conveying their baggage and their children on affes; they avoid in general all intercourfe with the villages; fpeak a jargon intelligible only to themfelves; and preferve their native manners. (Vol. i. p. 7.)

In the neighbourhood of Palachy, many filver coins were found, exhibiting the image and fuperfcription of Auguftus and of Tiberius (vol. ii. 318). But in pretenfions to numifmatical antiquity, thofe Roman medals will appear as things of yesterday, when we read of the gold Fanam, which, according to the Brahmans, was coined by Parafu Rama, above eight hundred thousand years ago! (vol. ii. 500). This age, although it may be thought a fufficient allowance for a gold fanam, is mere infancy, in comparison with the time which every animal, even the meanest infect, has exifted, if we may believe the Jain Brahmans. These philofophers are of opinion, that the earth in general has never been created, and is eternal, but that the portion of it which we occupy is liable to deftruction and reproduction. This deftruction is performed by a poifonous wind, attended by a shower of fire. The reproduction takes place in confe quence of a fhower of butter (ghee), followed by showers of milk, and of the juice of fugar-cane! Thofe who with for a more perfect knowledge of this admirable theory, we refer to vol. iii. 78. After this retrospective view of ancient times, let us for a moment direct our inquiries to futurity. A celebrated Hindu antiquary, named Madu Linga, procured copies of fome prophetical infcriptions for Dr. B., which this gentleman communicated to the Bengal government, One of thefe is mentioned in the following extract from p. 232, vol. iii.

"Madu Linga was, however, fo far from looking upon the power of foretelling future events as a proof of fupernatural authority derived from divine favour, that he gave me a copy of an infcription on ftone, which alfo came from Balagami, and which he fays is prophetical; and yet acknowledges that it was compofed by a Jain Guree, who, by intenfe ftudy, had acquired the art of prophecy. A copy of what is faid to be the prophetical part of this infeription, I delivered with the others; the remainder Madu Linga did not think worth copying. The prophecy he applies to the fuccefs of the British arms in India; and fays, that before the year of Salivahanam, 1900 (of the Chriftian æra 1978), the English are to poffefs the whole country, from the fnowy mountains to Remefivaram."

That due refpect may be paid to this prophetical infcription, we think it neceffary to inform our readers of its author's extraordinary powers, which the following fhort

and

and fimple fact will fufficiently evince. About three o'clock in the afternoon he, one day, commanded the fun to stop; and the luminary obeyed after three hours he permitted it to fet, which was accomplished at the ufual time by a fudden movement to the weft! (Vol. iii. 283.)

That Hindus are not exempt from the fuperftitious dread of ghofts, we learn from an anecdote relative to the death of this author's cook. When this man

"Was taken ill, I had given orders," fays Dr. B., "to fecure his effects for the benefit of his wife and children; but on infpection after his death, no money could be found. Whether he had been plundered as foon as he became infenfible, and that a guilty confcience occafioned fears among his companions, or whether the fudden manner of his death occafioned fufpicions, I cannot fay; but it was immediately believed that he would become a Pyfachi (or evil fpirit), and all my people were filled with terror. The butler imagined that the Pyfachi appeared to him at night, with a black filk handkerchief tied round its head, and gave him inftructions to take all the effects of the deceased to his family. Upon this the butler being a man of courage, put his fhoes at the right fide of the door, which he confidered to be a fure preventive againft fuch intruders. Next night a cattle driver, lying in all the agonies of nocturnal terror, faw the appearance of a dog enter and fmell round the place where the man had died; when, to his utter difmay, the spectre gra dually grew larger and larger, and at length having affumed the form of the cook, vanished with a fhriek. The poor man had not the courage to ufe the flippers, but lay till morning in a kind of ftupor. After this even the minds of the Sepoys were ap palled; and when I happened to be awake, I heard the fentries by way of keeping up their courage, finging with a tremulous voice." (Vol. iii. 358.)

Here we must close this work, every page of which bears honourable teftimony to the abilities, the perfeverance, and the accuracy of its author, in the performance of his laborious tafk. It cannot be denied that the volumes might have been rendered more generally interefting, by views of uncommon or of beautiful scenery, ancient temples, or other remarkable objects; and by the musical notations of Hindu airs, and the tranflation of fongs and poems. But we must confider that the path in which Dr. Buchanan was to tread, had been prefcribed, and that it was not one which yielded many flowers. Where fo much has been fo well done, it is neither our duty nor our inclination to withhold due praife, nor to detract from pofitive merit by fuggefting probable improvement. This Journal affords fomething to

inftru&

inftruct or to entertain the moft faftidious readers of every defcription; and when we confider its magnitude, the diverfity of its fubject, and the fhort space of time in which it was compofed, we do not hesitate to pronounce it fuch a monument of diligence and ingenuity, as few individuals have erected to their fame.

ART. II. Memoirs of John Lord De Joinville, Grand Seneschal of Champagne, written by himfelf; containing a Hiftory of Part of the Life of Louis IX. King of France, furnamed Saint Louis, including an Account of that King's Expedition to Egypt in the Year MCCXLVIII. To which are added, the Notes and Differtations of M. Du Cange on the above; together with the Differtation of M. Le Baron De La Baftie on the Life of St. Louis, M. L'Evefque De La Ravaliere, and M. Falconet, on the Affaffins of Syria; from the Memoires de l'Académie de Belles Lettres et Infcriptions de France.' The whole tranflated by Thomas Johnes, Ejq. In Two Volumes, 4to. 41. 4s. Longman and Co. 1807.

