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of the Irish Nation at the present Crifis. By John Pratt Winter, Efq is.

Hints to the People of the United Kingdom, and of North Britain in particular, on the prefent Crifis, and fome interefting collateral Subjects. By W. Dickson, L L.D. 19. A Family Addrefs to the Labouring Part of the Community, concerning the prefent State of Public Affairs in Church and State. 8vo. is. 6d.

Thoughts on the old and new Adminiftrations; with a comparative View of their Claim to Public Favour. 2s. 6d.

A Letter to the Earl of Wycombe from Mr. Miles, on the prefent State of Ireland.

35.

A Sermon preached at the Prefentation of Colours to the Queen's Royal Regiment of Volunteers. By the Rev. James Moore, L.L.B. 1S.

Obfervations on the Propriety of effectually employing our prefent Military Forces againít France, and Remarks on the threatened Invafion. Is. 6d.

The Independence of Great Britain, as the first of Maritime Powers, effential to, and the Existence of France in its prefent State incompatible with, the Profperity and Prefervation of all European Nations. 8vo. 2s. Letters from Satan to Bonaparte. Edited by Henry Whitfield, M. A. 3d.

An Addrefs to the Volunteers of Bromley and Bow, and of Weft Ham, delivered at the Baptift Meeting-house, Bow; by William Newman, Dec. 18, 1803. 15.

A Sermon preached to the Loyal Macclesfield Volunteers; by Melville Horne, Member of Christ Church, Macclesfield. Is.

POLITICAL ECONOMY.

The Twentieth Report for bettering the Condition of the Poor. 1s.

The Principles of Taxation; or, Contribution according to Means; in which it is shewn, that if every Man pays in Proportion to the Stake he has in the Country, the prefent System of Taxation, the Customs, and the Excife, may be abolished, and the National Debt eafily paid off. By William Frend, Efq. Is. 6d.

THEOLOGY.

A Sermon preached on the late Faft Day, at Hatton; by Samuel Parr, L.L D. 2s.

A Sermon preached at the Parish Church of St. George, Hanover Square, on the late Faft Day; by Robert Hodfon, A.M. Is.

A new Edition of the last Anniversary Sermon of the Royal Humane Society; by R. Valpy, D.D. To which is added, a Preface, containing Obfervations on the British Critic. 25.

Two Sermons preached before the Corps of Somerfet Place Volunteers; the one on the laft Faft Day, and the other on the Prefestation of the Colours, Oct. 27th. With a Prayer, ufed on the Occafion; by James Davidfon, D.D. 2s. 6d.

The Protection of God our beft Confidence;

a Sermon preached at Surrey Chapel, Dec. 4. Dedicated to the Volunteer Corps; by the Rev. Rowland Hill. Is.

Sermons by John Grose, A.M. Vol. II. 8s. A Sermon preached, as Preparatory to a General Faft, O&t. 16, 1803, at St. George's, Hanover Square; by the Rev. Archer Thompfon, M.A. IS.

Elements of Religion; containing a fimple Deduction of Chriftianity, from its Source to its prefent Circumftances; by Mrs. Marriot. 4 vols. 12mo. 18s. boards.

The English Diateffaron; or, the Hiftory of Our Lord Jefus Chrift, from the compounded Texts of the Four Evangelifts, according to the authorized English Version. With Notes; accompanied by a brief Harmony of the Gofpels, a Map of the Holy Land, &c. By the Rev. Richard Warner. 8vo. 6s. boards.

The Chriftian Directory; or, Sure Guide to prefent and eternal Happiness; by the Rev. Richard Baxter. Abridged from the Original, by Adam Clarke, Tranflator of Sturme's Reflections, 4 vols, &c. In 2 large vols. 8vo. 16s. boards.

A Sermon preached at the Parish Church of Trinity in the Minories, on the laft Faft Day; by Henry Ely, D.D. 8vo. 25 pages.

A Letter to a Parishioner, upon fome par ticular Questions refpecting Tithes; containing Texts of Scripture, in Proof of the Arguments adduced. 8vo. 16 pages.

