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heard of; and I make no doubt, there are numerous other places of private resort, equally honourable to religion, and favourable to virtue!

By the kind care of my friend Delomond, I am provided with a very convénient lodging, in the street which leads to the King's palace. This palace is, in truth, but a mean building, very unlike the Durbar of an Eastern Monarch.

I have spent the greater part of the week, in taking a furvey of the town, and examining its temples, and other public buildings.-The extent of this metropolis, though it fhrinks into infignificance, when compared with the Imperial refidence of our ancient Rajahs, the celebrated birth place of Rama*, or the Ganga-washed walls of Canouge †; is yet fufficiently great, to ftrike with aftonishment the infignificant mortal, who has beheld only the modern cities

-Oude, faid in the Mahhabaret, to have been the firft regular imperial city of Hindooftan, and extended, if we may believe the Bramins, aver a line of ten Yogans, or about forty miles; and the prefent city of Lucknow, was only a lodge for one of its gates.

Canouge, a celebrated ancient city of Hindooftan, on the banks of the Ganges; whofe walis are faid in the Mahhabaret, to have been one hundred miles in circumference.

of Hindooftan. The foot-paths which are raised at the fides of every street, are filled with a bufy throng, where it is curious to behold women, as well as men, apparently intent upon bufinefs, entering into the fhops, and making purchases, with the undaunted mien of mafculine affurance. Far from walking along the ftreets with that timid air of fhrinking modefty, which diftinguishes the females of our race, when they venture. into the walks of men, their fearless eye undaunted meets the glances of every beholder; and happy is it for the men of the country, that it doth fo; for if modefty was fuper-added to their other charms it would be impoffible to guard the heart from their fafcinating influence.

Having heard that the firft day of the week, Audeetye-wart, was appointed for attending the worfhip of the Deity in public; I expreffed to Delomond, my wifh of being prefent at the folemnity. He declined accompanying me; but

*See the elegant engravings, illuftrative of Mr. Hodges's remarks on this fubject, in his Travels in

India.

It is very remarkable, that the days of the week are named in the Shanferit language, from the fame planets to which they were affigned by the Greeks and Romans.

fent to a Lady of his acquaintance, to beg fhe would accommodate me with a feat in her pew.-Thefe pews, are little inclofures, into which the greatest part of the temple is fub-divided. We walked up to that which belonged to this Bibby, preceded by one of her fervants, who opened the door of the pew, and followed by another in the fame livery, who carried the books of prayer; with which having prefented us, he retired. I have already obferved to you, how fcrupulously the English Chriftians adhere to thofe precepts of their Shafter, which feem to discountenance the outward appearance of a religious fentiment; and fo rigorously do they abstain from the display of thefe delightful emotions, that they who will thankfully acknowledge the moft trifling obligation conferred upon them by the meanest of their fellow-creatures, would blush to be fufpected of gratitude to the beneficent Governor of the Univerfe Inftead of behaving in this temple, as if they had affembled together to fend up their united tribute of praife, thanksgiving, and humble fupplication, to the Moft High, fo fuccefsfully did they af fect the concealment of their devotional fentiments, that no one could have fufpected they had met together for any other purpose, but that of ftaring at each

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other's drefs! I muft, however, make an exception in regard to a small number of people, very plainly habited, who stood during the fervice, in a part of the church called the aifle, thefe appeared not to have arrived at fuch a ftate of perfection. They could not affect indifference, as they joined in the petition for averting the punishment of fins; nor conceal the intereft they had in the glad tidings of eter nal happiness. They liftened with culiar complacency to the accounts of him, who came to preach the gofpel "to the poor," and the hopes of his fayour feemed to irradiate with joy the bofom of refignation. A female of advanced life, in whom all these emotions were difcernable, particularly arrested my attention. The palenefs of her countenance, fpoke her want of health, and the lines which forrow had traced in it, accorded with the fable weeds of widowhood, which fhe wore. She appeared ready to faint from the fatigue of long ftanding, and made a modeft application to a perfon, who feemed to act as porter of the pews, for admittance into one of them. To my aftonifhment, fhe met with a refufal; nor did any one of the gorgeoufly apparelled Chriftians who fat in them, appear to be any way concerned for her fituation; indeed, they all feem.

ed to regard those who worshipped God from the aifle, as if they had been beings of an inferior race. I was, however, well convinced, that Chriftianity. admits of no fuch diftinctions; and fuppofing the Christian Lady who fat by me, though her eyes were roving to all parts of the temple, was, in reality, too much engaged in her devotions, to obferve what paffed, I took the liberty of acting for her, and opening the door of the pew, invited the poor fick ftranger to a feat. At that moment, the priest was preferring a petition, in favour of all "fatherless children, and widows, and all who are defolate and oppreffed;" to which the great Lady had juft uttered the response of, "We befeech thee to hear us, good Lord!"-when obferving the poor woman by her fide, her face inftantly flushed a deep crimfon; rage and indignation darted from her eyes, and, telling the fainting ftranger, that "fhe was very

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impudent, for daring to intrude herself into her presence," fhe turned her out into the aifle. I was weak enough, to be fhocked at the behaviour of this welldreffed votary of Chriftianity. thought I, can it be, that this woman fhould be fo confcious of her fuperiority, in every thing which conftitutes diftinction in the eye of the Omnipotent, as to

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