Зображення сторінки
PDF
ePub

"Were there a place more exalted than the most high throne of God, I would affirm it to be thy place, O Master of the faithful!

"That we may give thee praises worthy of thyself, it behoves us to depaint thy wonderful essence; but for that reason alone it is impossible to praise thee according to thy merit, O Father of the faithful!

"Thou art all that thou deservedst to be; but who can comprehend thy merit, unless it be thy God? O Master of the faithful!

“We beg all as poor beggars at the gate of thy Beneficence, and the kings of the world are in the number of those beggars, O Master of the faithful!

"The price of thy favours surpasses the capacity of human understanding. The weight of thy majesty and thy glory is too heavy for the shoulders of human understanding."

66

The sixth Song.

Being of an unconceivable puissance, the commands of Providence are executed

by thy orders. Thou canst turn with thy hand alone the vast celestial sphere.

"The Sun, under whose shadow and auspicious omens Nature rolls, is but a glittering beam of the clasp of thy girdle.

"The eternal fountain of which the visible ocean is not so much as a single drop, is itself but a drop to the sea of thy bounty.

"Human wit, that divided the world into four parts, is no more with thee than an atom of dust. He divides his knowledge into ten degrees, but how many degrees are required to be a canton of thy knowledge.

"The Superiour of the College of the Creation, Gabriel, with all his art and knowledge, is but a meer scholar to thee.

"The verses of the Alcoran, which assure men of the favour and mercy of God, were sent from heaven for thy sake.

"The Mahometans say that God created the world by the ministry of angels, which is drawn from the theology of the Jews."

""Tis too small a praise of thy ineffable power to call it the zenith of power, since the zenith is no more than the nadir of the power of thy porter.

"These two stars, which are the eyes of the world, are two globes, which not having been thought beautiful enough to make a part of the structure of thy mansion, were placed at the avenues.

"The famous bird which is placed over the roof of thy palace raises from the earth the nine vaults of heaven like a grain of wheat.

"Whatever the gulph of predestination encloses, its wonders and its prodigies came not to light, nor were made manifest but by thy commandment.

"The humble slave of thy grandeur, poor Hassan, employs himself day and night every year, every month in the country of Amul to sing thy praises.

66

Devoutly he prostrates his face to the earth at the gate of thy glorious palace; he exposes to thy eyes a sick heart, of which he implores from thee the cure.

"Can a man conceal his distemper from a wholesome remedy? Certainly it is no piece of wisdom for a man to conceal his distemper from an infallible and sovereign

[blocks in formation]

inspiration, the judge of things commanded or forbidden.

"If the idea of thee the most noble in divine sense were not in the world, the world would be but an imperfect and senseless figure.

66

Supreme majesty, who hast augmented the lustre of the supreme throne, all creatures incessantly praise thy name.

"The sun is less than an atom in the heaven of assemblies where thou art honoured: and the atoms are greater than the sun, upon those places of the earth where thou hast wrought thy miracles.

"The crown of Gerashid' is cloudy and tarnished before the heron tuft of thy turban.

The throne of Fereydon is a wooden bench in comparison of thy seat.

"The glory of Solomon, who was the glory of the earth, was a small thing in comparison of thee, because it was only borrowed of the durable glory of thy servant Sel

[blocks in formation]

confreres le secourent sans en être priez. Si son fusil se crève ou se casse, chacun d'eux s'empresse à lui en offrir un autre. Si ses enfans sont pris ou tuez par les ennemis, on lui donne autant d'esclaves qu'il en a besoin pour le faire subsister. Il n'y a que ceux qui sont Chretiens, et qui demeurent aux portes de nos villes, chez qui l'argent soit en usage. Les autres ne veulent ni le manier, ni même le voir, ils l'appellent le Serpent des François. Ils disent qu'on se tuë, qu'on se pille, qu'on se diffame, qu'on se vend, et qu'on se trahit parmi nous pour de l'argent; que les maris vendent leurs femmes, et les meres leurs filles pour ce metal. Ils trouvent étrange que les uns ayent plus de bien que les autres, et que ceux qui en ont le plus, soient estimez davantage que ceux qui en ont le moins. Enfin, ils disent que le tître de Sauvages, dont nous les qualifions, nous conviendroit mieux que celui d'hommes, puis qu'il n'y a rien moins que de l'homme sage dans toutes nos actions. Ceux qui ont été en France m'ont souvent tourmenté sur tous les maux qu'ils y ont vu faire, et sur les desordres qui se commettent dans nos villes, pour de l'argent. On a beau leur donner des raisons pour leur faire connoitre que la proprieté des biens est utile au maintien de la Societé; ils se moquent de tout ce qu'on peut dire sur cela. Au reste, ils ne se querellent, ni ne se battent, ni ne se volent, et ne mé. disent jamais les uns des autres. Ils se moquent des Sciences et des Arts, ils se raillent de la grande subordination qu'ils remarquent parmi nous. Ils nous traitent d'esclaves, ils disent que nous sommes des miserables dont la vie ne tient à rien, que nous nous degradons de notre condition, en nous reduisant à la servitude d'un seul homme qui peut tout, et qui n'a d'autre loi que sa volonté; que nous nous battons et nous querellons incessamment, que les enfans se moquent de leurs peres, que nous ne sommes jamais d'accord; que nous nous emprisonnons les uns les autres, et que même nous nous detruisons en public. Ils s'estiment au delà de tout ce qu'on peut