The Ground of Encouragement on the prefent National Danger; a Sermon preached at Clapham, O&, 23, 1803, by John Venn, M.A. 8vo. 35 pages.

Goliah lain, and the Philistines put to flight; a Sermon preached at Cirencester, October 19, by the Rev. John Bulman, 4to. 22 pages.

Two Sermons delivered at Renfrew, Q&tober the 20th, being the Day appointed for a General Faft in Scotland; with a particular Addrefs to the People; by the Rev. Thomas Burns, 8vo. 39 pages.

A Sermon preached before the Delivery of the Colours to the Corps of Durham Volun teer Infantry, November the 6th; by Reynold Gideon Bowyer, L.L.B. To which is added, an Addrefs to the Corps; by Lieute nant Colonel Fenwick. 4to. 20 pages.

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ASIATIC RESEARCHES of the SOCIETY
INSTITUTED in BENGAL.

WREDE, efq. has laid before this

ty were, at this period, difcovered in China, they maintain that the fame apoftle preached in that remote region,

Ffociery an account of the St. Thome and dome of t in that remote

Chriftians on the coaft of Malabar, the particulars of which are as follow. The first Portuguese adventurers were not more furprifed than, gratified to find Chriftians on the Malabar coaft: their exultation was however but temporary, for upon inveftigation they found that thefe Chriftians followed the doctrines of Neftorius, and acknowledged, inftead of the Pope, the Patriarch of that fect, refiding in Syria, for their ecclefiaftical chief.

In the beginning of the 15th century thefe Chriftians poff ffed 110 churches in the countries now fubject to the Travan. core and Cochin Rajahs; and even at the prefent time, after manifold perfecutions, oppreffions, and fucceffive revolutions, that have almoft depopulated the whole coaft, they are computed to amount to no less than 150,000 fouls. They are indifcriminately called St. Thomé Chrif tians, Neftorians, Syrians, and fometimes the Malabar Chriftians of the mountains, but the most common name given to them by the Hindoos of the country, is that of Nazaranee Mapila, and more frequently Surians, or Suriance Mapila.

The Portuguete beftowed upon them the name of St. Thomé Chriftians, pro bably from their fit founder and bishop whofe name was Mar Thomé, from whom every ecclefiaßical chief or bishop affumes the name of Mar Thomé, although his real name be Jofeph, Abraham, &c. Hence the Portuguefe miffionaries maintain that St. Thomas the Apoftle preached the gofpel in India, and was martyred at Malliapoor now St. Thomé and as veftiges of Chriftiani

paffed from thence to the Brazils. The Malabar Chriftians they say, had a long time continued without ecclefiaftical chiefs, cr communication with the rest of the Chriftian world, till they found means to procure bithops from Moful in Syria, who unfortunately had been the abetto: s of Neftorius, and through their means this herely was introduced among the chriftians of Malabar.

All traditions and Malabar records agree, that the Syrian Chriftians were known, and had been fettled on the Malabar coaft, long before either the Arabs or the Jews. The arrival of Mar Thome may be placed about the middle of the 5th century. The first mention of a Syrian colony of Chriftians is made in the reign of Cocoorangon Perumal, who probably lived in the 6th century. A wealthy Syrian merchant of the name of Thomé Cannaneo, is faid to have landed and fettled at Cranganore. He married two wives, one of the Nair, and one of fome low cat, by whom he had a very numerous progeny, who, after his death, had great difputes about his inheritance. Th fe led to a feparation, the fons by the Nair woman feitling in the fouthern parts, and the others in the northern parts of Malabar.

