gate, and in it the image of the god is placed, adorned in the most gaudy manner, and illuminated with a vast number of lamps. Some of these pagods, particularly on the coast of Malabar, are built of marble; but those in Coromandel, of large stones cemented together. The pagods in Malabar are for the most part covered with plates of copper; and some of those on the coast of Coromandel, are endowed with vast revenues, particularly at a town called Ramanakoil, and it is visited by many thousands of pilgrims annually. All these Indians, before they go into their pagods to worship, pull off their shoes and stockings, and wash their legs and feet in reservoirs, placed in the porch of the temple. In Calicut, the priests present holy water to all those who go in, for great part of their religion consists in ablutions or washings. But besides these, great numbers of small ones are erected in the fields for the use of the peasants, who are obliged to attend to the duties of their stations, in cultivating the ground. Many of these pagods are erected near the places where they burn the bodies of their deceased relations, and all of them have priests, who are supported by the freewill-offerings of the people. In ancient times, the kings of India considered it as meritorious to build pagods, and settle revenues upon them; but one of those princes, named Veincapati, being in great want of money, made free with the sacred treasure of the pagod of Eswara, promising to restore it as soon as his circumstances would permit; but his successor, Rama-Develo, having attempted to seize a crown of gold from off the head of one of the idols, the persons who gave him this wicked couneil, died at the foot of the mountain on which the pagod stood, and soon afterwards the king himself, according to their tradition, perished miserably, Some persons have ran into a mistake, concerning the word pagod, by imagining that the idol is meant, whereas in all places in the East-Indies, it implies a temple, nor do the natives ever call their idols pagods. The RELIGION of the PEOPLE of LAIES, LANGIENS, or LAOS. THE HE inhabitants of these countries believe, that | there are sixteen terrestrial worlds, and that heaven is situated above them. They imagine that heaven and earth are eternal, only the former never was subject to any change; but that the earth has undergone a variety of revolutions. They say, that about eighteen thousand years before the reign of Xacca, or Xequia, the lower world of the sixteen, was destroyed by water, when a most holy mandarin of more than human extraction, descended from the highest of the sixteen worlds, and with one stroke of his scymeter, cut a certain flower which floated on the surface of the water, and from sprung up a most beautiful damsel, with whom the pious mandarin was so much in love, that he resolved to marry her; but her inflexible modesty rendered all his addresses ineffectual. that flower The mandarin was too generous and just to force the beautiful maid to a compliance, and yet he knew not how to live without her; he therefore placed himself at a small distance from her, and ad mired her beauty from morning to evening, gazing upon her with all the tenderness of love; and by the miraculous force of his tender glances, she became the most joyful mother of a numerous offspring, and yet continued a virgin. When the children grew up, the mandarin considered himself as under an obligation of making some provision for them, and for that purpose, created that beautiful variety of beings which now replenish the earth, and then ascended into heaven, but could not ob tain admittance till he had duly qualified himself by penance. Before the earth was restored to its original state, four gods were appointed to preside over it, but three of them growing weary of the important task, returned again to heaven, in order to enjoy uninterviving god left behind, reigned some thousands of rupted peace and tranquillity. Xaca, the only suryears, and then sunk into a state of rest. But he took care to instruct the people to erect temples to his memory, promising that he would fill them with his his spirit, which would make an ample amends for the want of his personal appearance; and that he would breathe into their gods such divine influences, as would enable them to work all sorts of miracles. They add further, that those images, or statues, participated of the divine nature of Xaca, according to his promise when he left them, and from hence the worship of images, among the natives of the East Indies, took its rise. They do not fix upon the number of years that the religion of Xaca shall continue established, but they believe that another god will arise and demolish their temples, break down their images, and burn their sacred writings; after which, he shall establish new laws, and a pure form of worship. They likewise assert, that there was a good understanding between Xaca and the god of the Christians. That the former made choice of the east to teach his sentiments, and the latter the west, to establish his religion. From this it appears, that they have some traditions concerning Christ; for some of their priests told the Jesuits, that the God of the Christians made but a poor figure in the world, although his religion prevailed in many parts: and this is every way consistent with the gospel account of our Redeemer. These people are very much addicted to superstition, and on some particular days, the statue of Xaca is brought out of the pagod, and exposed to the people, on a stage erected for that purpose, and there the devotees assemble and pay their adoration to it. Every worshipper must bring something along with him, which the Talapoins convert to their own use. Sacrilege, or the robbing of temples, is looked upon as the most horrid crime that can be committed, nor is any person permitted to speak irreverently of their gods. It is probable they have some traditional account of the fallen angels, for they believe that evil spirits once resided in heaven. Their priests are called