the life of william carey-第59节

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before　he　was　believed；　or　the　higher　law　was　enforced；　as　it　has　ever　since　been　even　in　our　tributary　States；　mothers　had　burned　with　sons；　and　forty　wives；　many　of　them　sisters；　at　a　time；　with　polygamous　husbands。　　Lepers　and　the　widows　of　the　devotee　class　had　been　legally　buried　alive。　Magistrates；　who　were　men　like　Metcalfe；　never　ceased　to　prevent　widow…murder　on　any　pretext；　wherever　they　might　be　placed；　in　defiance　of　their　own　misguided　Government。

Though　from　4th　December　1829memorable　date；　to　be　classed　with　that　on　which　soon　after　800；000　slaves　were　set　free〃the　Ganges　flowed　unblooded　to　the　sea〃　for　the　first　time；　the　fight　lasted　a　little　longer。　　The　Calcutta　〃orthodox〃　formed　a　society　to　restore　their　right　of　murdering　their　widows；　and　found　English　lawyers　ready　to　help　them　in　an　appeal　to　the　Privy　Council　under　an　Act　of　Parliament　of　1797。　　The　Darpan　weekly　did　good　service　in　keeping　the　mass　of　the　educated　natives　right　on　the　subject。　　The　Privy　Council；　at　which　Lord　Wellesley　and　Charles　Grant；　venerable　in　years　and　character；　were　present；　heard　the　case　for　two　days；　and　on　24th　June　1832　dismissed　the　petition！

Though　the　greatest；　this　was　only　one　of　the　crimes　against　humanity　and　morality　which　Carey　opposed　all　his　life　with　a　practical　reasonableness　till　he　saw　the　public　opinion　he　had　done　so　much　to　create　triumph。　　He　knew　the　people　of　India；　their　religious；　social；　and　economic　condition；　as　no　Englishman　before　him　had　done。　　He　stood　between　them　and　their　foreign　Government　at　the　beginning　of　our　intimate　contact　with　all　classes　as　detailed　administrators　and　rulers。　　The　outcome　of　his　peculiar　experience　is　to　be　found　not　only　in　the　writings　published　under　his　own　name　but　in　the　great　book　of　his　colleague　William　Ward；　every　page　of　which　passed　under　his　careful　correction　as　well　as　under　the　more　general　revision　of　Henry　Martyn。　　Except　for　the　philosophy　of　Hindooism；　the　second　edition　of　A　View　of　the　History；　Literature；　and　Mythology　of　the　Hindoos；　including　a　Minute　Description　of　their　Manners　and　Customs；　and　Translations　from　their　Principal　Works；　published　in　1818　in　two　quarto　volumes；　stands　unrivalled　as　the　best　authority　on　the　character　and　daily　life　and　beliefs　of　the　200；000；000　to　whom　Great　Britain　had　been　made　a　terrestrial　providence；　till　Christianity　teaches　them　to　govern　themselves　and　to　become　to　the　rest　of　Asia　missionaries　of　nobler　truth　than　that　wherewith　their　Buddhist　fathers　covered　China　and　the　farther　East。

All　the　crimes　against　humanity　with　which　the　history　of　India　teems；　down　to　the　Mutiny　and　the　records　of　our　courts　and　tributary　states　at　this　hour；　are　directly　traceable　to　lawless　supernaturalism　like　that　of　the　civilised　world　before　the　triumph　of　Christianity。　　In　nothing　does　England's　administration　of　India　resemble　Rome's　government　of　its　provinces　in　the　seven　centuries　from　the　reduction　of　Sicily；　240　B。C。；　to　the　fall　of　the　Western　Empire；　476　A。D。；　so　much　as　in　the　relation　of　nascent　Christianity　to　the　pagan　cults　which　had　made　society　what　it　was。　　Carey　and　the　brotherhood　stood　alone　in　facing；　in　fighting　with　divine　weapons；　in　winning　the　first　victories　over　the　secular　as　well　as　spiritual　lawlessness　which　fell　before　Paul　and　his　successors　down　to　Augustine　and　his　City　of　God。　The　gentle　and　reasonable　but　none　the　less　divinely　indignant　father　of　modern　missions　brings　against　Hindoo　and　Mohammedan　society　accusations　no　more　railing　than　those　in　the　opening　passage　of　the　Epistle　to　the　Romans；　and　he　brings　these　only　that；　following　Paul；　he　may　declare　the　more　excellent　way。

As　Serampore；　or　its　suburbs；　is　the　most　popular　centre　of　Jaganath　worship　next　to　Pooree　in　Orissa；　the　cruelty　and　oppression　which　marked　the　annual　festival　were　ever　before　the　missionaries'　eyes。　In　1813　we　find　Dr。　Claudius　Buchanan　establishing　his　veracity　as　an　eye…witness　of　the　immolation　of　drugged　or　voluntary　victims　under　the　idol　car；　by　this　quotation　from　Dr。　Carey；　whom　he　had　to　describe　at　that　time　to　his　English　readers；　as　a　man　of　unquestionable　integrity；　long　held　in　estimation　by　the　most　respectable　characters　in　Bengal；　and　possessing　very　superior　opportunities　of　knowing　what　is　passing　in　India　generally：　〃Idolatry　destroys　more　than　the　sword；　yet　in　a　way　which　is　scarcely　perceived。　　The　numbers　who　die　in　their　long　pilgrimages；　either　through　want　or　fatigue；　or　from　dysenteries　and　fevers　caught　by　lying　out；　and　want　of　accommodation；　is　incredible。　　I　only　mention　one　idol；　the　famous　Juggernaut　in　Orissa；　to　which　twelve　or　thirteen　pilgrimages　are　made　every　year。　　It　is　calculated　that　the　number　who　go　thither　is；　on　some　occasions；　600；000　persons；　and　scarcely　ever　less　than　100；000。　　I　suppose；　at　the　lowest　calculation；　that　in　the　year　1；200；000　persons　attend。　Now；　if　only　one　in　ten　died；　the　mortality　caused　by　this　one　idol　would　be　120；000　in　a　year；　but　some　are　of　opinion　that　not　many　more　than　one　in　ten　survive　and　return　home　again。　　Besides　these；　I　calculate　that　10；000　women　annually　burn　with　the　bodies　of　their　deceased　husbands；　and　the　multitudes　destroyed　in　other　methods　would　swell　the　catalogue　to　an　extent　almost　exceeding　credibility。〃