The St. Thomé Christians poffeffed upwards of one hundred villages fituated moftly in the mountainous part of the fouthern divifion of Malabar. Their habitations were diftinguished from those of the Hindoos, by being chiefly folid buildings, and collected in villages not fcattered and difperfed as thole of the Brains and Nairs. They obeyed their

archbishop

archbishop both in civil and ecclefiaftical matters, paying a very moderate tribute to the Rajahs, in whofe territories they lived. They paid no tithes to the clergy, but at their weddings they used to offer the tenth of the marriage gift to their churches. At thele festivals they were very profufe and oftentatious, and they celebrated them with great pomp ; it was then principally that they had occafion to make a fhew of the privileges granted them by one of the Perumals; as of the bride and bridegroom riding upon ele-, phants, of having the hair ornamented with flowers of guld, of different musical inftruments playing, as alfo of flags of different colours carried before them. They all wore fwords and targets, and fome of them had firelocks; they were great marksmen, and, from their eighth year, used to frequent their firing fchools. The girls were precluded rom all inheritance, even if no fons were in the family. This fingular law, which is fo contrary to all Malabar cultoms, proves that the St. Thomé Christians were imported originally from Syria.

In religion, they followed the doctrine of Neftorius: they rejected the divine nature of Christ, and called the Virgin Mary, only the Mother of Chrift, not of GOD: they maintained that the Holy Gholt proceeded only from God: they admitted no images of faints in their churches, where the crofs alone was to be feen they had only three facraments; Baptifin, the Eucharift, and the Orders: they did not believe in tranfubftantiation, nor in purgatory; the faints they say are not admitted to the pretence of God, but are kept in a third place till the day of Judgment.

Their priests were permitted to marry, and the whole ceremony of marriage confits in tying a tring round the girls neck. They reckoned their Sunday from Saturday evening Vefpers, till the firft matin of Sunday, fo that after fun-rife they might work again.

Such was the happy Situation of the Chriftians of St. Thomé till the arrival of the Portuguese in India, who finding all mild meatures to reclaim them to the Roman rites in vain, feized their archbihop Mar Jofeph, and fent him prifoner to Portugal, but he had the art to ingratiate himself with the Queen, who permitted him to return, upon promifing to bring about an union between his flock and the See of Rome.

In the mean time the St. Thomé Chrif tians had applied to the then Patriarch of

Babylon for a new Metropolitan, whom they obtained in the perfon of Mar Abraham. But he had fcarcely taken poffeffion of his See, when Mar Joseph returned. The confequence was, that all the Malabar Chriftians divided themfelves into two parties, one adhering to Mar Jofeph, and the other to Mar Abraham. The former, however, prevailed and caufed Abraham to be feized in order to be fent to Europe. The veffel in which he was, touched at Mofambique, where he found means to ef cape, and from thence to get to Babylon over land, from whence he proceeded to Rome, and, pretending to recant the Neftorian herefy, he was newly ordained, confecrated and loaded with the highest ecclefiaftical dignities though it afterwards appeared, that he was itili a zealous adherent to his old faith.

The Portugele clergy were much difpleafed with the conduct of Mar Jofeph, who, notwithstanding all his promifes to the Queen, continued to goven his flock according to the tenets of Netorius, and to prevent rather than promote a re-union. with the Roman Catholics, fo that a new order for his imprisonment was made in the year 1567. He was accordingly a fecond time transported, first to Portugal,* and afterwards to Rome, where he con trived to make his peace with the Pope; but before he could undertake a new voyage to India, he died at Rome, on the eve of being made a cardinal.

Mar Abraham had in the mean time arrived at Goa, with new authority from the Pope, but the archbishop De Menezes on examining his credentials, pretended that Mar Abraham had deceived his holi nefs, and confined him in a convent, from which, however, he efcaped, and was received with exultations by all the St. Thomé Chriftians, and was left in quiet poffeffion of his See till his death. Meafures were, however, taken that no Syrian prieft might in future find his way to the Malabar Christians, and as the Portuguefe were completely matters of Ormuz, and the whole navigation on this, fide of India, they eafily prevented all intercourfe between the Neftorian Patriarch at Babylon, and the St. Thomé Chriftians at Angamales. They ftand even accufed of having drowned a new Syrian biop in the year 1644 in the road to Cochin. Mar Abraham died about the year 1597, profeffing to the taft moment of his lile his adherence to the Neftorian church, and his abhorrence of the tenets of the Popish religion.

