576

Account of the Works of Zoroafter.

er exifts, whether animate or inanimate; among the inanimate things which are thus addreffed, is the Stout Jefeht, the first work of Zoroafer, which treats of the nature of God, & of the angels, and the Jzechne; praife is also offered to angels, to animals, to A Hadokht, the twenty first treatile of Zoroafier, to the ox from which the first man proceeded, to the river Varkafs, to the Honover or word, and to the Efcbem: vahou; this prayer pronounced in the hearing of thofe who are fo near death as to be fpeechlefs, is faid to afford them great advantages: The tree called Hom, is alfo celebrated in the Vipered, in which the Djouti, and the Rapi, are reprefented as performing religious ceremonies round the fire; and Zoroafter addreffes himself to the fword of the Lord, to the club or mace with which the angel Meher C ftrikes the Devil, who would defolate the world, and to the bridge which leparates heaven' from earth.

Holiness is particularly recommended to pricfts, & marriages between Coufin Germans to the rest of the faithful.

Laftly, the Vipered gives the names D of the feven empires, or parts of the world, Erezebio, Sfcouebio, Frededafschebio, Videdafschebio, Vorober eftebio, Vorodjerefbio and Keneretche. The Pehlvie Cofmogony places Eresebio to the W. Sicouebio to the E. Frededafschebio and Videdafschebio to the S. Vorodjer efbia to the N. and Keneretche, which includes Iran, in the centre of the earth,"

Several small fragments taken from the Zend pieces, which will be particularly mentioned in the fequel, are alfo fometimes found in the Vendidad Sade, befides the three works already mentioned; the copy here referred to, was made in the year of fefedjerd,

083, and in the year of our Lord 87137. At the end of the volume appears the following paragraph, written in modern Perfic, with Zend characters,

E

At Gab Avan, on the happy day Zamiad, of the bleffed month Meber, in G the year 1083, of Jefurdierd, king of kings, a prince mighty in power, the copy of this book called Djedjerdad, was compleated, with a fatisfaction that afcended in praife to the Supreme Being, by the flave of the law Darab

Erbed, an inhabitant of Naucars, and the fon of Roufleun, who was the fon of Daval; let him who that read or recite this book, offer up a prayer for me in this world, that in the next my foul may be happy: according to this word, the pure fpirits of paradife have eternal joy.

II. The Vendidad in Zend, and Peblvic mixed with Pabzend, collated with the copies of Bikb, the Defour Mobed of Surat, and that of Darab his adverfary, and correfponding exaЯly with all the Vendidads of Surat. This work is a folio of 488 pages.

When the Perfes fled from the perfecution of the defcendants of Omar into India, they carried the books of their law with them, but the diftreffes and confufions of war, and the connections which they formed with the Indians, produced infenfibly fuch a neglect of the Pehlvic, that the tran flations of it into that language being loft 450 years ago, nothing remained of the Vendidad but the fix first chap. ters, tranflated from the Pehlvic into Samskretam; but, at this time, one and twenty chapters of the Vendidad Zend, with a Peblvic tranflation, were bro't from Sifan to India, by the Detour Ardefchir, from which two copies were immediately made, and from thefe all the copies now in ufe at Guzarate have been tranfcribed: the copy now brought into France was made in 1757: III. The zechne Zend and Samfkretam, and Jefehts Sades; a folio of 616 pages.

The Samfkretam tranflation of the Jzechne from the Peblvic, contains only the first 66 chapters, and for thefe, the world is indebted to the care of the Mobeds, Nerioengue the fon of Daval, and Ormufliar the fon of Ramyar, who about 300 years ago, tranflated from the Pehlvic into Samfkretam, all that is now to be found in that language.

The Jefchts Sade, is a volume which contains 18 efches, and many Perfic and Zend works in Zend characters.

The Jefchts are pompous praifes of Ormus, and the 15 angels, whole sames are Ardibefcht, Khordad, Avan, Ktor chid, Mah, Tir, Gofch, Meher, Sferojch, Rafchneraft, Farvardin, Behram, Ajchtad, Hom, and Venant.

