DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70300#0286
&52 kirby’s wonderful museum.
A second instance, more dreadful than the former, is con-
tained in a letter from Father Martin, a Jesuit missionary
in Madua :—
“ The prince of Marava dying in 1710, his wives, to the
number of forty-seven, were burned with his corpse in the
following manner-They digged a deep ditch without the
town, and in it erected a pile of wood, on the top of which
the deceased was laid, richly clothed and adorned ; when
they had set this on fire, with a world of ceremonies per-
formed by the Bramins, that company of unfortunate wromen
appeared, covered with jewels, and adorned with flowers,
like so many victims designed for the sacrifice. They walked
several times about the pile, the heat of which was perceived
at a great distance. The chief of them having addressed
the successor of the late prince, resigned the dagger of the
deceased into his hands, who took it without shewing the
least sign of grief or compassion. Alas! said she, what
farther comes of all human happiness ! I am sensible I am
throwing myself headlong into hell! These words struck
all the spectators with horror. She had a Christian woman
in her service, who frequently discoursed with her concerning
the truths of revealed religion, in order to persuade her to
embrace Christianity, but without success. She having
spoke thus, boldly turned her face to the pile, and calling up
her gods, flung herself into the midst of the flames. The
second of these women was the sister of Raya, a prince of
the blood, who assisted at that detestable ceremony: when
he received the jewels from his sister, with which she was
adorned, he broke out into tears, and embraced her most
tenderly: she seemed moved at it; and with a resolute
countenance, looked some time at the pile, sometimes at the
assistants, cried with a loud voice Sheeva, Sheeva, which is
the name of one of her idols, and threw herself in the midst
of the flames, as the first had done. The other women
followed her soon after; some of them appeared composed,
A second instance, more dreadful than the former, is con-
tained in a letter from Father Martin, a Jesuit missionary
in Madua :—
“ The prince of Marava dying in 1710, his wives, to the
number of forty-seven, were burned with his corpse in the
following manner-They digged a deep ditch without the
town, and in it erected a pile of wood, on the top of which
the deceased was laid, richly clothed and adorned ; when
they had set this on fire, with a world of ceremonies per-
formed by the Bramins, that company of unfortunate wromen
appeared, covered with jewels, and adorned with flowers,
like so many victims designed for the sacrifice. They walked
several times about the pile, the heat of which was perceived
at a great distance. The chief of them having addressed
the successor of the late prince, resigned the dagger of the
deceased into his hands, who took it without shewing the
least sign of grief or compassion. Alas! said she, what
farther comes of all human happiness ! I am sensible I am
throwing myself headlong into hell! These words struck
all the spectators with horror. She had a Christian woman
in her service, who frequently discoursed with her concerning
the truths of revealed religion, in order to persuade her to
embrace Christianity, but without success. She having
spoke thus, boldly turned her face to the pile, and calling up
her gods, flung herself into the midst of the flames. The
second of these women was the sister of Raya, a prince of
the blood, who assisted at that detestable ceremony: when
he received the jewels from his sister, with which she was
adorned, he broke out into tears, and embraced her most
tenderly: she seemed moved at it; and with a resolute
countenance, looked some time at the pile, sometimes at the
assistants, cried with a loud voice Sheeva, Sheeva, which is
the name of one of her idols, and threw herself in the midst
of the flames, as the first had done. The other women
followed her soon after; some of them appeared composed,