eight thousand horse into the field; and only one can exceed half that number. They have no infantry in their own country, except for the defence of their forts and villages, though they generally serve as foot soldiers in foreign armies. They are bold and rough in their address; but characterized as brave, active, and cheerful, more open and sincere than the Mahratta, and less rude and savage than the Afghan. Deceitfulness and cruelty is not, according to our author, justly imputable to the Sikhs in a greater degree than to the other Indian tribes." If the Sikh often appear wanting in humanity, it is not so much to be attributed to his national character, as to the habits of a life, which, from the condition of the society in which he is born, is generally passed in scenes of violence and rapine." But where these habits and this condition of society is common to a whole nation, what is it, we may ask, but a national character?

The professed religion of the Sikhs is deism; but in practice a bias is retained toward the monstrous superstitions of the Hindus. The law-givers, as well as historians of India, are generally also poets; and the eastern, like the western mythology, offers so much inviting machinery, that orthodox poets of either country find it expedient to use it. Morality is almost at its lowest ebb among them. Nanak, however, among other good tenets left them this," He only is a true Hindu whose heart is just; and he only is a good Muhammedan whose life is pure." Admission into the fraternity of the Sikhs is attended with no difficulty, and with but few and unimportant ceremonies. As a warlike people, they are aware of the advantages of number, and every candidate is admitted of whatever tribe or persuasion.

Of their habits and prejudices many amusing instances are given, which we have no room to insert. Talking very loud is common, and is attributable to the boisterous tenor of their lives, or to a mutual distrust which forbids an approach close enough for convenient colloquial intercourse. A blue garment and a lock of hair are the chief distinctions of a Sikh: the latter espe cially, for which their jealous regard is so great, that, like the Chinese, it is as bad as death to be deprived of this occipital appendage. Shaving the beard seems also a sad disgrace. General Malcolm relates an anecdote of a Sikh chief who was appointed to attend him to Calcutta. He rallied the warrior on trusting himself with strangers so far from home. "What harm can befal me?" said the chief. I passed my hand across my chin, imitating the act of shaving. In an instant the man's face was distorted with rage, and his sword half drawn; and it was with great difficulty that his wounded honour could be pacified, and that he could be prevented from wreaking his vengeance on two

+

Sikh chiefs who were present, whom he suspected of having smiled at the supposed insult offered him. They deny themselves the use of tobacco, but think they are permitted to use spirits, and indulge very freely. "They all drink to excess, and it is rare to see a Sikh soldier after sunset quite sober. Their drink is an ardent spirit made in the Penjab; but they have no objection to either the wine or spirits of Europe." One of the chiefs attending Lord Lake at a review was observed to droop and become uneasy toward evening. "Futeh Sinh wants his dram," said another to General Malcolm, "but is ashamed to drink before you." requested he would follow his custom, which he did by drinking a large cup of spirits. Opium and intoxicating drugs are also freely indulged in by the Sikhs, in common with most of the other military tribes of India. They are all horsemen, and delight in riding; but their horses are degenerated. Swords, spears, and matchlocks, are their usual arms. Some retain the bow and arrow, a species of weapon for which their forefathers were celebrated. They profess to despise luxury of diet and dress, and pride themselves in their coarse fare, and plain apparel. Our readers would not expect to find the trial by jury in use among the Sikhs. Such a mode of trial, as well as arbitration are, however, known and practised among them; and indeed in most parts of India. They have existed from time immemorial; and usually the jury consists of five persons, hence called Panchayet.

We have given more attention and room to our notice of this article on the Sikhs than its importance may appear to many of our readers to demand. But a very few years back, let it be recollected, they were to us the most interesting (shall we say portentous?) power, next to the Mahrattas, in India. As we have become more and more acquainted with them, we discover their weakness in the laxity of the ties that bind the chieftains to their government, and in the jealousies and dissensions that threaten to dissolve it. A powerful excitement may, however, stimulate them to a union of interest and exertion; and had Buonaparté been able to persevere in his gigantic project of invading India by land, the promised plunder of the British provinces would have attached the Sikhs to his standard among his earliest auxiliaries. We must wait for another opportunity for laying before our readers the remaining articles of the ten of which the present volume is composed.

1

The reader is desired to correct meas into nostras in page 106 of the preceding number of this Review, which in the hurry of altering the quotation from the singular into the plural, escaped the observation of the corrector of the press.

We find too upon looking into the first of the Sermons now composing the third volume of Dr. Horsley's Sermons, that we have been guilty of an inadvertency in making the bishop say that the word rendered 'the Lord' in our translation of the 2d and 3d verses of Malachi, should be translated 'JEHOVAH.' The mistake might arise from supposing the bishop to mean that as the import of the passage 'the Lord shall come to his temple' could only be applicable to the Divinity to whom the temple was consecrated, i. e. the LORD JEHOVAH himself, it should have been so translated. In this, however, we find ourselves mistaken. The Hebrew words are 75 x 2, and Dr. Horsley has well explained the Hebrew Adun' to be a word of large and various signification, denoting dominion of any sort and degree, though by force of the context it is here made to enlarge its signification to the sense of JEHOVAH. Philalethes of Dublin will see that we do not disregard the suggestions of a sound and erudite mind, though we do not consider the mistake of as much importance as he seems to regard it. Page 242, line 13, for Phinehas read Aaron,

LIST

OF

NEW WORKS

PUBLISHED

IN THE MONTHS OF MARCH, APRIL, AND MAY, 1813.

AGRICULTURE.

Farey's General View of the Agriculture of Derbyshire, drawn up for the Board of Agriculture. Vol. II. 158.

A Treatise on the Culture of Wheat, recommending a System of Management founded upon successful Experience. 8vo.

7s. 6d.

A Sequel to the Address to the Practical Farmers of Great Britain, on important Subjects of Horseshoe Husbandry. By R. Worthington, M.D. vo. 2s. 6d.

ASTRONOMY.

Evening Amusements, or the Beauties of the Heavens displayed, for 1813. By W. Frend. 12mo. 35.

BIOGRAPHY.

Biographical List of the House of Commons.

sewed.

Royal 18mo. 58.

The Life of Luther, with an Account of the early Progress of the Reformation. By Alexander Boyer. 8vo. 12s. boards.

The Life of Lord Nelson. By Robert Southey. 2 Vols. Foolscap. Ios. boards.

The Life of the Marquis of Wellington, Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo, &c. &c. with copious Details, historical, practical, and military. By Francis L. Clarke. 8vo. 12s. 6d.

CLASSICS.

Museum Criticum, or Cambridge Classical Researches, No. I. 4s. Euripides Heraclidæ et Recension Petri Elmsley, A.M. qui Annota tiones suas et Aliorum Selectas adjecit. 8vo. 5s. 6d. boards.

Prælectiones Academicia Oxonii habitæ Ad Edardo Copleston, S. T. B. 15s. boards.

8vo.

M. Tullii Ciceronis de Natura Deorum liber quartus E. Pervetusto, Codice M. S. Membranaceo nunc primum edidit P. Seraphinus, Ord.. Fr. Min. 8vo. Bouania, 1811. 8vo. 5s. sewed.

Yeate's Hebrew Grammar, with new Tables. Third Edit. 4s.

COMMERCE.

The Expediency maintained of continuing the System by which theTrade and Government of India are now regulated. By R. Grant, Esq. 8vo. 128. boards.