Zoroafter, in the Ormafd Jefeht, demands of Ormufd, What is that sublime and delectable word which gives victory and diffufes light; which to man is the guide of life, which difappoints the efforts of the malignant fpirit, and which gives • heaki

578

Account of Political Papers,

"God have mercy upon me, and re"ceive my body and foul in this "world, and that which is to come!" The penitent then proceeds to a particular mention of his fins, which are of twenty-five different fpecies.

Thefe confeffions are in modern Perfic, mixed with Peblvic. They are thought to have been compofed in Pehlvic by Aderbad Mahrepand, the thirtieth defcendant from Zoroafter, a celebrated Deflour, and restorer of the law under the reign of Sapour, the fuccelor of Ardefbir Babekan. who lived in the third century of the Christian

gera.

A

B

3. The Afergans. Thefe are prayers in Zend, confifting of feveral paflages of the Außa brought together, and are fuppofed to be of a later time than that of Zoroafter. Thefe prayers C which are mixed with thanksgiving, are addressed to the Gabanbars to Gabthas, names of the last five days of the year, to the angel Dahman, and to the angel Rapitan, who prefides over the fecond part of the day, called Gah Rapitan.

o'clock to fun fet; Gab Evefferoutren the 4th, lafts from fun fet to midnight, and Gab Ofchen the 5th, from midnight to fun rifing. These prayers to the Gabs are in Zend.

6. The Neka. The Neka is the benediction given by the Mobed to the faithful, and is written in Peblic, mixed with modern Perfian. Doctor Hyde had a copy of this work, which he calls Zend Avesta, though the paffage which he cites from it is in modern Perfic.

7. The Nerengs. Thefe are little forms of prayer which the Parffes are obliged to recite on the most common occations, when they begin a piece of work, or when they fet out on a journey. They may be compared to our collects, and are in modern Perfic.

The MS of which I have now given an account, is very ancient, and without a date. I faw a copy of it at Dr Hunt's, profeffor of Arabic at Oxford, which was brought into England by Mr Frafer, who obtained it of Bekb, the Defour Mobed of Surat. Dr Hunt had alio copies of the Zend Nearfchs, and D the Neka in Zend characters, which were made in the year 1672, and had been in the collection of Dr Hyde.

The Gabanbars are festivals of five days each, which were inftituted in memory of the creation of the world, or at least of its being reduced into order, which, according to the Perffes, was a work that continued three hundred and fixty-five days. Of thefe Gabanbars there are fix in every year. E Mediozerem the first Gabanbar, is celebrated in honour of the creation of the heavens, which lafted five and forty days.

Mediofchem, the fecond Gabarbar, was appointed in commemoration of the waters, which were created in fixty days.

Petefchem, the third, refers to the creation of the earth in 75 days.

Eiatremeche, the fourth, to the creation of the trees in 30 days.

Mediareie, the fifth, to the creation of animals in 80 days, and Hamefpetemede the fixth, to the creation of man in 75 days.

4. The Afrans, which are free trandations of the Afergans into modern Perfic.

5. The prayers which are addreffed to the five Gabs, over which five dif ferent angels prefide. The Parles divide the day into five parts, which they call Gahs, times; the first is Gab Avan, which begins at fun rifing, and ends at noon; the second Gab Rapitan, lafts from noon to three o'clock; Gab Ofiren the third, lasts from three

F

(To be continued.) 611

Account of the Political Papers. Canti, nued from p. 536.

THE

HE AUDITOR, No. XXVI. contains a defence of the peace, as adequate, fecure, and glorious, from a pamphlet publifh'd during Mr Pitt's negociation with M. Buy, entitled, A detection of falfe facts and reasonings, in five letters froni Guadaloupe. This pamphlet is faid to be written by a gentleman who will be, for near a year to come, Right Honourable; & it does not only irrefragably prove that North American territory is not a barren uninbabited waffe, like Bagfhot-heath, but ftrongly recommends a plan of pacification, which was then adopted, and G is now carried into execution: No doubt, therefore, fays the Auditor, he will fupport it with that bonourable uniformity of principle, and that abborrence of faction, for which he is fo justly dif tinguithed. The following extracts from the pamphlet, will fufficiently shew the purport and fpirit of it.

