ADVERTISEMENT.

THE deferved eftimation in which the Tranf

actions of the various Societies in Great Britain, as well as upon the Continent, have hitherto been held, is a circumftance fo well known, that nothing in this place need be faid upon the fubject; but the lucubrations of the Afiatic Society have not been fo widely diffused. Nearly the whole of the impreffion of the Afiatic Researches is diftributed in the Eaft Indies, therefore very few copies reach Europe; and this, among other reasons, has given rife to the prefent Publication. To fuffer fo many valuable Papers, on a vast variety of Literary, Scientific, and Antiquarian Subjects, to lie buried on the fhelves of a few perfons, would have been an unpardonable offence; but to rescue from a kind of oblivion, and to present to their Countrymen in Europe, a regular series of the Papers communicated to the Afiatic Society, is the intention of the Undertakers of the present Work. This Society, it is well known, had the late excellent and learned Sir WILLIAM JONES for its Founder, and for its Prefident many years; but fince he has favoured the world with an account of its origin in the First Volume of the Work, we shall content ourselves with referring our Readers to that discourse, wherein they will find an ample display of its utility, and a detail of its objects of pursuit,

a 2

IN the Differtation on the Religious Ceremonies of the Hindus, p. 361 of the prefent Volume, the author cites a paffage which appears to have reference to the creation of the universe, and which feems, upon the whole, to bear fome resemblance to the account given by Mofes in the Pentateuch. This naturally leads us to confider the antiquity of both the Mofaic and Hindu Scriptures, and to compare, in fome measure, the accounts given in each work relative to that important fact.

The writings of Moses have generally been confidered as more ancient than those of any other perfon; but the Hindu Scriptures, fo far as the refearches of feveral learned men have extended, appear to be of very high antiquity, and are even carried by fome beyond the time of the Hebrew Lawgiver. Sir W. JONES, in his Preface to the "Inftitutes of Hindu Law, or the Ordinances of MENU, according to the Glofs of CULLU'CA," carries the higheft age of the Yajur Véda 1580 years before the birth of CHRIST, which is nine years previous to the birth of MOSES, and ninety before MOSES departed from Egypt with the Ifraelites. This date, of 1580 years before CHRIST, feems the more probable, because the Hindu fages are faid to have delivered their knowledge orally. CULLU'CA BHATTA produced, what may be faid to be very truly, the shortest, yet the most luminous; the least oftentatious, yet the most learned; the deepeft, yet the most agreeable, commentary on the Hindu Scriptures, that ever was compofed on any author, ancient or mo

dern,

dern, European or Afiatic; and it is this work to which the learned generally apply, on account of its clearness. We fhall not, however, take up your time with a differtation on the exact age of either the Hebrew or the Hindu Scriptures; both are ancient: let the learned judge: but fome extracts from the Hindu and Hebrew accounts of the creation, may ferve to fhew how much they agree together: whether the Hindu Bráhmens borrowed from MOSES, or MOSES from the Hindu Bráhmens, is not our present inquiry.

Extracts from the Laws of

MENU.

THIS univerfe exifted only in the first divine ideayet unexpanded, as if involved in darkness, imperceptible, undefinable, undiscoverable by reason, and undifcovered by revelation, as if it were wholly immerfed in fleep. (Chap. i. 5.)

Then the fole felf-exifting Power, himself undifcerned, but making this world difcernible,with five elements, and other principles of nature, appeared with undiminished glory, expanding his idea, or difpelling the gloom. (Ib. 6.)

He, whom the mind alone can perceive, whofe effence eludes the external organs, who has no vifible

Extracts from the Writings of Moses.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Gen. i. 1.)

parts,