lord’s discovery of the banians and persees. 543

thither. The tree peculiarifed for this worlhip, is called by fome, as by Pliny andothers, Ficus Indica, the Indian fig-tree : and by Goropius Becanus , affirmed to be thetree of life, that grew in the garden of Eden ; how far forth to be believed, I refer toSir Walter Raleigh ’s firft book of the hillory of the world, part x. chap. 4. par. 1, 2,3., where the mere probable opinion is given. Certain it is, that to this tree much isattributed by them, and they fuppofe fome notable mifchance ffiall happen to that partythat violateth or injureth the leaft bough or branch of the fame. It is a tree of fertilegrowth, whofe branches be fpreading, ample and fpacious; from whofe boughs fodifpread, do defcend certain Hems, that, rooting themfelves anew in the earth, propagatean offspring, and fo dilate it, that it feemeth beyond the cuftom of other trees to becapacious. To this tree when they repair, they thither bring offerings ; there theyreceive unctions, and there are fprinklings of feveral coloured powders ; there theypay their adorations, which they number by the clapper of a little bell; there theypray for health, for riches, for fruitfulnefs of iffue, for fuccefs in affairs; there theyoften celebrate their feflivals with great concourfe. In which May-game of fuperftitionto make further enquiry, would be but vain and fruitlefs.

Fourthly, they are enjoined to certain prayers in their temples, which may holdfome refemblance of common fervice, were it purged of fuperftitious ceremony; thefum of which devotion, is the repetition of certain names of God , dilated and explained;where alfo they ufe proceffions, with finging and loud tinkling of bells; which chant-ing is of their commandments, with offerings to images, and fuch like impertinentfervices.

Fifthly, they are enjoined to pilgrimages to rivers far remote, as to the river Ganges, ,there to walh their bodies, and to pay their offerings, that the concourfe of peoplerepairing thither is great, and the golden offerings of treafure and jewels thrown intohis filver waves, invaluable. He is likewife efteemed bleffed and purified from fin, thatcan die with a palate moiftened with that water.

Sixthly, another portion of their worlhip they bellow is invocation of faints, towhom they attribute the powers of giving fuccefs to feveral affairs ; they therefore thatwould be happy in marriage, invoke Hurmount; they that are to begin the works ofarchitedture, Gunnefe ; they that want health, Vegenaut; the foldier in his affault infeats of arms, cries, Bimohem ; the miferable invoke Syer ; and they that are in pros-perity give their orifons to Mycaffer.

Seventhly, their law binds them to give worlhip to God , upon fight of any of hiscreatures, firft prefented to the eye after the rifing fun : efpecially they pay their devo-tion to the fun and moon, which they call the two eyes of God : as alfo to fome beaftswhich they hold more clean then others, they give extraordinary kind ufage ; as tokine and buffaloes, to whom they attribute fo much innocence and goodnefs by thefouls of men entering into them, that they befmear the floors of their houfes with theirdung, and think the ground fandlified by fuch pollution.

In the eighth place, touching their baptizings or naming of their children, the cere-mony thereof is different in the call of the Bramanes, and other calls ; for thofe thatare of the other calls, are only walhed in water; then fome of the kindred of the partydelivered, menaceth the point of a writing pen againft the forehead of the child, withthis Ihort prayer, that God would write good things in the front of that child. All'thofe then that are prefent, faying, Amen to that prayer, they give to the child thename by which he ffiall be called ; and fo putting an undtion of red ointment in themidft of his forehead, as a fign that the infant is received into their church, andmarked for one of God ’s children, the ceremony is diffolyed. But then the children'