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ART. VII.-The British Government and the Idolatry of Ceylon. By R. SPENCE HARDY, Wesleyan Missionary. London: Crofts and Blenkarn.

WE well remember the time when he who contended that the British were bound, wherever their sway existed, to use their utmost efforts to introduce Christianity, was laughed at by those in authority, and characterized as a visionary by almost all who were deemed to be entitled to the name of enlightened statesmen, or rational beings. Even to allow two or three pious missionaries to set foot upon the soil of Hindostan was thought perilous and ridiculous. It would not only be countenancing an attempt to change the belief of the mild and moral worshippers of Brahma, who were said to be a people that put to shame the majority of the professors of the Christian religion, if social and private virtues were weighed, but it would be at the risk of exciting revolt, and finally depriving us of empire in the East. In the course of years, however, these objections and fears were proved by the best of all evidences, viz. experiment and experience, to be groundless; but when real philanthropists advanced another step, and insisted that the government should desist from lending countenance to idolatry; nay, that positive enactments should be put in force to prevent the grosser observances of the heathen, the cry was returned that the fanatics were again seeking to jeopardize our possessions in the East, without promising any practical benefit to the Hindoo, social or religious.

The friends of Christianity, however, will not relax their efforts, or be otherwise than more strongly nerved by the fallacious arguments and the groundless fears of those who are either the enemies of truth, or callous about its propagation. The longer they reflect upon the subject and upon England's unexampled responsibility, they will become the more earnest and vigorous; they will be the more firmly convinced that a prudent performance of duty cannot entail real and permanent loss, that a blessing, according to the wise providence of God, will attend obedience to his word. What! has England been made mistress of larger territories than ever Rome governed, and without being bound to carry where she has planted her authority the light of the Gospel, and concomitant discouragement to the worship of idols and of demons? And yet how tardy, how trivial, and how dubious, have been her exertions in behalf of the everlasting interests of the amazing multitude, which have been entrusted to her rule! It has been calculated that of her colonists there are ninety-eight millions pagans, or Mahommedans, while the number of Christians does not exceed three millions. Now, is not this an appalling statement? Is it safe to sit at ease, or to quote some stale sentiment about freedom of thought to all,

and equal protection to each, or the danger of meddling with superstition and error, when God has declared that idolatry is "that abominable thing which I hate?"

We are aware that extreme delicacy and prudence are required in the performance of the paramount obligations which colonial power has imposed upon us. Neither would we for a moment advocate a system of coercion against the Budhist, or any other form of religion, with the view of compelling the human mind. No, let even the worshippers of devils in Ceylon be protected; but lend not the slightest countenance to their creed, by word or action.

But does the British government, even at this day, attend to the distinction? Does it mark by every political and moral emphasis possible, an extreme anxiety to discountenance false worship, and to teach and encourage the true? We fear not; we believe that the charge which Mr. Hardy prefers in the essay before us, is not much exaggerated beyond what the facts warrant, when he declares that there is a practical connexion between the British government of Ceylon and idolatry,- that we virtually and manifestly lend to the worship of devils encouragement and countenance. Let us attend to a few of the statements made by the Wesleyan Missionary; for while the imperial government has an awful responsibility imposed upon it by what we are going to notice, no individual who has an opportunity to let his voice be heard is guiltless of tolerating such idolatrous enormities as exist in Ceylon, who does not endeavour to call the attention of the national councils to them.

We shall not trace the manner in which either the maritime, or afterwards the internal provinces of Ceylon came under British rule; but go at once to some of those acts by which the government compromises itself in the matter of idolatry. Now, this is done by the positive countenance of Budhism, when the govern. ment appoints the chief priest in each of the maritime provinces, such being vouched by our anthor as one of the facts, in as far, like as regards all his other allegations, as his utmost efforts to arrive at the truth have enabled him to discover; although he admits that his information is in no instance official. The principal priests of the interior are appointed, we are also told, by the governor of the colony, and hold their offices bene placito; the Budhist priests of Ceylon being divided into the Malwatta and the Asgiri fraternities. There is a variety of ways in which the cognizance of the religion of the natives by our government must appear to them to be countenancing it, and not merely tolerating; for how can we imagine that they can distinguish nicely between principles or motives of policy?

