The more immediate end which the followers of this relig ion propose to themselves, is a state of happiness in this world. They have indeed some, though but obscure and imperfect, notions of the immortality of the soul, and a future state of bliss or misery. And yet, little mindful as they are of what will become of them in that future state, so great is their care and attention to worship those gods whom they believe to have a peculiar share in the government and management of this world, with a more immediate influence, each according to his functions, over the occurrences and necessities of human life. And, although they acknowledge a Supreme Being, who, as they believe, dwells in the highest heaven, and though they likewise admit of some inferior gods, whom they place among the stars, they do not worship and adore them, nor have they any festivals sacred to them, thinking, that beings, which are so much above us, will little concern themselves about our affairs.

However, they swear by these superior gods, whose names are constantly inserted in the form of their oath: but they worship and invoke those gods, whom they believe to have the sovereign command of their country, and the supreme direction of its produce, its elements, water, animals, and other things, and who, by virtue of his power, can more immediately affect their present condition, and make them either happy or miserable in this life. They are the more attentive in paying a due worship to these divinities, as they seem to be persuaded, that this alone is sufficient to cleanse and to purify their hearts, and that doubtless by their assistance and intercession, they will obtain in the future life rewards proportionable to their behaviour in this. This religion seems to be nearly as ancient as the nation itself.

The priests teach their system of divinity to others for a proper consideration, and under an obligation of secrecy ; particularly when they come to the last article, which relates to the beginning of all things, they take special care not to reveal the same to the disciple, till he has obliged himself with an oath signed with his hand and seal, not to profane such sacred and sublime mysteries, by discovering them to the ignorant and incredulous laity. The original text of this mysterious doctrine is contained in the following words taken out of a book, which they called Odaiki: "Kai fakuno fasime Dsjusio Fuso Tatojaba Jujono sui soni ukunga Gotosi Tentsijno utsijni Itsi butsu wo seosu Katats Igeno gotosi fenquas ste sin to nar kuni toko datsno Mikotto to goos ;" that is, "In the beginning of the opening of all things, a chaos floated, as fishes

swim in the water for pleasure. Out of this chaos arose a thing like a prickle, moveable and transformable; this thing became a soul or spirit, and this spirit is called Kunitokodatsno Mikotto."

The Sinsju, that is, the adherents of the Sintos religion, call their temples, or churches, mia, which word signifies dwelling places of immortal souls. They come nearest to the fana of the ancient Romans, as they are, generally speaking, so many lasting monuments erected to the memory of great men. They call them also jasijro, and sia, or sinsja, which last takes in the whole court of the mia, with all other buildings and dependencies belonging to it. The gods, who are the subject of their worship, they call Sin and Cami, souls or spirits. Sometimes also they honour them with the epithet of Miosin, sublime, illustrious, holy; and Gongen, just, severe, jealous.

The mias, as indeed all convents and religious houses in general, as well of this as of their other sects, are seated in the pleasantest parts of the country, on the best spots of ground, and commonly within or near great cities, towns, villages, and other inhabited places. A broad and spacious walk, planted with rows of fine cypress trees, leads strait to the mia, or else to the temple-court, on which there are sometimes several mias standing together, and in this case the walk leads directly to that, which is reckoned the chief. The mias are, generally speaking, seated in a pleasant wood, or on the ascent of a fine green hill, and have neat stone stair-cases leading up to them.

The adherents of the Sintos religion do not believe thePythagorean doctrine of the transmigration of souls, although almost universally received by the eastern nations. Howev

er they abstain from killing and eating those beasts which are serviceable to mankind, thinking it an act of cruelty and ungratefulness. They believe that their souls, after their departure from the bodies, migrate to a place of happiness, seated just beneath the thirty-three heavens and dwelling places of their gods, which, on this account, they call Tkamanofarra, which signifies, "high and sub-celestial fields;" that the souls of those who have led a good life in this world are admitted without delay; but that the souls of the bad and impious are denied entrance and condemned to err, without a time sufficient to expiate their crimes. This is all they know of a future state of bliss.

They admit no hell, no places of torment, no Cimmerian darkness, no unfortunate state attending our souls in a world to

come. Nor do they know of any other devil, but that which they suppose to animate the fox; a very mischievous animal in this country, and so much dreaded, that some are of opinion, that the impious after their death are transformed into foxes; which their priests call Ma, that is, evil spirits. The chief points of the Sintos religion are,

1. Inward purity of heart.

2. A religious abstinence from whatever makes a man impure.

3. A diligent observance of the solemn festivals and holy days.

4. Pilgrimages to the holy places at Isie. very religious people add,

5. Chastising and mortifying their bodies.

To these some

Let us speak of these severally :-To begin, therefore, with inward purity of heart, which consists in doing, or omitting those things which they are ordered to do, or to avoid; either by the law of nature, the dictates of reason, or the more immediate and special command of civil magistrates.