Talapoins, in the same manner as in Siam, and they are not permitted to enter into orders till they are turned of twenty-three years of age, at which time they are very strictly examined, and if approved of, they are admitted into the order, with several very pompous ceremonies, which in some respects, differ from those of the neighbouring nations. The novice sets out from the convent, dressed in the gayest habit that can be procured, and mounting himself on an elephant, rides in solemn procession to the pagod, or temple, where he is to make his last vows. Entertainments of a very luxurious nature, are kept up during the space of three days, but notwithstanding all that formality and ceremony, these priests have a right to lay down their habit whenever they please, and return again to the state and condition of laymen. The Jesuits, who never could gain any of these people over to be proselytes to popery, have represented them under the most odious colours, such as hypocrites, epicureans, and persons of the most abandoned characters. The king is the sole judge of these priests, and when any of them commit odious crimes, they are condemned for life to wait upon his elephants. But still the king of the country is much afraid of them, because was he to treat them with too much indignity, they would at any time have it in their power to stir up a rebellion among the people; so popular are they in their public discourses, and such is influence they have over the vulgar. On the fourteenth day of every new moon, these priests confess their sins, one after another, before their idols, beginning with the seniors, and ending with the juniors, and they wash themselves with consecrated water, in order to cleanse them from all their impurities. Part of their worship consists in presenting their idols with rice, flowers and perfumes; and besides these free-will offerings, they pray before them with beads, in their hands, and light up wax tapers upon their altars. These priests or Talapoins, are divided into two classes; first, the seculars, and secondly, the regulars. The seculars are those who attend on public worship, in the cities and towns, and the regulars are a sort of monks, or hermits, who live, some in convents, and others in the woods, where they acquire great reputation for their sanctity, and the purity of their morals. The king regulates all their fasts and festivals, and decides in all such matters of controversy as take place among them. The morals of these monks, like those of the priests in the kingdom of Siam, are regulated by five negative precepts, namely, "Thou shalt do no murder; thou shalt not lie; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not steal; and thou shalt not drink any wine." But notwithstanding the severity of the last precept, yet it is at any time dispensed with, in order to procure a sum of money from the person who solicits for it. The people in these countries are allowed a plurality of wives, but those are best esteemed, and most respected, who by subduing their passions, and bringing them under the government of reason, confine themselves to one. As for their nuptial ceremonies, they have nothing very extraordinary in them. Their chief care is to have their solemn en gagements signed and attested by witnesses, and these must be persons of character, who have lived many many years in the marriage state, in the most sacred bonds of inviolable love and true friendship. The The people believe in witchcraft, and that all disorders can be cured by magic, for which reason they have their inchanted plasters, ointments, mysterious terms, and many other things of a surprizing nature, according to their account of them. priests sell these things at a most exorbitant price; but this is never objected to by the people, who consider them as endowed with sovereign virtue, either to prevent or heal all manner of diseases. The priests are likewise very expert in casting people into a profound sleep, and by that means to strip them of all they have about them without being discovered. This is done by the power of an intoxicating draught, and the people have such an opinion of its divine, or heavenly nature, that when restored from their slumber, they often give all they have to the priests. It is common with the priests to send an old ragged cloak to one of their patients, who has such an opinion of its sanctity, that he wraps himelf in it, and believes that he will soon be restored to health. If he happens to recover, then he sends his best cloaths to the priest, that his holy word may sanctify them, so as to have the same efficacy as that of the old ragged cloak; but when all these means prove ineffectual, then the priests say, that the patient was destitute of faith. In their funeral ceremonics, they differ in nothing from the people of Siam, and they all believe that the soul will transmigrate through many bodies for a vast number of years, after which it will be translated to heaven. It is not to be doubted but they worship Sommona-Codom, the god of Siam, because most of their ceremonies are the same, particularly their funeral rites, and indeed almost every thing else. With respect to magic or witchcraft, there is, perhaps, not one single nation in the universe, where some belief of it cannot be found. We find it strictly prohibited, both in the Old and New Testament, and yet it is much to be feared, there are too many that live under the gospel dispensation, who believe in its existence. The ancient pagans had a method of enquiring into the knowledge of future events, by addressing themselve to oracles in their temples; and they imagined the answer they received, was delivered by the soul of one of the deceased friends or relations. These addresses to oracles in order to procure an answer from the dead, might be delivered in any temple whatever, but some were considered as more sacred than others, and to these many pil- ́ grims resorted. The whole seems to have taken its origin from the pride or vain curiosity of men, who sought to know