agree, not to kill any liuing thing, nor to eat of that which hath beene slaine. They ob∣serue [ A] this so strictly, as they redeeme birds which haue beene taken, and set them at liber∣tie. They eat neither turnups nor garlicke, and they vse no wine nor vineger, nor yet nympe nor ortaque, two kinds of drinkes at the Indies. They macerat themselues with much fasting, taking onely at night a little milke with sugar, and the most superstitious among them remaine sometimes twentie daies together without any meat. They giue water with sugar ••o birds and ants: and in Cambaya they haue made an hospitall where they haue care to cure diseased birds. There are some of them which seeing death ap∣proching, bequeath part of their goods to certain persons, to the end they may go into desarts and solitaire places, and present water vnto passengers to quench their thirst. [ B] They weare about their neckes a flint of the bignesse of an egge for their god, hauing certaine lines drawne through the middest. They keepe their candles in lanthomes to the end that butterflies may not burne themselues. They many times call others of their ••••ct, but more austere than themselues, that they may draw out the lice which they haue at their backs, the which they take and feed.
They marrie but once, and when they die their wiues are buried with them. They doe not interre other men, but burne them, and the women in like manner. Widowes which will not cast themselues into the fire, are held infamous, as if they had been conuicted of adulterie. The Banianes weare garments like to the auncient Brachmanes, and they be∣leeue that soules passe from one bodie to another. As for the Bramans or Bramins, they are much more esteemed than the Banianes, & are diuided into two sects; for that some [ C] marrie and remaine in townes, and these retaine the name of Bramans; the others neuer marrie, and are called Ioques. These haue no rents, but liue in great austeritie and vpon almes: they go vp and downe the Indies like pilgrims, and abstaine from all carnall plea∣sures for a certaine time, after which they become Abduts, that is to say, exempt from all lawes, and as it were vncapable of sinne: then they plunge themselues in all beastli∣nesse and villanie, and take all the pleasures they can imagine. They haue a commaun∣der who disposeth of a great reuenue, and distributes it: at certaine times he sends forth many Ioques to preach their follie vp and downe. The Bramins worship one called Para∣bramme, and his three sonnes, in whose honor they weare three strings tied to their necks. [ D] They put among the gods not onely men that haue done any valiant exploits, but also beasts, and they build stately and costly temples vnto them. They worship apes and ele∣phants, but much more oxen and kine. The reason why they so much esteeme oxen and kine, is for that they thinke dead mens soules passe into these beasts rather than into any other. So as when the king creates the Naires, who are as it were knights, he giues them charge to defend the Bramins and kine. They among the Bramins which liue in mari∣time places, called Cuncamme, eat all kind of beasts, except beefe and swines flesh. They haue certain bookes and prophets, by meanes whereof they ground their superstition. They hold that God is blacke, thinking this colour the goodliest of all others; by reason whereof their idolls are blacke and oylie, and so deformed, as they terrifie them that be∣hold [ E] them. They persuade the people that their idolls are great eaters, and therefore they cause them to bring much money and meat; so as by this lying they get wherewith∣all to make good cheere, for that the credulous people do offer twice a day vnto their idolls, and these Bramins eat it. There are some among them that are skilfull in Astrolo∣gie, but they haue all more malice than learning. They haue commonly many wiues, and know the ten commaundments of the law, and their explication, they force them whom they receiue into their discipline to sweare neuer to reueale the mysteries which they shall learne. The first thing they enioine them is neuer to publish that they must worship one God creator of heauen and earth. They haue a certaine strange language, as we the Latine, and they teach Magicke and inchantments in their scholes. Their Do¦ctors [ F] attend the diuine seruice on Sunday, praying vnto God the creator of heauen and earth, and repeating these words often: I worship thee O God with thy grace and suc∣cours eternally. They suffer their haire to grow almost from their infancies, and they hold it sacriledge to take meat from the hands of a Christian.