E willingly avail ourfelves of the firft opportunity to notice the next in order of Mr. Johnes's elegant verfions of the old French Chronicles. Froiffart must ever excite univerfal intereft, his fubject is fo multifarious as to comprehend the interefts, the manners, and the hiftory of various European nations. This of the Grand Seneschal of Champagne or Lord de Joinville is more limited. It is indeed principally confined to the narrative of the rafh, foolish, and difgraceful expedition to Egypt of Louis the IXth, furnamed Saint Louis. But the unquestionable fidelity of the writer, his fituation near the prefence of the King, the fimplicity with which he relates all that he beheld quorumque pars magna fuit, and, above all, the perfpicuous and interefting picture, which is exhibited of the manners of that period, render thefe Memoirs in an English dress peculiarly valuable.

The work is alfo of importance on other accounts. We have, in addition and as illuftrative of the Memoirs, the notes and differtations of M. Du Cange, the differtations of M. Le Baron De La Baftie, on the life of St. Louis, and, above all, thofe of M. L'Evefque de la Ravaliere, and of M. Falconet on the affaflins of Syria.

In the first volume we have, 1. the genealogy of the Houfe of Joinville. 11. Differtation on the life of Louis, by Joinville, by the Baron de la Baftie. 111. Additions to the preceding. IV. The hiftory of Saint Louis, by Joinville. v. Notes on the above hiftory, by Du Cange.

The following extract we infert for the amufement of the

reader.

"I will now break the courfe of my narration, and fay in what manner the king was made prifoner, as he told me himfelf. I heard him fay, that he had quitted his own battalion and men at arms, and, with Sir Geoffry de Sergines, had joined the battalion of Sir Gaultier de Chaftillon, who commanded the rear divifion. The king was mounted on a small courfer, with only a housing of filk; and of all his men at arms, there was only with him the good knight Sir Geoffry de Sergines, who attended him as far as the town of Cafel, where the king was made prifoner. But before the Turks could take him, I heard fay, that Sir Geoffry de Sergines defended him in like manner as a faithful fervant does the cup of his mafter from flies; for every time the Saracens approached him, Sir Geoffry guarded him with vigorous ftrokes of the blade and point of his fword, and it feemed as if his courage and strength were doubled.

"By dint of gallantry, he drove them away from the king, and thus conducted him to Cafel, where, having difmounted at a houfe, he laid the king in the lap of a woman who had come from Paris, thinking that every moment must be his laft, for he had no hopes that he could ever pafs that day without dying.

"Shortly after arrived Sir Philip de Montford, who told the king that he had juft feen the Admiral of the Sultan, with whom he had formerly treated for a truce, and that if it were his good pleasure, he would return to him again, and renew it. The king entreated him fo to do, and declared he would abide by whatever terms they fhould agree on.

"Sir Philip de Montford returned to the Saracens, who had taken their turbans from their heads, and gave a ring, which he took off his finger, to the admiral, as a pledge of keeping the truce, and that they would accept the terms as of fered, and of which I have spoken.

"Juft at this moment, a villainous traitor of an apoftate ferjeant, named Marcel, fet up a loud fhout to our people, and faid,

Sir knights, furrender yourfelves: the king orders you by me fo to do, and not to caufe yourselves to be flain. At thefe words, all were thunderstruck; and, thinking the king had indeed fent fuch orders, they each gave up their arms and ftaves to the Saracens.

"The admiral, fceing the Saracens leading the king's knights as their prifoners, faid to Sir Philip de Montfort, that he would not agree to any trace, for that the army had been made pri

foners.

foners. Sir Philip was greatly aftonished at what he faw, for he was aware that, although he was fent as ambaffador to fettle a truce, he fhould likewife be made prifoner, and knew not to whom to have recourfe. In pagan countries, they have a very bad cuftom, that when any ainbaffadors are dif patched from one king or fultan to another, to demand or conclude a peace, and one of thefe princes dies, and the treaty is not concluded before that event takes place, the ambaffador is made prifoner, wherever he may be, and whether fent by fultan or king.

You must know, that we who had embarked on board our veffels, thinking to efcape to Damietta, were not more fortunate than those who had remained on land; for we were alfo taken, as you fhall hear. It is true, that during the time we were on the river, a dreadful tempeft of wind arofe, blowing towards Damietta, and with fuch force that, unable to afcend the ftream, we were driven towards the Saracens. The king, indeed, had left a body of knights, with orders to guard the invalids on the banks of the river; but it would not have been of any use to have made for that part, as they had all fled. Towards the break of day, we arrived at the pafs where the fultan's gallies lay, to prevent any provifions being fent from Damietta to the army, who, when they perceived us, fet up a great noife, and hot at us, and fuch of our horfemen as were on the banks, with large bolts armed with Greek fire, fo that it feemed as if the ftars were falling from the heavens.

"When our mariners had gained the current, and we attempted to push forward, we faw the horfemen whom the king had left to guard the fick flying towards Damietta. The wind became more violent than ever, and drove us against the bank of the river. On the oppofite fhore were immenfe numbers of our veffels that the Saracens had taken, which we feared to approach; for we plainly faw them murdering their crews, and throwing the dead bodies into the water, and carrying away the trunks and arms they had thus gained.

"Because we would not go near the Saracens, who menaced us, they fhot plenty of bolts; upon which, I put on my armour, to prevent fuch as were well aimed from hurting me. At the ftern of my veffel were fome of my people, who cried out to me, My lord, my lord! our fteerfman, because the Saracens threaten us, is determined to run us on fhore, where we shall be all murdered.' I inftantly rofe up, for I was then very ill, and, advancing with my drawn fword, declared I would kill the firft perfon who fhould attempt to run us on the Saracen shore. The failors replied, that it was impoffible to proceed, and that I must determine which I would prefer, to be landed on the fhore, or to be ftranded on the mud of the banks in the river. I preferred, very fortunately, as you shall hear, being run on a mud bank in the