future events, which providence has wisely concealed from them. Men would be wretched creatures indeed, were they to be informed of all that is to happen to them in this world. They would sink under the terrors of the evil, they would neglect their duty as beings, whose dependence should be on God, and every thing here below would return to its original state of confusion. Those who believe in magic or witchcraft, give up the whole providence of God, by seeking to know what he has concealed from them, and by imagining that a finite being can pry into the secrets of infinity. The RELIGION of the TONQUINESE. HE people of Tonquin are divided into diffe- | ca, whom some call Chaca, and others Chacabout. worship agrees, in many things, with that of the what related in the preceding description of the relinations already described. Some of them acknow-gion of Laos, for they say that he concealed himself ledge Confucius, the celebrated legislator of China, six years in a desert, where he compiled that form to be their religious father, and to him they offer up of religion which he afterwards taught his disciples. sacrifices, with other Divine honours; but the fol- He attempted to persuade them that there was not a lowers of this sect, are only those who are most es- Divine providence, that the soul was mortal, that teemed for their learning in the sciences. The com- there was no such thing as a future state of rewards mon people are, for the most part, followers of Xa- and punishments. In order to imprint upon the C 2 No. 5. minds minds of the people a reverential regard for his character, he boldly asserted, that two angels or damons inspired him with those doctrines he was obliged to teach for the benefit of mankind. Xaca likewise asserted, that all such as aspired to the highest state of perfection, should renounce the pomps and vanities of this world, to have compassion on their fellow creatures, and to relieve the poor under all their distresses. They were to spend many hours in prayer and meditation, and endeavour, as much as in them lay, to subdue their lusts and passions. He also taught, that all those who obeyed his precepts, although their souls were of a material substance, yet, after death, they would pass into other bodies, in which they would enjoy many pleasures to which they were strangers before; and this doctrine is so much like that of the philosopher Pythagoras, that probably they are both of one original. in black, and their tables, altars, sacrificing instru ments, and indeed every thing they use are of that dismal colour. When they worship towards the east, they are dressed in green; when to the south, in scarlet; when to the west, in white; and yellow when to the center of the earth. They likewise worship the meanest things on earth, as will appear from the following ridiculous circumstance: Some fishermen having one day seen a billet of wood thrown on shore, believed that it was inhabited by the soul of some great person; they lifted it into the boat and carried it home, where it was worshipped, and temples were erected to its memory and honour. They traced its genealogy, and found that this Log was no less a personage than the daughter of one of the emperors of China. This pious princess had thrown herself into the sea, in order to bestow her royal benedictions on the people of Tonquin, and to accomplish her good intention without being discovered, she metamorphosed herself into a wooden billet. Daola, one of their idols, presides over travellers, and indeed they have their titulary gods for the protection of every thing. There is in Tonquin, a considerable religious set, called Lanthu. This Lanthu was a native of China, and a magician. He had so much art as to assert, that he never had a father, and that he was seventy years in his mother's belly, who yet was a spot- The Tonquinese have as many pagods, or temples less virgin, and his disciples taught that he was the as they have country houses, and each of those has creator of all things. To the errors of Xaca, Lan- at least two priests to offer up sacrifices, but some thu added several of his own, but he gained the love have upwards of forty, and all these are supported by and affection of the people, by his many acts of cha- the bounty of the people. They profess much hurity and benevolence, and by founding and endow-mility, never begging for relief, nor do they accept ing temples and hospitals. They have in Tonquin three idols, for which they have a more than ordinary veneration. The first is the god of the kitchen, composed of three stones, in commemoration of three persons, who burnt themselves to ashes on the same hearth. The second presides over all the liberal arts, and is worshipped in the dress of a Chinese, probably in memory of some learned man from China have first taught them the sciences. This idol is called Tien-Su, and such respect have the people for him, that no man will bind out his son as an apprentice to a trade till he has sacrificed to him, and put the boy under his protection; nor are any contracts, or agreements signed, without appealing to him. The third idol, known by the name of Buabin, is the god of buildings; and all structures, whether public or private, are committed to his care. He is to protect the houses from fire, lightning, thunder, wind, rain, or any thing by which they, or their inhabitants may be injured. But besides these idols, the people of Tonquin worship the heavens, with the sun, moon, and stars, the four cardinal points, and the center of the earth. When they worship the north, they dress themselves of any thing besides what is absolutely necessary. If they have any thing to spare, they give it away to the poor, and maintain several widows and children, out of their own collections; noble example for those of the purest religion to copy after. They have grand festivals on the first and fifteenth of every moon; but, besides, they observe several holy days in memory of the dead. In the sixth month, they celebrate the festival of their idol, Tham-no, who