Festivals and processions are got up at the expense, more or less, of the British; and not a few of the regulations connected with

these and other ceremonies, and also the endowments of temples, pass through the hands and under the authority of British officials. Nay, in the name of our Sovereign Lady the Queen, devil-dances and invocations to evil spirits are sanctioued. And says Mr. Hardy, "no person can visit the town of Kandy, the capital of the interior provinces of Ceylon, without being struck instantly by the proud attitude here assumed by idolatry; the principal temple being guarded at night by a soldier wearing the uniform of our most gracious Queen." But our author's account of some of the Budhist festivals will not only convey an idea of the superstitions of Ceylon, but illustrate the nature of the patronage which the government extends to them:

"The Awurudha Festival.-This festival, as its name implies, is held on the 1st day of the year, when the sun enters Mesha, or Aries, which in the present year was on the 21st of March. It is supposed to be a point of the utmost importance to ascertain the exact moment when the ceremonies are to commence, as upon this is said to depend the prosperity of the year; and in the respect which is paid by the Government to the calculations of the Astrologer, encouragement is given to one of the most pernicious errors prevalent among the natives of this island. The principal Astrologer of the present day is Malabar, but there are both Singhalese and Kandyans who are supposed to be able to make the same calculations. It is a state pageant, as well as a religious festival, but is connected, as I have said, with some of the greatest absurdities of Astrology in its preparation. Under the Kandyan Government, the inferior chiefs were at this period re-instated in office, on the payment of a fine, which custom was in some places kept up long after we had obtained possession of the interior, without the knowledge of the authorities, but I have heard no complaints upon this subject in recent times.

"The Nanamura Festival.--The ceremonies of this festival take place at the time when, according to the calculation of the Astrologer, it will be fortunate to bathe for the first time after the commencement of the year.

"The five Wahala Pinkamas.-The word pin means religious merit, or virtue acquired by a course of moral action. It is usually applied by the natives to charity, or almsgiving. According to the Budhist system, all events are the consequence of kusala or akusala, merit or demerit; events proceeding naturally from these causes, as heat from fire, or the tree from the seed. Kusala, or pin, is good,-akusala evil, in a moral or religious. sense. Quod licitum, vel mandatum: quod illicitum, vel prohibitum.' All things proceed from the associated energy or power produced by moral action. Thus. by the united virtue of all creatures,' the world is said to have been produced, according to its present constitution. The Budhists are atheistical only inasmuch as their eos, Placer, or Disposer, (from bew to place) is non intelligent. In proportion to the acquisition of pin is the assurance of prosperity. Alms-giving is the readiest means of acquiring pin; and the highest order, the most meritorious mode, of alms-giving is charity to the priests. A Pinkama is a manufacture of merit.

"When a Pinkama is now to be celebrated, the tomtom is beat by order of the Government Agent, directing persons who are willing to contract for the supply of the articles required for the festival to make application to the cutcherry. The articles consist of robes for the priests, white cloth, oil, &c., as set forth in the usual form; and these are supplied at the expense of the Government. As there is no royal household at present in existence, the merit of the ceremony is supposed by the people to be acquired by the Government, and they naturally imagine that it is for this purpose the festivals are continued."

The British government pays the expenses of a ceremony which consists of invocation by a demon priest :

"In the account paid by the Government for the Perahara of Kandy, the following item is inserted:- For the Devil Dancing called Walliyakoon, £3 13s. 2d.' This dancing is continued seven days after the various Peraharas, both at Kandy and the outstations. I had an opportunity of witnessing the preparations made for the recent ceremony at Lankatilaka, and the priest very readily answered the questions I put to him upon the subject.