As to external purity, the observance whereof, though less material in itself, has yet been more strictly commanded. It consists in abstaining from blood; from eating flesh, and from dead bodies. Those who have rendered themselves impure by any of these things are thereby disabled from going to the temples; from visiting holy places, and in general from appearing in the presence of the gods. Whoever is stained with his own or other blood, is fusio for seven days, that is, impure and unfit to approach holy places. No woman must come to the temple during monthly terms. It is commonly believed, that in the holy pilgrimage to Isje, the monthly terms do for that time entirely cease: which, if true, must be owing either to the fatigues of a long and tedious journey, or to their taking great pains to conceal it, for fear their labour and expenses should thereby become useless. Whoever eats the flesh of any four footed beast, deer only excepted, is fusio for thirty days. On the contrary, whoever eats a fowl wild or tame, water fowls, pheasants, and cranes excepted, is fusio but a Japanese hour, which is equal to two of ours. Whoever kills a beast, or is present at an execution, or attends a dying person, or comes into a house where a dead body lies, is fusio that day.

But of all the things which make us impure, none is reckoned so very contagious as the death of parents and near re lations. The nearer you are related to the dead person, se much the greater the impurity. All ceremonies to be ob

served on this occasion, the time of mourning, and the like, are determined by this rule. By not observing these precepts, people make themselves guilty of external impurity, which is detested by the gods, and become unfit to approach their temples.

The celebration of solemn festivals and holidays, which is the third essential point of the Sintos religion, consists in what they call Majiru; that i-, in going to the mias and temples of the gods, and deceased great men. This may be done at any time, but ought not to be neglected on those days particularly consecrated to their worship, unless the faithful be in a state of impurity, and not duly qualified to appear in the presence of the immortal gods, who detest all uncleanness.

They perform their devotions at the temple in the following manner: the worshippers having first washed and cleaned themselves, put on the very best clothes they have, with a kamisijno, as they call it, or a garment of ceremony, every one according to his ability.

Thus clad, they walk with a composed and grave countenance to the temple-court, and, in the first place, to the basin of water, there to wash their hands, if needful, for which purpose a pail is hung by the side of it; then casting down their eyes, they move on, with great reverence and submission towards the mia itself; and having got up the few steps which lead to the walk round the temple, and are placed opposite to the grated windows of the mia, and the looking glass within, they fall down upon their knees, bow the head quite to the ground, slowly, and with great humility; then lift it up again, still kneeling, and turning their eyes towards the looking-glass, make a short prayer, wherein they expose to the gods their desires and necessities, or say a takamano farokami jodomari, and then throw some putjes, or small pieces of money, by way of an offering to the gods, and charity to the priests, either through the grates upon the floor of the mia, or into the alms-box, which stands close by; all this being done, they strike the bell thrice, which is hung up over the door of the mai, for the diversion of the gods, whom they believe to be highly delighted with the sound of musical instruments; and so retire to divert themselves the remaining part of the day, with walking, exercises, eating or drinking, and treating one another in the very best manner they are able.

Their feasts, weddings, audiences, great entertainments, and in general all manner of public and private rejoicings, are made on these days in preference to others; not only because they are then more at leisure, but chiefly because they fancy

that their gods themselves are very much delighted, when men allow themselves reasonable pleasures and diversions. All their rebis, or holidays in general, are unmoveable, being fixed to certain days. Some are monthly, others yearly.

The merchants worship and devote themselves in a more peculiar manner to the four following gods, as gods of fortune and prosperity.

He

1. Jebisu was Tensio Dai Sin's brother, but by him disgra ced and banished into an uninhabited island. It is said of him that he could live two or three days under water. is, as it were, the Neptune of the country, and the protector of fishermen, and seafaring people. They represent him sitting on a rock, with an angling-rod in one hand, or the celebrated fish tai, in the other.

2. Daikoku, is said to have the power, that wherever he knocks with his hammer he can fetch out from thence any thing he wants, as for instance, rice, victuals, cloth, money, &c. He is commonly represented sitting on a bale of rice, with his fortunate hammer in his right hand, and a bag laid by him, in which he puts whatever he knocks out.

3. Tossitoku; and by some called Kurokusi. The Japanese worship him at the beginning of the new year, in order to obtain from him subsistence, success and prosperity in their undertakings. He is represented standing clad in a large gown with long sleeves, a long beard, a huge monstrous forehead, and large ears, and a fan in his right hand.

4. Fottei, by some called Miroku, is represented with a great huge belly. His worshippers expect from his benevolent assistance, among other good things, health, riches, and children.

These are the greatest of the Japanese gods, and the fes tival days sacred to them. There are many more saints and great men, whose memory is celebrated on particular days, because of their noble actions, and great services done to their country.

Of the Jammabos, or Mountain Priests.-Jammabos signifies, properly speaking, a mountain soldier. They are a sort of hermits, who pretend to abandon the temporal for the sake of the spiritual and eternal; to exchange an easy and commodious way of life for an austere and rigorous one; pleasures for mortifications; spending most of their time in going up and down holy mountains, and frequently washing themselves with water, even in the midst of the winter. The richer among them, who are more at their ease, live in their own houses. The poorer go strolling and begging about the

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