Menezes

1

Menezes refolved to vifit in perfon the Malabar Chriftians, who had elected a priest of their own of the name of George. The appearance of a man of his birth, rank, wealth, and power, as primate of India was decifive. He affembled moft of the Syrian priefts, and four elders from each village, and after fome fhow of difputation, he proceeded to dictate the law to them, and to appearance the Netorians of Malabar were united to the Roman church.

This re-union of the St. Thomé Chrif tians to the See of Rome was, however, neither general, nor fincerely lafting: for, a fhort me after they found their way to the mountains of Travancore, where they revived the old doctrines and rites, and ever fince they have kept up their communication with the Jacobites and Nettoriars of Syria. At prefent there are thirty-two churches of this defeription remaining, which are called Schifmatic Syrians by the Portuguese and Roman clergy. They have a bishop, one Mar Thomé, who refides at Narnatte. About 84 of the old St. Thomé churches remain united to the Roman Catholic religion, and are governed by the archbishop of Cranganore, or as he ftyles himself, the archbishop of the Malabar Christians of the mountains. Since the death of the aft archbishop, the governor of Goa, who had formerly the nomination, appointed a Vicar General, he is a na rive of Malabar, of Syrian extraction, of the name of Thomé Enamakel. The united St. Thomé Chriftians retain only the peculiarity of the Chaldean language being till used in their churches, for which they are furnithed with the neceffary books.

The St. Thomé or Syrian Chriftians never claimed the particular protection of either the Portuguese or Dutch, but confidered themf-lves as fabjects of the different Rajahs in whofe diftricts they lived; and as long as the old Hindoo fyftem lafted, and the former divifion of the country, under a variety of petty Rajahs, was preferved, they appear to have enjoyed the fame degree of freedom, eafe, and confideration as the Nairs. But when the Rajahs of Travancore and Cochin had fubjected to themselves all the petty Rajahs and chiefs, they eltablifhed a molt oppreffive defpotifm, in the room of the former mild limited Oligarchy, and we cannot be furprized to behold the prefent wretched fituation of those formerly fo flourishing Syrian villages, fince we fee the Bramins and

Nairs ftript of most of their old prerogatives, and fubject to almost the fame oppreffions and extortions.

Captain David Richardfon has prefented to the fame fociety an account of the Bazeegurs, a fect commonly denominated Nuts, who are ftrictly speaking players or actors, from their Perfian name of Bazee-gur, which may be literally rendered a juggler; but the appellation of Nut extends to feveral tribes, and properly belongs to many more; each party having branched out and formed itself into a distinct fect, agreeably to the habits of life or modes of fubfiftence which neceffity and local circumstances may have induced them to adopt, as their own peculiar calling or art.

The Bazeegurs are fub-divided inte feven cafts, but the difference feems only in name, for they live together and intermarry as one people. They profess to be Moofulmans, but have little know ledge of the prophet. They acknowledge a God, and in all their hopes and fears addrefs him, except when fuch addrefs might be fuppofed to interfere in Tanlyn's department, a famous mufician whom they confider as a fort of tutelary deity; confequently they look up to him for fuccefs and fafety in all their profef fional exploits. Thefe conlift of playing on various inftruments, finging, dancing, tumbling, &c. The two latter accomplishments are peculiar to the women of this fect. The notions of religion and a future Rate among this vagrant race, are principally derived from their fongs which are fimple and beautiful. They are commonly the production of Kubeer, a poet of great fame. On every occafion of doubt, they have a quotation ready from their favourite bard; and in anfwer to any queries refpecting the ftate of the foul after death, the following tanza is repeated:

Nor foul nor love divine can die,'

Although our frame must perish here, Still longing hope points to the fky; Thus sings the poet Das Kubeer. They conceive one fpirit pervades ail nature, and that their foul being a particle of that univerfal fpirit, will of courfe rejoin it, when releafed from its corporeal fhackels.

