Then did I proceed in the thoughts of my former life, and considered the many dangers I underwent, all the time I followed my padding employment, and though I then usually wore money enough in my Pocket, and sometimes met with some female adventures, as the Farmers Daughter, the Poetick Widdow, and my Female Robbers, and others in whose converse I took much pleasure, yet I was in all these pleasures still accompanied with fear of being snapt, as indeed I was at last and likely to be trus't up: but that my penitence wrought so upon my friends as to procure my sentence of death, to be altered into that of banishment: which had through many miseries and cross adventures brought me hither, where I received the full enjoyment of all things: this consideration took me up much time, and possessed me with some virtuous thoughts, believing that I had not been preserved and reserved from so many hazards but for some good end; and now I had a fair opportunity of declining Vice, and living vertuously, I not being likely to be exposed to any such Roguish shifts or courses as formerly, these thoughts of virtue made way for those of Religion, and now it was that I seriously considered of that Word in general, and being (though little practised in) yet well enough acquainted with the Christian Religion, I wondered at the absurdity of the Religion of other Nations, especially of the Country wherein I now lived; and having been curious in the enquiry of the grounds thereof, I had received a good account, though little satisfaction; but since it is a Novelty, and may well enough suit with the following discourse, which will consist of several and variety of Knaveries and Cheatings, whereof I suppose this of this Countries Religion may very well bear a part: I shall give you a short account thereof in this following chapter.
CHAP. II.
The Original Religion and Worship of the Banians and Persees, with all their Castes and Tribes.
This large part of the World which is governed by the Great Mogul, is inhabited by these three sort of People, Banians, Moor-men or Rashpoots, and Persees; the several Religions or Worships of the first and last, viz. the Banians and Persees, I shall here give you an account of; but for the Moors or Rashpoots, they have little esteem for any Religion in particular, and being for the most part Souldiers, are of the Great Moguls Religion, which is partly Mahometan, I shall therefore begin with the Banians, who believe in one God, and that he created the World out of nothing, and that after this manner; first he having the four Elements of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water for a ground-work, by some great Cane or such like instrument, blew upon the waters, which arose into a bubble of a round form like an Egg, which spreading itself made the Firmament so clear and transparent, which now compasseth the World about; after this there remaining true liquid substance in the Earth, God made of both these together a thing round like a Ball, which is called the lower World; the more solid part became Earth, the liquid Sea, both which making one Globe, he by a great noise or huming sound placed them in the midst of the Firmament, there he created the Sun and Moon to distinguish times and seasons, and the four Elements which were before mixed, were now separated and assigned to their several places, and discharged their several offices; the Air filled up the empty parts, the Fire nourished with heat, the Earth and Sea brought forth their living creatures, and then was the World created; and as it had its beginning from four Elements, so it was measured by four points, East, West, North and South, and was to be continued for four Ages, to be peopled by four Casts or sorts of men, who were to be married by four sorts of women appointed for them. The World being made, Man was likewise made out of the Earth, God putting him into life, and he worshipping his Creator; Woman was likewise made and given to him as a companion; the first mans name was Pourous, and the womans name was Parcoutee, and they lived together as man and wife, feeding on the fruits of the earth, not destroying any living Creature.
These two had four sons called Brammon, Cuttery, Shuddery, and Wyse, who were of different and distinct nature from each other, for Brammon was of an earthly constitution, and therefore Melancholly; Cuttery fiery, and therefore Martial; Shuddery flegmatick, and therefore Peaceable; Wyse airey, and therefore full of contrivances and inventions. Brammon being melancholly and ingenious, God gave him knowledge, and appointed him to impart his Laws, and therefore gave him a Book containing the form of Divine Worship and Religion; Cuttery being Martial, had power to govern Kingdoms, and therefore had a Sword given him; Shuddery being mild and conversable, it was thought fit that he should be a Merchant and Traffick, and therefore had a pair of Ballances and a bag of Weights hung at his girdle; and Wyse being airey, was appointed for a Mechanick or Handicrafts man, and therefore had a bag of several sorts of tools.
These were the first men, and these their qualities, (according to the Banian tradition) that peopled the Earth; Pourous and Parcoutee had no daughters, because the sons should go elsewhere to find them wives, which were made for them, and placed at the four winds; the four sons being grown up to mans age, were commanded to travel; And,
First, Brammon with his Book in his hand took his journey towards the rising of the Sun in the East; for the place where they were born, and their Parents created, was in the Middle or Navel of the world, the Sun at Noon-day casting no shadow. Brammon taking his journey, as is said, towards the East, arrived at a goodly Mountain, before which was a Valley, through which there passed a Brook; in the descent of which there appeared a Woman a drinking. This Woman was of black hair, yellow Complexion, of an indifferent size, and a modest aspect, and indeed in every thing made, as if made for her beholder; who being naked, and seeing her to be so, was more bashful than the Woman, who first brake silence, by questioning the cause of his coming thither.
Brammon hearing her spake, and that in his own Language, thus reply’d, That the great God, who made all things had sent him thither: The Woman seeing his Book, asked the use of it; whereupon he opening it, shewed her the Contents thereof; and after some other discourse the consented to be married to him, according to the form prescribed in that book; which being done, they lay together, and had many children, who peopled the East part of the world: this Womans name was Savatree.
Cuttery the 2d. Brother, was sent upon the same account to the West part of the world, and taking his sword in his hand, he advanced on his journey; but not meeting with any adventure or occasion to make use thereof, he was much troubled; desiring above all things, that he might meet with some people whereon he might exercise his courage: thus impatiently did he proceed on his journey, till he arrived near a high Mountain, where he might behold a Personage who was walking with a Martial pace, and coming nearer, found to be a Woman armed with a weapon call’d a Chuckery: They were no sooner met, but they encountred, and set upon one another; but though he expected a sudden conquest, yet was he deceived therein, for his adversary held him in play all that day, till night parted them. The next day also they wholly spent in fight; he gained no advantage over his female enemy, only at the cloze of the day, he had the fortune to cut her weapon in two; but the night coming on, she escaped from him, without any further damage.