periods in affifting the freebooters with his advice, and participating in their plunder, when, at that time, fuch expeditions were esteemed both legal and honourable.

"The many rules laid down in the 20th chapter, for the prefervation of domestic authority to the husband, are relics of that characteristic difcipline of Afia, which facred and profane writers teftify to have exifted from all antiquity;

where women have ever been the fubjects, not the partners of their lords, confined within the walls of a haram, or bufied without doors in drudgeries little becoming their delicacy. The Trojan princeffes were employed in washing linen; and Rebecca was first difcovered by Abraham's fervant with a pitcher upon her shoulder to water camels. Two women fhall be grinding at the mill," fays the prophet; but the notoriety of this fact obviates the ncceffity of quotations: it may just be obferved, that Solomon, in praising a good wife, mentions, that "She rifes while it is yet night," which we must fuppofe to be before her husband; and we find this to be one of the qualifications for a good Gentoo wife also.

"The latter part of this chapter relates to the extraordinary circumftance of women's burning them

felves with their deceafed husbands: The terms of the injunction as there fet forth are plain, moderate, and conditional: "It is proper for a woman to burn with her husband's corps ;" and a proportionate reward is offered in compenfation for her fufferings. Notwithstanding the ordinance is not in the abfolute ftyle of a command, it is furely fufficiently direct to stand for a religious duty; the only proof that it is not pofitive is the propofal of inviolable chastity as an alternative, though it is not to be taken for an equivalent. The bramins feem to look upon this facrifice as one of the first principles of their religion, the caufe of which it would hardly be orthodox to investigate. There are, however, feveral reftrictions with respect to it, as that a woman must not burn herself if he is with child, nor if her hufband died at a diftance from her, unless the can procure his turban and girdle. to put on at the pile, with other exceptions of the fame nature, which they closely conceal from the eyes of the world, among the other myfteries of their faith: but we are convinced equally by information and experience, that the cuftom has not for the most part fallen into difuetude in India, as a celebrated writer has supposed."

THE