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A DISCOVERY OF TWO FOREIGN SECTS IN THE EAST INDIES,

NAMELY,

Tlffi Se& of the Banians, the ancient Natives of India , and the Se£t of the Per.sees, the ancientInhabitants of Perfia : together with the Religion and Manners of each Se£t.— In two Parts.

By HENRY LORD ; fometime refident in Eaft India , and Preacher to the Honourable Company

of Merchants trading thither *,

A DISCOVERY OF THE BANIAN RELIGION.

THE INTRODUCTION.

HAVING by God ’s providence (who fwayeth us as it pleafeth him to our feveralplaces of being), gained a charge of fouls in the adventure of the Honourable Companyof Merchants trading to the Eaft Indies : it happened that I was transferred from mycharge aboard the lliip to refide in their prime factory in Guzzarat in a place calledSurrat, with the prefident over their affairs in that place, Mr. Thomas Kerridge ; where,according to the bufy obfervance of travellers inquiring what novelty the place mightproduce, a people prefented themfelves to mine eyes, cloathed in linen garments, fome-what low defcending, of a gefture and garb as I may fay, maidenly and well nigh effe-minate ; of a countenance Ihy and fomewhat eftranged, yet fmiling out a gloffed andbalhful familiarity, whofe ufein the Company’s affairs occafioned their prefence there.

Truth to fay, mine eyes unacquainted with fuch objefts, took up their wonder andgazed ; and this admiration, the badge of a frelh traveller, bred in me the importunityof a queftioner. I a iked what manner of people thofe were fo ftrangely notable, andnotably ftrange ? Reply was made they were Banians, a people foreign to the know-ledge of the Chriftian world ; their religion, rites and cuftoms, fparingly treated of byany, and they no lefs referved in the publication of them: but fome opinions they derivedfrom the philofopher Pythagoras touching tranfanimation of fouls. It was thought thenovelty would make the difcovery thereof grateful and acceptable to fome of ourcountrymen: that fome of my predeceffors had been fcrutinous to bring this religionto light; but whether deterred with the fidions and chimeras wherewith Banianwritings abound, that might make it unworthy of acceptation, or the fhynefs of theBramins, who will fcarce admit a ftranger converfation, the work was left to him thatwould make a pafs through thefe impediments.

The prefident, Mr. Thomas Kerridge, was urgent with me to redeem their omiffions,and to fee if I could work fomewhat out of this forfaken fubjed. The truth was, Iwas willing to earned: his love to me by this injundion, who, to give this undertakingthe better promotion, interefted himfelf in the work, by mediating my acquaintancewith the Bramins, whofe eminence of place was an attradive to draw on this difcoveryand manifeftation.

I that thought my obfervance would be well took, if I could prefent my countrymenwith any thing new from thefe foreign parts, begun my work, and effayed to fetch ma-

* From Churchill’s Collection, vol, vi.

3 x 2

P'3'3*

terials