cannot live six weeks." Voltaire replied, "then 1 shall go to hell, and you will go with me!" and soon after expired. 35, WORSHIP OF THE GRAND LAMA. THE Grand Lama is a name given to the Sovereign Pontiff or high priest of the Tibethian Tartars, who resides at a vast palace on a mountain near the banks of the Barampooter, about seven miles from Lahassa. The foot of the mountain is inhabited by 20,000 lamas or priests, who have their separate apartments round about the mountain, and according to their quality are placed nearer, or at a greater distance from the Sovereign Pontiff. He is not only worshipped by the natives of Thibet, but also by the various tribes of heathen Tartars, who roam through the greater part of Asia. The more remote Tartars, are said to absolutely regard him, as the Deity himself, and call him God, the everlasting Father of Heaven. They believe him to be immortal, and endowed with all knowledge and virtue. Every year they come from different parts to worship, and make rich offerings at his shrine; even the Emperor of China, who is a Manchon Tartar, worships him, and entertains at a great expence in the palace at Pekin, an inferior lama, deputed as his nuncio from Thibet. The Grand Lama, it has been said, is never to be seen but in a secret place of his palace, amidst a great number of lamps, sitting crosslegged, on a cushion, and decked all over with precious stones, where at a distance the people prostrate themselves before him, it not being lawful for any, so much as to kiss his feet. He returns not the least sign of respect, nor even speaks to the greatest princes; but only lays his hand upon their heads, and they are fully persuaded they receive from thence a full forgiveness of all their sins. It is the opinion of the worshippers of the Grand Lama, that when the Grand Lama seems to die, either of old age or infirmity, his soul in fact, only quits a crazy habitation to look for one younger or better; and is discovered again in the body of sonie child by certain tokens, known only to the lamas or priests, in which or der he always appears.--Buck's Theological Dictionary. 36. ABDALLAH, THE ARABIAN MARTYR. ABDALLAH and Sabat were intimate friends, and being young men of family, in Arabia, they agreed to travel together, and to visit foreign countries. They were both zealous Mahometans; Sabat was the son of Ibraham Sabat, a noble family of the line of Beni Sabat, who trace their pedigree to Mahomet. The two friends. left Arabia, after paying their adorations at the tomb of their prophet at Mecca, and travelled through Persia, and thence to Cabul. Abdallah was appointed to an office of state, under Zemaun Shah, king of Cabul; and Sabat left him there, and proceeded through Tartary. While Abdallah remained at Cabul, he was converted to the Christian faith by the perusal of a Bible (as is supposed) belonging to a Christian from Armenia, then residing at Cabul. In the Mahometan States it is death for a man of rank to become a Christian.--Abdallah endeavoured for a time to conceal his conversion, but finding it no longer possible, he determined to flee to some of the Christian churches near the Caspian Sea. He accordingly left Cabul in |