s'imaginer, et alleguent pour toute raison, qu'ils sont aussi grands maitres les uns que les autres, parce que les hommes étant pêtris d'un même limon, il ne doit point y avoir de distinction, ni de subordination entre eux. Ils pretendent que leur contentement d'esprit surpasse de beaucoup nos richesses; que toutes nos Sciences ne valent pas celle de savoir passer la vie dans une tranquillité parfaite; qu'un homme 'n'est homme chez nous qu'autant qu'il est riche.' Mais que parmi eux, il faut pour être homme avoir le talent de bien courir, chasser, pêcher, tirer un coup de fleche et de fusil, conduire un canot, savoir faire la guerre, connoitre les forets, vivre de peu, construire des cabanes, couper des arbres,

et savoir faire cent lieuës dans les bois sans autre guide ni provision que son arc et ses fleches. Ils disent encore que nous sommes des trompeurs qui leur vendons de tresmauvaises marchandises quatre fois plus qu'elles ne valent, en echange de leurs castors; que nos fusils crèvent à tout moment et les estropient, apres les avoir bien payez. Je voudrois avoir le tems de vous raconter toutes les sottises qu'ils disent touchant nos manieres, il y auroit de quoi m'occuper dix ou douze jours."-LA HONTAN.

[Circassian Gentlemen.]

"CEUX qui tiennent parmi eux (les Circassiens) le rang de gentils-hommes, sont tout le jour sans rien faire, demeurent assis et parlent fort peu."-TAVERNIER.

[Superstition relative to the Indian Crocodile.]

"THE Indian Crocodile is easily tamed. Some of the Malays at Batavia are so superstitious as to imagine that such a crocodile is their brother or sister. They endeavour, therefore, to save some of their provisions, that they may every day carry food to the crocodile, which approaches at their call."-FORSTER'S Note to Fra Paolino da San Bartolomeo's Voyage to the East Indies.

[Phantoms, or Estantiguas, about Munda.]

"Or dia, como tengo dicho, se ven impressas señales de despojos, de armas y cavallos; y ven los moradores encontrarse por el aire esquadrones, oyense vozes, como de personas que acometem: estantiguas llama el vulgo Español a semejantes aparencias, o fantasmas, que el vaho de la tierra, quando el Sol sale, ò se pone forma en el aire baxo, como se ven en el alto las nubes formadas en varias figuras, y semejanças."-Mendoza.

Hawks of Noroega.

“THE Hawks of Noroega keep alive the last bird which they catch in a winter day, that he may keep their feet warm at night, and at morning they let him go, and observe which way he flies, that they may not him for the comfort he has given them."hunt in that quarter, not wishing to hurt

Arte de Furtar.

[Vision of the two Jesuits.]

1576. Two Jesuits were going from S. Vicente, in Brazil, to N. Senhora da Conçeiçam de Itanhae. "Fazendo seu caminho estes Religiosos, fechouse a noite, & comecaram a ver ao. longe, como distancia de tres, ou quatro legoas pella, mesma praia, hum fogo grande, et afastados delles outros menores, que deziam ser outo, outros, doze, a modo de figuras humanas; cuja vista comecou a metellos em medo & espanto; mas apagouse presto & desapareceo. Porem quanda menos cuidavam, tornarom a ver o mesmo portento mais temeroso, & pello mesmo modo, & tam perto de si, que claramente enxergavam ser a maneira de hum corpo humano, o qual lançava da cabeça grandes chamas de fogo, como se cada qual dos cabellos della fora a luz de huma grande tocha, mas de diversa cor: ficaram atonitos os Padres a vista de couza tam horrenda, mas com mais excesso, quando viram que abrindo as costas despedia de dentro das

entranhas huma labarede de fogo, nem mais nem menos, que a de fornalha dos engenhos de açuquar, quando mais a cesa & rigurosa: & da mesma maneira apareciaõ os fogos das outo, ou doze figuras humanas, posto que de estatura menor, que representavam moços de quinze annos de idade: estes hiam como bailando & fazendo festa, a figura maior em circuito.- -Huns diziam que devia de ser certas pessoas, de quem se dizia que morrerao em mao estado; outros que eram avizos de Deos, & outras cousas semelhantes. O certo é que com estas figuras costuma o Senhor mostrarnos as penas do inferno, pera horror & freio de peccadores, quando as veem, ou em si, ou pintadas, quais estas logo andaram em painel pella terra, et foram mandados a Portugal, com espanto de lodos.”—Vida do P. JOSEPH ANCHIETA. Lisboa, 1672.

[Effect of Exorcism.]