is the preserver of their corn in the same manner as the Greeks believed that Ceres was. In all solemn festivals, they perfume their idols, and illuminate their altars. They believe in the art of divination, and nothing of importance is undertaken, without first consulting the magicians, who compose their looks and gestures in the most artful manner, in order to procure the respect of those who consult them. Before he attempts to answer any of the questions proposed to him, he opens a book in a very formal manner, containing circles, characters, and whimsical figures, and then demands the age of the person who comes to consult him. He then tosses up into the air, two or three small pieces of brass, with characters on one side only, and if the sides with the characters fall towards the ground, then it is considered as a bad omen; but if they turn up, they denote some degree of success. If there are only two pieces, and if they fall the reverse of each other, it is considered as an indication of something very successful. For the most part these magicians are so artful, that they can throw the pieces so as to give hope to the person who makes the application; a practice common among the ancient heathens. In this country, there are witches who pretend to have a familiar acquaintance with the devil, and that, by his assistance, they can reveal what are the conditions of the souls of particular persons in the other world. These witches pretend to conjure up the souls of deceased persons, by the sound of a drum, and they have the art to counterfeit a strange voice, which the people believe is the soul speaking to them. These fortunetellers, who appear to be arrant impostors, devote their own children to the devil, and they teach them to throw themselves into seemingly strong convulsions, to make the people believe they are possessed. When a man is taken sick, they ascribe his malady to the first devil who entered into his thoughts. An attempt is then made to appease the devil, by sacrifices; but if they dont succeed, they have recourse to compulsion. The friends of the sick man take up arms, and surround the house, in order to drive the devil out of his quarters, and they believe, that when he is driven out, he is confined, close corked up in a bottle of water. When it is imagined that the sick man's disorder is occasioned by the malice of the ghost of one of his dead relations, the magician uses several charms to conjure the spirit to him, and when he has laid hold on him, he puts him up in another bottle, and places him beside the devil. There they are both confined for ever, if the patient dies, but if he recovers the magician suffers them to escape. From this part of their ridiculous superstition, it is evident, that altho' in many respects they believe in the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, yet they consider it as some way material; for if the soul is not material, it could not be confined by matter, or which is all one, corked up in a bottle. When one of the natives of Tonquin returns home from a journey, in which he has met with some singular deliverance; or when any of them return home sick, wounded, or indisposed, they carry the upper garments of the persons to a cross way, and hang them upon a pole, then they offer seven little balls of rice to the genius, or titulary god of the place, after which the balls are eaten by the persons in whose favour they were offered up. This prac tice was much attended to by the antient Greeks, who believed that some of their gods presided over the highways, in order to protect travellers. They have a very remarkable way of celebrating the anniversary of their birth-days, particularly that of the king's, of which the following is a faithful account: Seven days before the festival, the chief musicians repair to the palace, and form a choir of vocal and instrumental music, which continues till the feast commences. Several of the Bonzes, or priests assemble, and they begin with the chief priest's pronouncing several prayers, and then conjures the king's soul in the following words to inform his body:"Let the three souls of our monarch," says he, with an audible voice," assemble together and "make one soul to animate his body." After that they cast lots with two pieces of brass, and when they think the souls are arrived, the chief Bonze fastens them to the end of a stick, for the three souls to perch upon. At the same time they inform the king, that in a short time he must go to receive his soul, and prepare a lodging for it. The king then pulls off the cloaths he has on, and having dressed himself in every thing new, ascends a magnificent throne, while two thousand soldiers, as many horses, and twelve elephants are ordered to conduct his soul. This numerous retinue conducts the soul to the throne, where the king receives it, as one risen from the dead. All his courtiers congratulate him on his resurrection, and the festival continues seven days. This is, perhaps, one of the most remarkable festivals in the world, and probably took its rise from a notion, that on the annual return of birthdays, new souls, endued with the most sublime virtues, come to reside in the body. On the first day of the new year, every housekeeper erects a long pole before his door, and fixes a basket to the top of it, embellished all round with. fine paper, gilt and painted. The reason for this ceremony is, the Tonquinese believe that the painted paper has the power to drive away the evil spirit, but were they to neglect so necessary an article in their religion, the evil spirit would torment themduring the whole remainder of the year. On the last day of the year, all those who have had any disputes are reconciled, and they begin the new year in a state of friendship. In marriages, they must have the consent of their parents, if they are alive, but if they are dead, then they must apply to the nearest relations, and the marriage engagements must be signed, and confirmed before the judge, or governor of the place. They may marry as many |