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CURIOUS PARTICULARS OF THE GENTOO LAWS CONCERNING WOMEN.

FROM MR. HALHED'S CODE OF GENTOO LAWS.

A man, both day and night, must keep his wife so much in subjection, that she by no means be mistress of her own actions; if the wife have her own free will, notwithstanding she be sprung from a superior cast she will yet behave amiss.

So long as a woman remains unmarried, her father shall take care of her; and so long as she remains young, her husband shall take care of her; and in her old age, her son shall take care of her; and if, before a woman's marriage, her father should die, the brother, or brother's son, or such other near relations of her father, shall take care of her; if, affer marriage, her husband should die, and the wife has not brought forth a son, the brothers and brothers sons, or such other near relations of her husband, shall take care of her: if there are no brothers, brothers sons, or such other near relations of her husband, the brothers, or sons of the brothers of her father shall take care of her: if there are none of those, the Magistrate shall take care of her; and in every stage of life, if the persons who have been allotted to take - care of a woman do not take care of her; each in his respective stage accordingly, the Magistrate shall fine them.

If the husband be abject and weak, he shall nevertheless endeavour to guard his wife with caution, that she may not be unchaste, and learn bad habits.

If a man, by confinement and threats, cannot guard his wife, he shall give her a large sum of money, and make her mistress of her income and expences, and appoint her to dress victuals for the Dewtah (i. e.) the Deity.

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If a husband is going a journey, he must give his wife enough to furnish her with victuals and cloaths, until the promised period of his return; if he goes without leaving such provision, and his wife is reduced to great necessity for want of victuals and cloaths, then, if the wife be naturally well principled, she yet becomes unchaste, for want of victuals and cloaths.

In every family where there is a good understanding be. tween the husband and wife, and where the wife is not un"VOL. II.

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chaste, and the husband also commits no bad practices, it is an excellent example:

A woman who always acts according to her husband's pleasure, and speaks no ill of any person, and who can her self do all such things as are proper for a woman, and who is of good principles, and who produces a son, and who rises rom sleep before her husband, such a woman is found only fby much and many religious works, and by a peculiarly happy destiny, such a woman, if any man forsakes of his own accord, the Magistrate shall inflict upon that man the punish ment of a thief.

A woman, who always abuses her husband, shall be treated with good advice, for the space of one year; if she does not. amend with one year's advice, and does not leave off abusing her husband, he shall no longer hold any communication with her, nor keep her any longer near him, but shall provide her with food and cloaths.

A woman who dissipates or spoils her own property, or who procures abortion, or who has an intention to murder her husband, and is always quarrelling with every body, and who eats before her husband eats, such a woman shall be turned out of the house.

A husband, at his own pleasure, shall cease to live with his wife who is barren, or who always brings forth daughters.

If a woman, following her own inclinations, goes whithersoever she chooses, and does not regard the words of her master, such a woman shall be turned away.

A woman, who is of a good disposition, and who puts on her jewels and cloaths with decorum, and is of good princi ples, whenever the husband is cheerful, the wife also is cheerful, and if the husband is sorrowful, the wife also is sorrowful, and whenever the husband undertakes a journey, the wife puts on a careless dress, and lays aside her jewels and other ornaments, and abuses no person, and will not expend a single dam without her husband's consent, and has a son, and takes a proper care of houshold goods, and, at the times of worship, performs her worship to the Deity in a proper manner, and goes not out of the house, and is not unchaste and makes no quarrels or disturbances, and has no greedy passions, and is always employed in some good work, and pays a proper respect to all persons, such is a good women.

A woman shall never go out of the house without the consent of her husband, and shall always have some cloaths upon her bosom, and at festival times shall put on her choicest dress and her jewels, and shall never hold discourse with a strange man; but may converse with a Sinassee, a Hermit, or an old man; and shall always dress in cloaths that reach from

below the leg to above the naval; and shall not suffer her breasts to appear out of her cloaths; and shall not laugh, without drawing her veil before her face; and shall act ac cording to the orders of her husband; and shall pay a proper respect to the Deity, her husband's father, the spiritual guide, and the guests; and shall not eat uutil she has served them with victuals (if it is physic she may take it before they cat) a woman also shall never go to a strangers house, and shall not stand at the door, and must never look out of a window.

Six things are disgraceful to a woman: 1st. To drink wine and eat conserves, or any such inebriating things. 2d. To keep company with a man of bad principles, 3d. To remain separate from her husband. 4th. To go to a stranger's house without good cause. 5th. To sleep in the day-time. 6th. To remain in a strangers house.

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When a woman whose husband is absent on a journey, has expended all her money that he gave her, to support her in victuals and cloaths during his absence, or if her husband went on a journey without leaving any thing with her to support her expences, she shall support herself by painting, by» spinning, or some other such employment.

