The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants: The Second Part. Richard Head
The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants: The Second Part
second, which was Vistney, he gave charge to preserve the Creatures: But to the third, which was Ruddery, he gave power to destroy them, because he knew they would be wicked, and deserve Judgments. Breman was to be taken up to Heaven in conclusion of the second age. Vistney was to live as long again as Breman, and Ruddery was to continue three times as long, and then he should destroy all the world, which should be the great day of Judgement.
Breman according to the power given him, produced man and Woman out of his own bowels, who being instructed by him gave worship to God, and reverence to him: the man was by him named Mamaw, and the Woman Ceterrupa; they were sent to the East, and there they had three sons and three daughters, who were sent severally to the West, North and South, which were peopled by them: thus man being made by Breman, Vistney provided things necessary for them, and Ruddery dispersed afflictions, sicknesses and death, as men did deserve them.
It was now necessary say the Banians, that the Law should be given, according to which they should live; and therefore Breman being called up into a Mountain, the Almighty gave him out of a cloud a book, which the Banians call the Shaster, wherein was written their Lawes; this book consisted of three Tracts.
The first, whereof contained their Moral Law, and an Explication or Appropriation of the precepts to every several Tribe and Cast.
The second, was their Ceremonial Law.
The third, distinguished them into Casts or Tribes, with peculiar observations for each Cast and Tribe.
The first Tract of the Moral Law contained eight commandements.
1. That they should kill no living Creature, because like man it had a soul.
2. That they should make a Covenant with their five senses: the Eyes not to see evil things, the Ears not to hear evil things, the Tongue not to speak evil, the Pallat not to taste, as wine or flesh, the hands not to touch any thing defiled.
3. That they should duly observe the times of devotion in washing, worship, &c.
4. That they should not tell false tales to deceive.
5. That they should be charitable to the poor.
6. That they should not oppress their poor brethren.
7. That they should celebrate certain Festivals, not pampering the body, but fasting and watching, to be fitter for devotion.
8. That they should not steal, though never so little.
These eight are bestowed among the four Tribes or Casts, to each two Commandements: to the Brammanes, which are the Priests, the first and second, as being strictest in Religion. To Shuddery they appropriate the third and fourth, as most proper to them. To Cuttery the fifth, and sixth, and to Wyse, the seventh and eighth: they are all enjoyned to keep all the Commandements, but more particularly those that are appropriated to their several Casts.
The second Tract of the Book delivered to Breman, comprized certain ceremonial injunctions, which are these.
First, washing their bodies in rivers, in memory of the deluge, in which they use this ceremony: first, they besmear their bodies in the mud of the River, as an emblem of mans filthyness; and then coming into the water and turning their faces towards the Sun, the Bramman prayes, that as the body which is foul as the mud of the River which is cleansed by water, so that his sin may be in like manner cleansed; and then the party plunging himself three times in the River, and shaking in his hand some grains of Rice as an offering on the water: he receiveth absolution for his sins past, and is dismissed.
2. The ceremony of anointing the fore head with red painting, as a peculiar mark which they often renew.
3. They are enjoyned to tender certain prayers and offerings under green trees, the original of which custom they derive from Wyse, to whom they say God appeared in a Vision under a tree; the tree particularly appropriated for this worship, is called Ficu Indica, as, vide Sr. W. Rawleigh, for which tree they have a very great esteem.
4. They are enjoyned prayers in their Temples, where they offer to Images with ringing and loud tinckling of bells and such like impertinent services.
5. They are enjoyned Pilgrimage to rivers remote, as Ganges, where they throw in, as offerings, Jewels and Treasure of great value.
6. They use Invocation of Saints, and for all their affairs they have several Saints they invoke for assistance.
7. Their law binds them to give worship to God, upon sight of any of his Creatures first seen after Sun rise, especially to the Sun and Moon, which they call the two eyes of God, as also to some Beasts.
8. In baptizing children, there is difference in the Casts, for the Brammanes are extraordinary: the rest of the children are only washt in water, with a short prayer, that God would write good things in the front of the child, all present saying Amen. They name the child, putting a red oyntment on the midst of his forehead, and the ceremony is done. But the children of the Cast of the Brammanes are not only washed with water, but anoynted with oyl with these words: Oh Lord, we present unto thee this child, born of a holy Tribe, anointed with oyl, and cleansed with water; unto which they add other ceremonies, then they enquire the exact time of the childs birth, and calculate his Nativity, which they keep by them and give them at the day of their marriage.
9. As for their marriages, their time is different from other Nations, for they marry at 7 years of age, they are usually contracted by their Parents; which being agreed on, they send presents, and use many triumphant perambulations about the town for two dayes; and then at the going down of the Sun they use this ceremony. A fire is made and interposed between the young couple, to intimate the ardency of their affections; then there is a silken string that encloses both their bodies, to witness the insolveable bond of wedlock; after this bond, there is a cloth interposed betwixt them, a custom taken from the meeting of Brammon and Savatre, who covered themselves till the words of matrimony were uttered, so the Brammanes pronouncing certain words, enjoyning the man to provide for the Woman, and her to loyalty, and pronouncing the blessing of a fruitful issue, the speech is concluded; the cloth interposed is taken away; the bond which ingirted them, unloosed; full freedom is given them to communicate with one another; they give no dowry, only the Jewels worn on the Bridal day; none come to the feast, but those of the same Tribe or Cast: no Woman is admitted to second marriage, except the Tribe of Wyse, which are the handicrafts; men in all Tribes may marry twice except the Bramanes, every Tribe marries in their own Casts, and the Tribe of the Wyse not only marry in their own Tribe, but in their own trade: as a Barber or Smiths son, must marry a Barber or Smiths daughter of the same Tribe.
10. Which is the last, is the ceremony of their burials; when any is sick to death, they enjoyn him to utter Narrane, which is one of the names of God, importing mercy to sinners: they pour fair water into his hand, praying to Kistnetuppon, the God of the water, to present him pure to God; he being dead, his body is washed, and after buried in this manner. They carry the body to a rivers side and being set down, the Brammane uttereth these words. Oh earth! we commend unto thee this our brother, whilst he lived thou hadst an interest in him, of the earth he was made, by the blessing of the earth he was fed, and therefore now he is dead, we surrender him to thee: after this putting combustible matter to the body, lighted by the help of sweet oyl, the Brammane saith, Oh fire, whilst he lived thou hadst a claim in him, by whose natural heat he subsisted, we return therefore his body to thee that thou shouldst purge it. Then the son of the deceased sets two pots, one with water, and the other with milk on the ground; the pot with milk on the top of the other, and with a stone breaks the pot with water, whereby the water and milk are both spoiled; upon which account the son thus moralizeth, That as the stone makes the vessels yield, so did sickness ruin his Fathers body, which is then burnt to ashes, which are thrown into the air, the Brammane uttering these words, Oh air, whilst he lived by thee he breathed, and now having breathed his last, we yield him to thee. The ashes falling on the water, the Brammane saith, Oh water, whilst he lived, thy moysture