After　we　had　taken　Orissa　from　the　Marathas　the　priests　of　Jaganath　declared　that　the　night　before　the　conquest　the　god　had　made　known　its　desire　to　be　under　British　protection。　　This　was　joyfully　reported　to　Lord　Wellesley's　Government　by　the　first　British　commissioner。　　At　once　a　regulation　was　drafted　vesting　the　shrine　and　the　increased　pilgrim…tax　in　the　Christian　officials。　　This　Lord　Wellesley　indignantly　refused　to　sanction；　and　it　was　passed　by　Sir　George　Barlow　in　spite　of　the　protests　of　Carey's　friend；　Udny。　In　Conjeeveram　a　Brahmanised　civilian　named　Place　had　so　early　as　1796　induced　Government　to　undertake　the　payment　of　the　priests　and　prostitutes　of　the　temples；　under　the　phraseology　of　〃churchwardens〃　and　〃the　management　of　the　church　funds。〃　　Even　before　the　Madras　iniquity；　the　pilgrims　to　Gaya　from　1790；　if　not　before；　paid　for　authority　to　offer　funeral　cakes　to　the　manes　of　their　ancestors　and　to　worship　Vishnoo　under　the　official　seal　and　signature　of　the　English　Collector。　　Although　Charles　Grant's　son；　Lord　Glenelg；　when　President　of　the　Board　of　Control　in　1833；　ordered；　as　Theodosius　had　done　on　the　fall　of　pagan　idolatry　in　A。D。　390；　that　〃in　all　matters　relating　to　their　temples；　their　worship；　their　festivals；　their　religious　practices；　their　ceremonial　observances；　our　native　subjects　be　left　entirely　to　themselves；〃　the　identification　of　Government　with　Hindooism　was　not　completely　severed　till　a　recent　period。

The　Charak；　or　swinging　festival；　has　been　frequently　witnessed　by　the　present　writer　in　Calcutta　itself。　　The　orgie　has　been　suppressed　by　the　police　in　great　cities；　although　it　has　not　ceased　in　the　rural　districts。　　In　1814　the　brotherhood　thus　wrote　home：

〃This　abominable　festival　was　held；　according　to　the　annual　custom；　on　the　last　day　of　the　Hindoo　year。　　There　were　fewer　gibbet　posts　erected　at　Serampore；　but　we　hear　that　amongst　the　swingers　was　one　female。　　A　man　fell　from　a　stage　thirty　cubits　high　and　broke　his　back；　and　another　fell　from　a　swinging　post；　but　was　not　much　hurt。　Some　days　after　the　first　swinging；　certain　natives　revived　the　ceremonies。　　As　Mr。　Ward　was　passing　through　Calcutta　he　saw　several　Hindoos　hanging　by　the　heels　over　a　slow　fire；　as　an　act　of　devotion。　　Several　Hindoos　employed　in　the　printing…office　applied　this　year　to　Mr。　Ward　for　protection；　to　escape　being　dragged　into　these　pretendedly　voluntary　practices。　　This　brought　before　us　facts　which　we　were　not　aware　of。　　It　seems　that　the　landlords　of　the　poor　and　other　men　of　property　insist　upon　certain　of　their　tenants　and　dependants　engaging　in　these　practices；　and　that　they　expect　and　compel　by　actual　force　multitudes　every　year　to　join　the　companies　of　sunyassees　in　parading　the　streets；　piercing　their　sides；　tongues；　etc。　　To　avoid　this　compulsion；　many　poor　young　men　leave　their　houses　and　hide　themselves；　but　they　are　sure　of　being　beaten　if　caught；　or　of　having　their　huts　pulled　down。　　The　influence　and　power　of　the　rich　have　a　great　effect　on　the　multitude　in　most　of　the　idolatrous　festivals。　　When　the　lands　and　riches　of　the　country　were　in　few　hands；　this　influence　carried　all　before　it。　　It　is　still　very　widely　felt；　in　compelling　dependants　to　assist　at　public　shows；　and　to　contribute　towards　the　expense　of　splendid　ceremonies。〃

The　Ghat　murders；　caused　by　the　carrying　of　the　dying　to　the　Ganges　or　a　sacred　river；　and　their　treatment　there；　continue　to　this　day；　although　Lord　Lawrence　attempted　to　interfere。　　Ward　estimated　the　number　of　sick　whose　death　is　hastened　on　the　banks　of　the　Ganges　alone　at　five　hundred　a　year；　in　his　anxiety　to　〃use　no　unfair　means　of　rendering　even　idolatry　detestable；〃　but　he　admits　that；　in　the　opinion　of　others；　this　estimate　is　far　below　the　truth。　　We　believe；　from　our　own　recent　experience；　that　still　it　fails　to　give　any　just　idea　of　the　destruction　of　parents　by　children　in　the　name　of　religion。