“Our fugar islands, befides fupplying our home confumption, has ena bled us to export, as appears from the Cuftom-house accounts, no less than 20,000 hogtheads of fugar every year

Account of Periodical Papers.

during the war, to foreign markets, and nothing can be more certain than that we have more fugar lands than there are people to cultivate, and that all measures tending to divide and difperfe our fugar colonies, will be injurious to Great Britain, and to the fugar trade of this nation.

"Jamaica alone is capable of fupplying not only Britain, but all Europe with fugars of her own growth, and therefore allowing Guadaloupe all its pretended merit, it is evident that an addition of this territory is not wanted, and it would be bad policy to fupplant the cultivation of the British fugar iflands, properly fo called, for the advantage of a conquered enemy."

579

flands; therefore should the fovereigns to whom the latter belong, make a bad use of them, to the prejudice of the British empire upon the North American continent, or in any other part of the world, Great Britain will have it in A her power to add them to the rest of her conquefts. What nation foever fhall have the poffeffion of North-America, that nation will always have it in its power to diftrefs and take the fugar iflands."

"In regard to wood for fhipping, iron, hemp, and naval ftores, the more B North America under the British government, shall improve thefe valuable branches, the greater will be the bleffing to the mother-country. The decay of oak in Old England, which is "Theadvantages to be expected from but too visible in the total extirpation an extent of North American territory, of the largest plantations of that naval if it be judged of from the great accefs of power, trade, and riches, gra- C timber; the impoffibility of procuring mafts fit for our hips of war, without dually received by England from that the affiftance of the wood iu North-Acontinent, in proportion to the extenmerica; the hazard and distress to fion of its cultivation, are beyond all which Britain might be reduced for iconception, and whoever has capacity ron, hemp, pitch and tar, by an emto purfue the natural history of thofe bargo upon those commodities in Savediftant climates, will be informed that den, Ruffia, &c. without which the nanature has referved immenfe treasures D val power of Great Britain could not upon that continent, and the adjacent put to fea; I say, all these interesting islands and feas, to reward the utmost confiderations ought to prevail, as they of our endeavours for their preferva. do, with this nation, not to be jealous fion. The increase of Indian friends, of the American trade, but to encouby the conquest of Canada, is another rage the growth of wood for fhipping, advantage; it delivers our fettlers from and the produce and manufactures of their fears of being cut off by favages; it opens a way to new difcoveries in E naval ftores, because it would make thofe immenfe fums of ready money trade and commerce, and improves the paid by our merchants to the Swedes, confumption of the manufactures of Runs, &c. to circulate in our own the mother country. No body can colonies, and to become the purchase tell what the back Indian's can do in of our woollen, filk, and linnen maregard to trade; every Indian reduced nufactures." to the British yoke will be cloathed with the woollen manufacture of Great Britain."

"Weare able to fupply every demand of fugar without Guadaloupe; we are not able to carry on the furr trade with advantage, except we can keep Canada; therefore Canada is preferable to Guadaloupe: elpecially if we take into our argument the local fecurity which our plantations fhalt enjoy from that acquifition, and the deliverance of Britain, the mother-country, from continual war and endless expences, to counter-act the fchemes of France for wrefting their whole territory of North America from the fovereignty of the British crown."

"It is a truth that can't be contradicted, that whoever is in poffeffion of all North America, will always be able to diftrefs and take the Weft Indian i(Gent, Mag. Dec. 1762-)

F

G

"The acquifition of the Milippi would be an additional fecurity to our Southern provinces; because the natural enemy of our liberty and trade could find no fhelter to disturb our peace. The inhabitants of Louifiana are weak, and the communication with Europe is precarious. Thofe colonies have no fupplies either of men or ammunition among themselves; and where the winds are fo adverfe, and the navigation fo hazardous, they can have no dependance for fupplies on Old France.'

