genuiife. hiftory.1' The njoft knei'ent,.-bailed Ramayana, was written
TURb- .aiwi-.'n^ssfc.'ia-e^^rity’ -48 tbs -Mab^b^at^of
is faid to h&ie been the anther of feme Puranas, and of cburfe could
■ not have fiouriflied above feven hundredyears ago :■ and it is. probable
thatntbe more anMentipoem camaot a%it!e,to a mn^i higher dat%v It is
‘ a great fidgularity that the old Hindoo grants of kndj many ©f which
have been tranflated and publiftied; are" extremelylong,andina ftrange
poetical or inflated ftyle, foine of the compound words confifting ©f not
iefs than ohe hundred and fifty fyllables! When we compare thefe
Angularities with the brevity and clearnefs of the Gre^lc^d Roman
infcriptioiis, and ’the unbiafled di&ates 6f plain good ffnfe,» we arefled
to conclude that the Hindo'os are the puerdeflaves’of ia capricious
imagination. Ahd though fome tranflationsoftheirbgft works have
already appeared, they have not acquired the Pmaileft degree of Eu*
ropean reputation; and haveverylittleinterefted -afew curiousen-
quirersj though eager to be pleafed. To compare fueh tedious trifles^
alike, deftitute of good 'fenfe, vigorous genius^ or brilliant fancy*
with the immortal productions of Greece or Rome, woraEcf #nIy«6pnT
firm the idea, that the dimate itfetf impairs .judgement while it inflames
imagination.
. ; The Hindoos are ignorant of the Chinefe. art ef printing^-and the
materials ufed in their manufcripts feem very pefifliabie; nor have we
any rules for determining the antiquity ofthefe manufcripts. To an
exadt enquirer this Would have been the firft topic of inveftigation 5
but it has on the contrary been completely negle&ed. We have merely
the bold affertions of Bramins, eagerly imbibed by European credulity,
inftead of fucceffive arguments and proofs.
Andent Ci- Dr. Robertfon confiders the ancient ahd high civilization of the Hin-
Tflization. doos, as eftablifhed by their divifion into calls j by their civil policy 5
by their laws; their ufeful and elegant arts; their fciences and rdigious
ittftitutions.11 But the arguments of that able author feem liable to
fome objections. 1. The diftin&ion into cafts isdoubtlefs ancient and
11 A t . Ref. i. .340, a poet called Somadeva begins with the hiftbry o f 'Nanda, King of Patna,
lb. tv. sna . 11 Difquilition, 257.
peculiar ;
peculiar ; but leems. to -have. proeeededf/from a crafty prreftbopd in
order' to fix:theh;Qwnfèp^iodtyandprepQnderançe.r,,The:errorpfithe no«.
Dodqr’s argument confifts in his confounding qafts^wjth trades, while
they are in truth totally diftinâ, as. neither a prieftj a foldier, a farmer,
nsr-a labourer is a tradefm.au. Separation..of .trades.argues*,refinement ;
hup from .the Hindoo cafts,nc>t^ngv can. be'Æoh^luded^.exempt, firag
agricultureiexifted at. their inftitutiop. When.our' au tho r | | | | | |^|
now is in. India, always was. there,’’ he evinces rathe^.a fiq^u|ar Iq^e of
hypothefis." All.^fp know from aptiqpity,is?£tl^^^^1p ^ ^ ^ e a in th^
time of Strabo,, Artiaa,, and Pliny^ and rperfuqpawÇt$;&^fs^9^v?n‘I.£V£Q .
iruthe ’time of Alexander.. Suppofe thaf'.thsy-eyen ej4 ftc4)||}reitf|
before, the-chriftian rera, we have oply-ta proof that tigricuftmf an(I _m£/"
chandia© Were-,then,known. iq^Hitidqflaj^ i ^nd
pafledldrojn -the center of Âfia mighp,; even in, thaf,cafp,j3Ave only
begun, toi people the north of Hindoftan aTew'ceafuries* qt fay a, th.Qp-
fand yearn before the-chriftian sera. 2„<The ciyd gQ-Uçy.ist çqaûdored
as prpvipg early civilization,, not indeed , becau^.,thpHi>qdqo-fables re-,
prefenl1 the whole country as fubjsj& to .©pp monarch, but?!b?ca,?df
Alexander foqnd kingdoms--of f®u?ie'magnitude.. Bub,thefe,;kingdpfpp
were- no- JargeE-nn proportion, tbqn- thole which, Çadar. fp.upd. pt..bar-j
baric Gaul and JBritain. The magnitude of the, epqnpy i? >forgpttep,
inhabited by a® -indigenous, people; and remarkably deftimt^jof^atpj'a.I
barriers.. iî8 n®
identity qf oriental ,3*,- "9 1? lawa are
numerous and complex ; but fo are t^io^ of England at.ppefept,,
they- were in a very diffèrent predicament fix Gentianes- ago.j hut, qyvr |
ingenious author fpeaks familiarly ofthe^Hindoo- miHiqnsfofiyfea'rs, and
forgets our '^little centuries, ’ Thte Hinc^)rf.^de h^eitfajieljy
aneienb-, (and: [yet spGphfpSr was written.i#bout .the plain,, chrfftjag ry^ar
1 abo^l 4, The üïéful a'nd elegant arts ïikçwifehëqüire tlfe* i^üftra'tîofl'çtf
Chronology, and as. there are n®, iùfcripûqns wdlfe'èîçftf authegtiq da^qs
in the famous excavations m’tfebifle of Elephantny i-a? -that- of Sailfett, ©r
at,E]ora, ,it is impqftible to, çpqc^ernfhgfiî^eir antiquity,, efpedtÉ^
asthe-.tdy^èlogjpNfettôwi««'^’» &meJi Thefe, andobher monuments,
may perijaps fie.qf great an\iqiiitSy|‘bûf if
L'fe' 2 *- ■ i woil's