. Thou (halt not make enquiry into the eiTence of 
the Eternal One, nor by what laws he governs. An in¬ 
quiry into either is vain and criminal. It is enough 
that, day by day, and night by night, thou feeft, in his 
works, his wildom, his power, and his mercy. Benefit 
thereby!” 
The mythology of the Perfians is, if poffible, fliil more 
extravagant than that of the Hindoos. It fuppofes the 
world to have been repeatedly deftroyed, and repeopled 
by creatures of different formation, who were fucceflively 
annihilated or baniflied for their difobedience to the Su¬ 
preme Being. The monftrous griffin Sinergh tells the 
hero Caherman, that (lie had already lived to fee the earth, 
feven times filled with creatures, and feven times a perfect 
void ; and that, before the creation of Adam, this globe 
was inhabited by a race of beings called Peri and Dives, 
whofe characters formed a perfect contraft. The Peri are 
defcribed as beautiful and benevolent ; the Dives as 
deformed, malevolent, and mifehievous, differing from 
infernal demons only in this, that they, are not as yet con¬ 
fined 
