"We believe that each of these inferior deities, or debtas, has the power," replied the Bramin, "to save his votaries from eternal misery, provided they exercise an unshaken confidence in him. But, if they are desirous of possessing any earthly good, they must apply to that god whose particular province it is to bestow it.

"But let us employ no more time in conversation. I have, surely, said enough to make you comprehend the nature of that religion, which I perceive, by your dress and appearance, was the religion of your forefathers. Follow me, and I will provide you with a speedy deliverance from the burden of your past sins, and will also point out to you a way by which you may be purified from the plague of your leprosy."

So the Bramin led the way, and Goonah Purist followed him slowly, for he went like one heavily burdened, till he came to the side of a fair large river, by which stood many sacred buildings, from each of which a flight of stone steps descended into the water. The ushwuttu, or Indian fig-tree, grew on each side of these steps, affording a thick shade to many pilgrims, who paid their devotions beneath its wide-spreading branches.

"That holy stream," said the Bramin, addressing Goonah Purist, "is called Gunga. She is a goddess, the daughter of Mount Himavut; and he who thinks upon her, though he may be eight hundred miles distant from her sacred streams at the time, is delivered from all sin and is entitled to heaven. There are," continued the Bramin, "three million five hundred thousand holy places belonging to Gunga; and the person who looks on her, or bathes in her waters, will obtain thereby all the fruit which might accrue from visiting all those sacred places.

"There is no sin, however grievous," proceeded he, "even the sin of killing of a cow, or a Bramin, or of drinking ardent liquors, which may not be washed away by the waters of the Gunga."

The Bramin then directed Goonah Purist to bring offerings of fruit, rice, cloth, sweetmeats, garlands of flowers, sesamum, and clarified butter, to the river; which, after various ceremonies and addresses to several gods, including the inhabitants of the waters, namely, the fish, the tortoises, the frogs, the water-snakes, the leeches, the snails, the shell-fish, &c. were thrown into the river. Other ceremonies followed; after which, the

Bramin left Goonah Purist for a while, on the banks of the river.

Then I continued to look after Goonah Purist, who took up his dwelling by the water-side under the shade of the many-branching ushwuttu: and, day by day, he carefully performed his devotions, standing up to his middle in the water; from time to time immersing his whole body in the stream. Moreover, he gave gifts and alms to the pilgrims and devotees, and other persons esteemed holy, who came to the river to bathe.

Now it came to pass, in my dream, that I looked to see whether the burden on the back of this lamenting sinner had fallen off, or whether the inflammation of his leprosy had in anywise abated; but I perceived no change for the better in his case, notwithstanding the promises and flattering assurances of the Bramin. Upon which I began to think that the old man had undertaken more than he could perform. So I looked again; and, after a while, the Bramin came to Goonah Purist, to inquire of him how he did, and what relief he had found by following his directions.

Then I perceived that the poor man broke out into lamentations and tears, saying, that he feared his was a desperate case, inasmuch as the sacred waters of Gunga had as yet afforded him no relief: nor was he able to persuade himself that they ever would.

To which the Bramin replied, "If this be the case,if by reason of your exceeding sinfulness, the holy Gunga refuses her purifying influences, we must endeavour to win the favour of some other deity."

So speaking, the Bramin bade Goonah Purist to follow him; and he led him into the courts of the sacred buildings, which I before mentioned.

Now I saw, in my dream, that these courts were amazingly extensive, and contained the images or shrines of thirty-three million of debtas, or inferior gods, by whose instrumentality the Bramin affirmed that the Supreme Being performed all his works.

Some of these images were placed under trees deemed sacred, and others in small buildings covered with cupolas, which buildings were chapels consecrated each to its respective debta. Then the Bramin made Goonah Purist to visit many of these sacred buildings, and to learn the names of a number of these debtas. Moreover, he made him acquainted with some of the histories and

exploits of these demi-gods, whose most celebrated actions were depicted, in flaming colours, on the outer walls of their respective chapels. And behold, these debtas were of monstrous and horrible forms: some having many heads, and others many arms; some presenting the heads of beasts, and others the tails of fishes; while others again expressed the countenance of man diabolically caricatured, with every abominable and hideous variety of which the human form is capable. These idols were placed on pedestals, in the several places consecrated to their worship. And I saw that the dark and filthy walls of the small chapels had no other light than that of a lamp burning in a little niche formed in the wall.