"The yakun are not exactly correspondent to the devils of revelation; they are lapsed intelligences, of malignant dispositions, and are supposed to have the power of inflicting diseases and other calamities upon mankind. Their choicest food is human flesh, and their nectar the reeking blood. They are almost universally propitiated among the Singhalese, and a belief in their power is commonly the last superstition that leaves the native mind. on the reception of the truth. The people are in absolute misery from the idea that these infernal spirits are constantly besetting their path; and the gracious discipline of divine Providence, by being attributed to this source, is robbed of all its beneficial influence, and the sufferer is deprived of that consolation which would otherwise be imparted to the mind. The parent, on seeing the drooping form of his child wasted by disease, is haunted by the further thought of agony, that a demon has chosen for its victim the object of his affection; and he applies for relief, not to God in prayer, but to the miserable yakadura, or devil priest. The devils are sometimes invoked to inspire the mind in times of danger, or for the commission of crime. A few days ago two young men were executed in Kandy for murder; they ascended the scaffold with an air of the most perfect indifference, if it were not something rather like triumph, and the bystanders attributed their courage to demoniacal influence.

"The word yakun is also applied to demi-gods, or deified heroes, but in these instances there is usually something fierce or malicious in their character, and they are regarded by the people as devils, though this epithet usually designates a somewhat different species of being. The word Waliyakun seems to be a corruption of Wediyakun, and refers to three heroes, one the son of Vishnu, the second produced from a lotus flower, and the third from a blade of grass: they became famous hunters. I have not been able to discover any consistent reason why they in particular are invoked at the close of the Perahara, though I have had given to me an account of the traditions yet in existence respecting their exploits in this and other coun

tries. The ceremonies were formerly carried on in the palace, but the last king suspecting that thereby the royal premises were defiled, commanded that they should be banished to the dewala, where they are still continued. "The performances last seven days. On the day appointed for their commencement, the yakadura, having previously bathed and put on clean clothes, dedicates himself to the service, and throws the puna nula, or sacred thread, over his shoulder. He then makes the atamangala, a magical diagram of eight sides, with raw rice, and begins to mutter verses and dance, continuing the service until midnight. On the 5th day there are dances in five different modes, and it is believed that if these are not rightly performed the consequence will be death. On the 7th day, there are dances in seven different modes, and the greatest care is required in their performance, or the same fatal consequences will ensue, both to the tomtom beater and the priest. The former seats himself upon a mat and closes his eyes, that he may pay a closer attention to the time, and the priest also closing his eyes, that he may not be tempted to dance in the wrong step. The concluding ceremony is called yakkan, and is celebrated in five different modes.

"Robert Knox refers to the Waliyakun, when he says:- At this time they have a superstition, which lasteth six or seven days, too foolish to write; it consists in dancing, singing, and juggling. The reason of which is, lest the eyes of the people, or the power of the jaccos, or infernal spirits, might any ways prove prejudicial or noisome to the aforesaid gods in their progress abroad.'

"The vouchers for the payment of this item are written in the usual form.. Among the particulars at the head of the receipt it is stated, in so many words, For the Devil Dancing called Waliyakoon.' The voucher is to this effect: Received from the Honourable the Government Agent for the Central Province, the Sum of. . . . . . being in full as per the above account of particulars...... for Her Majesty's Service, and for which I have signed duplicate receipts of the same tenor and date.' Thus there are annual invocations of evil spirits, both in Kandy and at various outstations, which are paid for, from the Government revenue, by a British agent, expressly numerous vouchers testifying to the same as being celebrated FOR HER MAJESTY'S SERVICE.'

If these statements be correct, it can hardly be said that the interference of the government is so slight as to be productive of little harm. Besides, why should not such interference mark very distinctly, and with a beneficent impressiveness, quite an opposite positive sentiment? Mr. Hardy says that the influence of government in Ceylon is paramount. Consequently, whatever it does towards regulating the religion of the country must imply an approbation of that religion.

Having attended to some of those dark features which appear to characterize our government of a large colony, it is proper that we should notice some circumstances which are calculated to inspire hope; for serious as may be the present state of British connexion with idolatry in Ceylon, very considerable improvement has been