IV. Practical influence of her writings upon the wo- V. State of the female fex in the UNITED STATES. Scenes of nature in America; calculated to excite poetical enthusiasm; comparison of them VIII. Selections from Hindu Poetry; remarks. IX. Poetry of the scriptures; Solomon's Song; Re- X. Solomon's Song confidered as a Poem; Selec. XI. Attachment of the writer to Poetry ;-Selec- SHAHCOOLEN. Letter First. DEARLY BELOVED EL HASSAN, THOU knowest how, breaking through that cuftom of my country, which confines the HINDU* to his native foil, and yielding to my ruling paffion, the love of knowledge, I left the delightful fields of AGRA, where fragrance floats in every breeze, and beauty glows in every profpect, and fteered my course to the British Ifles.-Thou knoweft, how I explored every European region, from rocky and inhofpitable Norway, to the luxu riant plains of Sicily; noting in my progress, the various fhades of character and manners, and transmitting thee, from time to time, the story of my travels. * There is no inconfistency in the fuppofition that a Hindu Philofopher has left his country for a season. It is indeed the policy of the Hindu religion, government and manners, to bind the people to their untry; but a man of an enlightened and enterprifing ind may eafily be fupposed to break through fuch a custom in pursuit of knowledge. B PURSUING ftill the favourite object of my life, I am now fixed for a season, in this great city, the emporium of this western world. THOU remembereft that I told thee of a new fect of Philofophers, lately arisen in Europe, who profefs to teach mankind, in a mode entirely new, the way to virtue, and to happiness. The established laws, religion, manners and maxims of their country they condemn; and teach, that man, by nature perfect, needs but to follow nature's impulfe; and his own energies will carry him to virtue and to glory. THIS new Philofophy has fpread, in a greater or lefs degree, over the whole of civilized Europe, and it is inculcated, and believed by multitudes in America. To a Hindu, who has been taught from his cradle, to believe implicitly the holy BRAMINS, to copy the manners of his ancestors, and to venerate the religion of the great BRUMMA, fuch doctrines appear impious and horrible. BUT thou must not think, that I am in a country like Hindustan. HERE the God of the land, whom they call JEHOVAH; his fon and the partner of his throne, JESUS CHRIST, the SAVIOUR; and a third perfon of the Godhead, the SANCTIFIER; thus refembling the three great emanations of the divine Brumma, are every day infulted and blafphemed.Their holy VEDA and SHAHSTAH, denominated the BIBLE, are not only opposed by argument, but made the fubject of standing ridicule; they are quoted and alluded to, in the expreffion of their most lewd and profane conceptions; and many, affecting a peculiar brilliancy of wit, repeat, with the moft blafphemous levity, fuch paffages of these sacred books, as appear, even to my mind, replete with holy grandeur. THE Bramins or Priefts, whom we in Hindustan venerate and love, whofe perfons and employment we believe too facred to be made the theme of familiar difcourfe, are here loaded with obloquy |