ple, in the manner of the Mahometans, are kept in private apartments: this practice, existing in a country* where little danger is apprehended from foreign intrufion, affords a belief, that the concealment of the higher ranks of women has been an established cuftom of the Hindoos, previously to the date of the Mahometan conqueft of India. It was once my opinion, that the Hindoos had fecluded them from the public view that they might not be exposed to the intemperance of the Mahometan conquerors; but after perceiving the usage adopted amongst the fequeftered Mountaineers, and also amongst the various independent Mahratta states, I am induced to think that the exclufion of women from fociety, prevailed in India before the period of the Afghan or Tartar invasions. At the fame time, were a conclufion to be drawn from certain customs of the Hindoos, now obfelete, but noticed in their history, I would fay, that they did not, in more ancient times, confine any class of their women; but, as their manners, from the influx of wealth, and confequent luxury, became lefs fimple, that the princes and nobles of the country produced the innovation from a defire of impreffing the populace with a greater refpect for their families. The story of the incarnations of Vyftnow, and other ancient legends, fhews that the Hindoo women were admitted into the affembly of men, and often poffeffed an extensive sway. In the hiftory of their celebrated Ram, who appears to have been a powerful

*Mountainous and difficult of accefs to a hoftile nation.

foldier,

foldier, is feen a paffage which ferves to illustrate this position, and to trace also, to a high source, a mode of tryal formerly established in Europe.

Ir is necessary to inform you, that Sree Mun Narrain, the Supreme Deity of the Hindoos, together with his indivifible affociates, Mhah Letchimy, and the Snake, for the purpose of correcting certain evils which had at that time deranged our terrestrial world, found it expedient to perfonify human creatures: Narrain affumed the form of Ram, a renowned foldier; Letchimy became his wife, under the name of Seetah Devee; and the Snake was transformed into the body of Letchimun, the brother and companion of Ram. It is seen that these personages mixed freely in the focieties of the world, nor does any part of the history notice the retirement of Seetah she is, indeed, represented coming forth on every occafion which could, with propriety, permit the interference of her sex. A service of importance calling upon Ram's individual exertion, he configned Seetah to the charge of Letchimun: the lady and her guardian remained fome time in fecurity and quiet; when a famed magician, instigated no doubt, by the devil, who is ever on the watch to draw aftray mortals, particularly the female division of them, came that way, faw Seetah, and became violently enamoured. This subtle man, having discovered, it is supposed by his spells and incantations, that the eyes of women are the fooneft enfnared, let fly, full in the fight of Seetah, a bird of brilliant and beautiful plumage. This artifice had the most powerful effect; for the de

luded

luded fair one inftantly conjured Letchimun, by every pledge he held dear, by the affection he bore to her, by his friendship for Ram, to procure for her the charming bird. Letchimun, amazed and much troubled at this entreaty, endeavoured to describe the eminent danger of quitting her in fo perilous a fituation, his dread of Ram's displeasure for the desertion of fo grand a trust: in short, he urged every argument which a regard for his own character or her fafety could fuggeft. The dazzling hues of the bird had fo amply filled the mind of Seetah, that no fpace remained for the counsel of Letchimun; fhe muft poffefs this charming object of her wishes, or become the moft miferable of women. On the repeated denial of Letchimun to gratify fo dangerous a request, blinded by the disappointment of her hopes, and impelled by a paroxysm of rage, she accused him of the design of seduction, which she al-ledged to be the reason of his refusal to leave her. Letchimun, now convinced of the inefficacy of argument, and the neceffity of acquiefcence, went in queft of the bird; but previously to his departure he drew a magic circle around the spot where Seetah stood, and told her, that within that space no calamity could enter. Letchimun had no fooner gone, than the plotting necromancer, affuming the appearance of an old man, approached, with a feeble and decrepid step, the place where Seetah stood, and, through an apparent excess of weakness, extended himself on the ground. He befought her, in a piteous tone of voice, for a little water to allay his thirst, and restore his exhausted strength. The humane, but

ill-fated, Seetah, felt the force of the old man's prayer, and, with a bofom overflowing with benevolence, fhe ftepped, unmindful of her fafety, beyond the prescribed bounds, and fell that instant into the power of her betrayer. Here the story wanders into a wilder field of fable; where I fhould reap little credit, or you improvement. I will, therefore, content myself with mentioning, that after Ram had recovered Seetah, he ordered, for the removal of certain fufpicions which had crept into his own breast, and for effectually shutting the mouth of flander, which began to open, that she should be judged by the ordeal trial. Seetah, eager to banish every doubt from the mind of her lord, and to exhibit to the world a public teft of her purity, joyfully heard the mandate; and, without fhew of dread, walked over the burning iron. But the feet of Seetah, fays the ftory, "being fhod with innocence, the fcorching heat was to her a bed of flowers."

PARDON me for the intrusion of this Eastern tale, which might justly be deemed a trifling one, did it not indicate that the women of rank, among the more ancient Hindoos, were not excluded from the public eye, and that this people were acquainted with the trial by fire at an early period of time. The fame ufes may be derived from this story as are contained in the Arabian Nights; where, amidst the olio of talifman, genii, and devils, we are enabled to extract just relations of the manners and difpofitions of the people. As I have thus far entered on a fubject which has occafionally engaged my attention, I will proceed a little farther, and recite a Rr circum

VOL. I.

circumftance which may corroborate the pofition, that Hindoo women of distinction, by ancient as well as existing usage, were not debarred the fight of men. When a female of the chittery, or royal race, was marriageable, or fuppofed to poffefs a difcriminating choice, fhe was conducted to an apartment where many youths of her own tribe were affembled; and, being defired to select from them her future husband, she distinguished the object of her partiality by throwing over his neck a wreath of flowers.*

THESE defultory opinions are freely given, and I am to intreat you will as freely review them; receiving such as may stand on principles of reason, and rejecting, without a fcruple, those that feem vague or fanciful.

I am,

Dear Sir,

Your's, &c.

*This custom, I am informed, has been observed within these late years at Tanjore.

END OF VOL. I.