"NAM sei que tinha com esta praya o inimigo infernal; parece pretendia com seus rigores fazer difficultozo o caminho da romaria da Senhora. Por huma parte della caminhava Joseph outra noite, em companhia de alguns Romeiros, quando a des horas The aparece outra vizam tambem espantosa; huma figura de hum homem armado em fogos, metido em prisoens de cadeas, & grilhoens de fogo. A vista desta vizam horrenda, nam poderam sosterse em pe os companheiros de puro horror, & pegados as vestiduras de Joseph, gritavam que lhe acudisse; assi o fez o Padre, & dizendo certos exorcismos da santa Igreja, desaparecco a vizam & se meteo no mar."- Vida do ANCHIETA.

worn by women made after that fashion, and therefore so called. Others, with more probability, say the word is Arabick.”—PINEDAS' Dictionary.

Bausan or Bausana.

"A FIGURE made like a man and stuffed

with straw, used formerly to set on walls where the garrison was weak, to make it appear stronger; and from these inanimate statues applied to signify a fool, or heavy stupid person, or one that stands gazing at any thing as if he were out of his senses." -Ibid.

[Choultries.]

"FORTUNES are expended in building choultries on the roads for the accommodation of travellers, who there find shelter from the injuries of the weather. The Hindoos esteem such actions as very pleasing to the gods. The choultries are of Gothic construction, and in the major part no wood is made use of. They commonly consist of one large apartment, which sometimes is divided into two, without either door or window, and entirely open to the south, with a vaulted gallery all around, close to the building, which is always near a wood. All choultries have a tank, and a small pagoda dedicated to Pollear, that the traveller may perform his prayers and ablutions before he pursues his journey. Hospitality extends so far in some of these choultries as to regale the traveller with congee, a liquor made of rice and water."

-SONNERAT.

www.

Arandela.

"A THING in the shape of a funnel, fastened to the thick end of a lance to defend the man's hand, thought to have been invented at Arundel in Sussex, and thence to have its name. It is also a sort of band

Bramins.

"THEIR persons are held so sacred that they cannot be punished with death for the commission of any crime whatever. If any bramin has merited death, his eyes are put out, but he is permitted to live. To kill a bramin is one of the five great and almost

irremissible sins; and the Vedams ordain | ders' bodies transparent, so penetrating was its splendour."-SEGREDOS da Natureza. One of those rascally quack books made up by modern ignorance from old impudence.

that whoever is guilty of such a murder must perform a pilgrimage of twelve years, asking alms, and carrying the skull of the deceased, out of which he is obliged to eat and drink all that is given him. This time expired, he is to bestow large alms, and build a temple to the god of the murdered bramin's sect."—Ibid.

[Siberian Earth.]

"SOME of the Siberian tribes, when they travel, carry a small bag of their native earth, the taste of which, they suppose, will preserve them from all the evils of a foreign

[Martin Heemskerke's Marriage Apportion- sky."—GMELIN. ment.]

"MARTIN HEEMSKERKE, ainsi nommé à cause d'un village de Holande d'où il étoit, mourut à Haerlem 1574 âgé de soixanteseize ans. Ayant beaucoup travaillé pendant qu'il vivoit, il mourut assez riche; et pour laisser quelque memoire de lui, il legua par son testament de quoi marier tous les ans une fille du village d'où il étoit. Mais ce fut à condition que le jour des nôces le marié et la mariée evec tous les conviez, iroient danser sur sa fosse. Ce qui se pratiquoit si religieusement, à ce qu'on m'assûra, qu' encore que le changement de religion arrivé en ces pais-là, eût fait demolir et abbatre toutes les croix des cimetieres, les habitans neanmoins de Heemskerke n'ont jamais voulu permettre qu'on ôtât celle qui est sur la fosse de ce Peintre, laquelle est de cuivre, et leur sert comme d'un titre pour jouïr de la dot et de la donation faite à leurs filles."-Entretiens sur les Vies, &c. des Peintres, par FELI

BIEN.

In some incubus tale the circumstance confessed by witches (if decency be possible) may have a striking effect. "Dolorifico sensu insignis frigiditatis."

[White Boys.]

"BUSBY used to call his favourite scholars his white boys."-Note to FORD, vol. 1, p. 29.

[Miracle of Francisco de Paula.] "A MIRACLE is told by Vieyra, of Saint Francisco de Paula, that when King Ferdinand of Naples laid on an oppressive tax, he broke a piece of the money so collected, before him, and blood came out of it."Corres. Braz. t. 16, p. 106.

Ideas, &c.

A USEFUL chapter might be written upon historical errors, or rather falsehoods.

The pillars, which Procopius mentions, of the Canaanites, fall under this head. They may be classed with the written columns of Shem and Jubal.

THERE might be a new Pilgrim's Progress written, allegorizing the journey of life. Knight-errantry would not be an unfit basis, as thus the first stages might be passed as a child under protection of the Sage Phusis, who brings him safely by the perilous passes where Small-Pox, Measles, &c. are the custom, each of course allegoa carbuncle of the king of Pegu so bright rized. The ceremony of knighting might that in a dark place it made all the bystan- | mark manhood. Then would be the fields

[Marvellous Carbuncle.]

LUIZ BARTHOLOMEU says, that he “

saw

« НазадПродовжити »