At all their feafts, men, women, and children drink to excefs. Liquor with them is the fummum bonum of life; every crime may be expiated by plentiful libations of ftrong drink, and, in fome cafes, to the ordinary fine, is added this pecu

liar punishment of having their nofes rubbed on the ground.

Though profeffing Ilamifm, they emplay a Brubman, who is an adept in aftrology, to fix on a name for their children, whom they permit to remain at the breast till five or fix years of age. Their marriages are deferred to a later period of life, in confequence of a daughter being confidered as productive property to the parents, by her profeffional abilities. The girls, who are merely raught to dance and fing, have no reftriction on their moral conduct; but the chaftity of the tumblers is strictly enjoined, until their ftations can be firpplied by younger ones, trained up in the fame line. After the matrimonial ceremony is over they no longer exhibit as public dancers. A total change of conduct is expected and generally ensues.

There are in and near Calcutta, five fets, of these people, and to each is appointed a Surdar or manager, one of whom is confidered as the chief or Nardar Boutah. The people of each fet are hired by the Surdar for a certain period, after which they are at liberty to join any other party. No perfon can eftablish a fet without the fanction of the Nardar Boutah, who receives a fourth of the profits, befides a tax of two rupees which is levied on the girls of each fet, as often as they may have attracted the notice of perfons not of their own caft. When the parties return from their ex curfions, this money is paid to the Nardar Boutah, who convenes his people, and they continue eating and drinking till the whole is expended. When any of the Surdars are fufpected of giving in an unfair ftatement of their profits, they are brought to trial, and subjected to a fine for liquor, and if it be not imme diately paid, the delinquent is banished from their fociety; his wife and children even avoid him.

ing with a quantity of herbs and dried birds, and begging from dor to door, offer their fervices generally to the females only, in the cure of whofe ailments they pretend to have a peculiar knowledge. Should it fo happen that they do not return home before the jackals cry is heard in the evening, their fidelity is fufpected, and they fubject themselves to the difphafure of their husbands, and are punified accordingly.

The marriage. ceremonies are truly farcical; but when the bride is delivered into the hands of the bridegroom, he is expected to behave kindly to her, and fhe is reminded of the neceffity of conducting her felf as a good and obedient wife. The man then makes a mark with red powder on her forehead, faying, "this is my wedded wife." She repeats the fame ceremony upon her husbands face. The merriment then begins, and each endeavours to accomplish the fooreft the bufinefs of intoxication, except the wife, who on that day is expected to refrain. A little after day-light the whole party prepare to fet off for the bridegroom's houfe, and the dowry is delivered. Before the houfe ftands an earthen pot filled with water; and in it is placed à finall fresh branch of a Mangce tree; an emblem of plenty. The mother comes forth with a fieve, containing rice, &c. which the waves round each of their heads three times, and touches their foreheads with it. The bridegroom then leads the bride into the houfe where the is received by the mother with many welcomes. The men and women again affemble, and in the evening fcenes of intoxication fucceed, their greatest enjoyment confifts in the groffet indulgence of the fenfual appetites.

Captain Richardfon, after many other particulars, fhews that the jugglers who arrived in Europe about the 13th century, and who introduced the viol with The Budeea Nuts differ from the Bu- three strings, were of a race very similar zeegurs in fome particulars. The men to what the Bazeegurs are at this day, are remarkably athletic, and adroit in in confirmation of which he introduces every kind of flight of hand, practifing an extract from Doctor Burney's History juggling in all its branches. As tumb- of Music. He then draws a parallel lers, they exhibit not only feats of agi. lity, but great inftances of ftrength. They inter their dead, and the only ceremony feems to be, to forget their forrows by getting completely drunk immediately afterwards. The women are not allowed to witness their juggling exploits; they have a department allotted to themfelves, which confifis of the practice of phyfic, &c. they usually fally out in the mora

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between the Gipfies of Europe and thefe Bazeegurs. They are both a wandering race, and have a language peculiar to themselves. The Gipfies have their king, the Nuts their Nardar Boutah: they go in companies, and their employments are fimilar. They are both confidered as thieves; and to both religion feems of no concern.

VARIETIES

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