If a man goes on a journey, his wife shall not diyert herself by play, nor shall see any public show, nor shall laugh, nor shall dress herself in jewels and fine cloaths, nor shall see dancing, nor hear music, nor shall sit in the window, nor shall ride out, nor shall behold anything choice and rare, but shall fasten well the house-door, and remain private; and shall not eat any dainty victuals, and shall not blacken her eyes with eye-powder, and shall not view her face in a mirror; she shall never exercise herself in any such agreeable employment, during the absence of her husband.

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It is proper for a woman, after her husband's death, to burn herself in the fire with his corpse; every woman who thus burns herself, shall, remain in Paradise with her husband three Crore and fifty Lacks of years, by destiny; if she cannot burn, she must, in that case, preserve an inviolable chastity; if she remains always chaste, she goes to Paradise and if she does not preserve her chastity she goes to hell,

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LINES,

ADDRESSED TO MR. KEAN ON HIS FIRST APPEARANCE

OROONOKO.

No venial bard, no hirelings servile lays,

Addresses thec in tributary praise :

To catch the fleeting beauties of thy art,
That meteor like, a passing brilliance dart-
The muse around thy glory would entwine,
And seeks for honour thus in singing thine.-
Who now shall raise the tomb-encircled head,
Or fire with eloquence the mouldering dead?
Who now shall tell what Garrick's self inspir'da
All, bat his memory with himself expir'd !-
When daring Richard seiz'd on England's throne,
In guilt he stood, distinguish'd and alone!-
His valour wins us, as his crimes appal,
With nonght to envy but a soldier's fall!
Few have his crimes,-few his ambition know,
In tracks of blood no sympathies can glow,—
Like safe spectators where volcanoes tear,
We gaze with horror yet remain to fear !
But where's the heart so lost, to love unknown,
Where Oroonoko does not find a home?
Misfortunes eling like tendrils round the breast,
We all have lov'd, and all may be opprest!—
Angola's prince still lives, still breathes in you,
Nor once we dream 'tis only KEAN we view!
Great 'mid thy wrongs, triumphant in despair,
Bright in affections, as in honour clear:
Thy hearers weep, or smile with hope elate,
Alternate mov'd by pity or by hate!

The lover's woes the frequent tear inspires,

Each heart the hero's wrong's, with vengeance fires!
When thou didst all thy storied griefs impart,
Unaided by the muse you won the heart!

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We saw the venom'd shaft, in fancy dy,

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And heard, or thought we heard life's parting sigh !

The pause the arm, the frenzied look were tried,

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And told, ere spoke, 'twas there the hero died !
Who could behold unmov'd,—Įmoinda nigh,
Or bear, unfelt, thy deep convulsive sigh ?—
As o'er thy sense her own lov'd image flew,
Nature suspended, with emotion grew !—
First to the earth no sense was us'd but sight,
Lest voice or motion urge, the phantom's flight!
The mother thus her infants danger near,{
Stood motionless, convuls'd with hope and fear !---
But when in sweet reality of life,

You clasp'd, with frantic joy your long lost wife-
Each look each act, all eloquent pourtray'd,
What human language had in vain essay'd!-
When faithful Aboan told thy children's shame,
Revenge that dwells in blood convuls'd thy frame!
But soon thy soul to generous thoughts return'd,
For liberty, not blood, thy valour burn'd!
When trembling, pale and faint Imoinda came,
To seek thy bosom, as her shield of fame;
What lightning in its vivid course appears,

More blasting than the husbands trembling fears?
But when, all pure, Imoinda still is thine,
Your joys seem less of human than divine!~
O'er your last sorrows silence must prevail !-
The muse to shield herself here drops the veil !
Clements Inn, Jan. 22, 1814.

I

B.

In allusion to the celebrated story of the mother, who pursued her child to the edge of a precipice,-and became motionless with her bosom bar'd to lure it from its danger !

VALENTINE.

Oh! dear, I die, indeed I do,
So fervent is my love for you;
I do indeed sweet Miss ;

Oh! for some friendly hangman's rope,
Or else some physic from the Pope,
Or else sweet girl a kiss.

And as my breast for you do burn,
Pray can't you give some small return
To ease my grief struck soul;

Nor knife, nor sword, nor razor blade
Should then our mutual love invade,
Till our death bell do toll.

If you refuse, Oh! cruel fair,
My brains I'll scatter in the air;
If any I have got;

Or else too charming girl you'll see
I'll dangle on some willow tree,
For wind, and rain, to rot.

And when my ghost's allow'd to rise,
Its grisly form shall meet thine eyes;
If thus you fix my doom;

And as Alonzo's ghost was seen
To bear away false Imogene,

I'll bear thee to the tomb.

A SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF THE PROGRESS OF MANNERS.

Simple Manners of the Greeks-Violent Passions predominate among Savages Cruelty of the Scythians-Barbarous Manners of the Trojans of the Jews.

In early times, people lived in a very simple manner, ignorant of such habitual wants as are commonly termed luxury. Rebecca, Rachael, and the daughters of Jethro, tended their fathers flocks: they were really shepherdesses. Young women of fashion drew water from the well with their

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