Then I hearkened to the words of the Bramin, as he pointed out the most remarkable of the debtas to Goo ah Purist, and informed him to whom he must apply for such and such peculiar favours. I heard the names of Indru, Luckshmee, Roodru, Vishnudeva, Doorgha, Chundru, and many others; to which was added an enumeration of such worldly advantages as were supposed to be in the gift of these several divine persons: such as children, wealth, strength, rega power, happiness in marriage, pleasure. Moreover, i saw many worshipping at the shrines of these deities, and imploring the above and other worldly favours from their hands; but few there were who, in their devotions, applied for any thing which had not respect to the enjoyments of this life.

The Bramin being now about to depart, informed Goonah Purist that he must choose one of these gods for the peculiar object of his adoration. Moreover, he directed him to take a string of beads, and, counting by these, to repeat the name of that deity; at the same time fixing his mind on the form of the idol, without which, he assured him, that this act of repeating the name would be inefficacious. "The name of God," added the Bramin, "is like fire, by which all sins are consumed." He also directed him to perform certain acts of praise; assuring him that, by praise, a person may obtain from the gods, all of whom are fond of flattery, whatsoever he desires: and having prescribed unto him certain other ceremonies and forms of prayer, to be repeated one hundred thousand times, he departed for a while, leaving Goonah Purist in the courts of the temple.

So Goonah Purist did as the Bramin had directed

him. He chose out one of the debtas before whom to pay his adoration; he repeated his name millions of times, together with the hundred thousand prayers prescribed; to which he even added many more so that he exceeded what had been required of him. He brought also offerings of all that he possessed, even of the most rich and valuable things, and laid them before his debta: and besides his daily presents of clarified butter, flowers, and perfumes, he kept a lamp perpetually burning before the divinity-but notwithstanding all, he found no relief from his burden, which seemed, on the contrary, to press more heavily upon him, while the plague of his leprosy became more and more tormenting. And behold, as he lay upon the pavement before his idol, he began to reason thus with himself:

"There is a God, the creator of all things,—this my teacher confesses, and, if we may judge of him by his works, he must be an infinitely wise and holy God. I have fallen, by my sins and uncleanness, under the displeasure of this God. I cannot make myself clean; and whether these can effect that cleansing, whom I now prostrate adore, does not yet appear. What person do I see entering the courts of these temples, who has been benefited by the gods whom he serves? Do not all the worshippers of these idols remain the same, after having devoted themselves days, yea, months, to these debtas? Whom have they healed? whom have they cleansed? From what my teacher himself confesses; from what I see recorded against them on the walls of their temples: these gods are themselves grievous sinners,—they are themselves polluted with their own crimes,-how, then, can they cleanse me from mine? Can the murderer absolve me from the guilt of murder? Can the adulterer purify me from my adulteries? Can the thief set me free from my dishonest tendencies? No! I require a mediator who is himself without spot or blemish. He that would cleanse me must be clean himself." Here Goonah Purist broke out again into the most lamentable wailings, which continued until the Bramin once more visited him.

:

Then I listened to what his teacher should say unto him and behold, he inquired of him wherefore he continued to bewail himself? and whether he had not obtained relief from the performance of the prescribed ceremonies and devotions?

In reply to which, Goonah Purist ventured to express his feelings to the Bramin, and to confess his doubts whether the gods, to whom he had been recommended, were able to save him.

At this the Bramin was exceedingly angry with him, and told him that he believed Nurruck* was written upon his destiny; or, perhaps, that he was doomed to undergo many miserable births,—to appear again on earth, in the body of some abject slave, some abominable beast, or some viler reptile.

On hearing these words, the poor man was exceedingly terrified; and behold, he kissed and embraced the feet of the Bramin, imploring his pity.

I saw then that the Bramin raised him up, professing to be now convinced that Goonah Purist was an enormous sinner; and telling him that, unless he submitted to expiate his sins by very severe sufferings before death, he would be fed with red-hot balls, or thrown into pits filled with devouring worms and insects, in Yumalaya, the place of torment, which lies in the southern parts of the earth, where the King of Death holds his court.

On hearing these words, the frightened man replied, "I am willing to endure any thing, however grievous to flesh and blood, rather than any longer endure the terrors of my present situation: this burden on my back will, I feel, sink me down into the lowest pit of hell, unless I find the means of deliverance from it before I leave this world: and the leprosy on my body becomes more and more intolerable to me from day to day."

"As I before remarked," said the Bramin," this pollution of which you complain is occasioned solely by your union with the matter of which your body is formed; and deliverance from it can only be obtained by the entire subjugation of the passions."

Goonah Purist then inquired of the Bramin in what manner this could be done.

"You have tried the common forms of devotion," replied the Bramin, " and hitherto without effect. I now recommend some severe bodily mortification."

"I am willing," said Goonah Purist, "to undergo any mortification, however severe; for no bodily pain, to which I can be condemned, can equal the mental horrors which I have endured for some time past."

* Hopeless.