580

Account of

Periodical Papers.

As all Europe can be ferved with the fame commodities, and upon as equitable conditions of traffic from the Eaft and Weft Indies, from Africa and North America, by the English, as heretofore by the French, there can lie no objection, in-point of trade, for England's A retaining the poffeffion of her conquests made during this war.

Reverse the object, and we shall fee it to be the interest and inclination of all Europe for England to keep thefe conquefts. The fishery and fugar colonies and trade of Africa and India B 'made France rich; riches made her powerful; power fed her ambition; and her ambition would not be fatisfied without grafping at univerfal monarchy. Therefore it fhould be the inclination as well as the interest of all Europe, to prevail with England to keep her conquefts, because only that can fecure a fafe and lafting peace, and preferve Europe from the terror of the French arms.

The BRITON, No. XXV, contains an answer to this question, What have we got by the peace in return for the mowey we have spent, and the blood we have D fhed during the war? The answer is in fubitance as follows:

A. We have accomplished the original aim of the war, which was to afcertain the limits of Nova Scotia, and to fecure our American colonies from the encroachments and depradations of the French in Canada, and their Indian allies, the whole country, in litigation being folemnly ceded to Grew Britain. We have alfo gained an immense territory, the whole country of New France, not a wide extended defart, as it hath been infidiously reprefented, but a country fmiling with cultivation, with populous cities, towns, and plantations, watered with mighty navigable rivers, and prodigious lakes, affording a vast extent of inland nayigation: a country abounding with excellent furs, timber, fish, and doubtlefs with many other valuable productions of the animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms; a country extending many thoufand leagues to the North Weft, even to the coats of the Pacific Ocean, comprehending unnumbered tribes of Savages, who may in time be civilized, and employed advantageously in behalf of the British commerce. With this country, we have gained an acceffion of many thoufand indultrious fubjects, by whose means thofe favages may be cul

F

tivated and civilized, as the Canadiacs are already intermingled with the native Indians, understanding their language, and can conform to their cuf

toms.

We have to the fouthward enlarged our boundaries as far as the Mili, and fecured a free navigation on that river, to which, before this treaty, we never had accefs.. Thus our American empire is bounded on the North and South by two noble rivers, above 1500 miles afunder, and ftretches Weltward through countries, nations, and languages unknown. With refpect to the fishery, we have reftricted our reftlefs rivals in fuch a manner, that they can never rival us again, except through our own floth or want of coconomy; for he must be weak indeed, who thinks the French confined to the inconfiderable rocks of St Peter and Miquelon, will ever be able to cure one fifth part of the fish which they manufactured while they pofleffed the inland of Cape Breton, and the coafts of the gulph of St Lawrence, from whence they are now expelled.

We have gained the three (formerly neutral) idlands of Tobago, St Fincent, and Dominica, which, though affectedly undervalued at this juncture, by the partifans of faction, have been deemed of fuch confequence, that attempts to fettle them have excited jealoufies, produced negociations and remonftrances, and had very near kindled war between the two nations, even in our own remembrance. So lately as the year 1748, information having been received that the French intended to fettle thefe neutral islands, the nation took the alarm, and it was deemed a parliamentary concern, that a motion was made in the house of com mous to addrefs the king, that he would be gracioully pleased to give directions for laying before the house copies of the inftructions given to the governor of Barbadoes, for ten years paft, fo far as they related to these Gneutral illands. Nor is this alarm to be wondered at, if we confider that they are naturally fertile, well fupplied with wood and water; fo capable of cultivation, that in a little time their produce might exceed in value that of all our fugar iflands, Jamaica and Barbadoes excepted; and fo intermingled with the French iflands, as to be effectual checks upon their enterprifing inhabitants. We have moreover gained the large and fruitful ifland of Grenada, already fettled and fortified

H