mediate dependants, of whatever nation or religion, but the case is different with people who are under their authority, without being personally connected with them. The countries which are completely subdued, as Cashmeer and the provinces on the Indus, suffer much from the rapacity of individuals, and if they do not often undergo the extremes of tyranny, it is only because wanton cruelty and insolence are no part of the Afghaun character.

Their independence and pretensions to equality make them view the elevation of their neighbours with jealousy, and communicates a deep tinge of envy to their disposition. The idea that they are neglected and passed over, while their equals are attended to, will lead them to renounce a friendship of long standing, or a party to which they have been zealously attached. Unless, however, they meet with particular wrongs or insults, they are said to be faithful in friendship once formed, and mindful of favours, if not effaced by subsequent slights. I can answer for this peculiarity in their character, that they will do any thing that is wanted of them with much more zeal, if a present is made to them in advance, than if it is withheld in the hope of quickening them by expectancy.

It may be foreseen from their customs, which make private revenge a duty, that! they will long retain the remembrance of injuries; but this is true only of such serious injuries as they are bound in honour to retaliate; in affairs of less consequence, they

are neither irritable nor implacable.

I know no people in Asia who have fewer vices, or are less voluptuous or debauched; but this is most remarkable in the west; the people of towns are acquiring a taste for debauchery, and those in the north-east of the country, are already far from being pure. The Afghauns themselves complain of the corruption of manners, and of the decline of sincerity and good faith, and say that their nation is assimilating to the Persians. Their sentiments and conduct towards that nation, greatly resemble those which we discovered some years ago towards the French. Their national antipathy, and a strong sense of their own superiority, do not prevent their imitating Persian manners, while they declaim against the practice, as depraving their own. They are fully sensible of the advantage which Persia bas over them at present, from the comparative union and vigour of her councils, and they regard the increase of her power with some degree of apprehension, which is diminished by their inattention to the future, and by their confidence in themselves. To sum up the character of the Afghauns in a few words; their vices are revenge, envy, avarice, rapacity, and obstinacy; on the other hand they are fond of liberty, faithful to their friends, kind to their dependants, hospitable, brave, hardy, frugal, Îaborious, and prudent; and they are less disposed than the nations in their neighbourhood to falsehood, intrigue, and deceit.

PRIESTS.

·(From the Same.)

The Moollahs, and all the religious, even if they have no offices, are fond of preaching up an austere life, and of discouraging the most innocent pleasure. In some parts of the country, the Moollahs even break lutes and fiddles, wherever they find them. Drums, trumpets, hautboys, and flutes, are exempted from all this proscription, as being manly and warlike; but all other music is reckoned effeminate, and inconsistent with the character of a true Mussulman. This austerity, however, is little practised by the people. The Moollahs are generally restrained to censuring the more important breaches of religion and morality; and, in many parts, they have no power at all.

The Moollahs are very numerous, and are found in every rank, from the chief courtiers and ministers to the lowest class in the poorest and wildest tribes. They are most numerous in proportion to the body of the people about towns. When mentioned as a body, they are usually called the Ulima (or learned).

They are generally active, and comparatively able men, much at tached to the interests of their own body, and careful to maintain its ascendancy. They are in possession of the greatest part of the learning of the country. The education of the youth, the practice of the law, and the administration of justice in all parts of the country, completely under the royal authority, are entirely en

vantages, together with the respect which their superior knowledge commands among an ignorant and superstitious people, enable the Moollahs in some circumstances to exercise an almost unlimited power over individuals, and even over bodies of men; to check and control the governors and other civil officers; and sometimes, to intimidate and endanger the king himself. This power is employed to punish practices contrary to the Mahommedan law, when they occur among its orthodox professors; to repress Sheeahs, and other infidels; and, at least as often, to revenge the wrongs or forward the interests of individuals of the religious order. The influence of the Moollahs is often more beneficially exerted in reconciling quarrels, in parts of the country where there are no other means of preserving the public peace. Troops of these holy personages often come with their flowing robes into the midst of two ooloosses, drawn out for battle. They hold out the Koraun, repeat Arabic prayers, exhort the people to remember their God, and their common religion; and, seldom, if ever, fail to disperse them for the time, if they do not bring about a permanent reconciliation.

The Moollahs are particularly powerful about Peshawer, and through all the Berdooraunee country. In the city of Peshawer, the king's authority keeps them in some restraint, and obliges them to seek redress for private injuries from the civil power, or to wait an opportunity of fastening on their enemy some charge of heresy

or infidelity, which may expose him to the bigotry of the people or to the legal persecution of the Gauzy; but, in the remote parts of that country, an injury or an insult to a Moollah would itself be sufficient to raise a tumult. On those occasions, the Moollahs send round to their brethren to assemble, suspend the public worship, and the ceremonies of burial, pronounce their antagonists infidels, and formally excommunicate and curse them. If this fails in forcing their enemies to submit, they parade the country with the green standard of the prophet, beating drums, and proclaiming the Selaut (or war-cry of the Mussulmans). They announce, that all who fall in their cause will be martyrs, and that all who -fail to join them are excommunicated. By these means, they soon assemble a mob. (or as they call it themselves an army); and, as the Afghauns are more afraid of their anathemas than their arms, they generally bring their adversaries to their terms, which include the right to plunder and burn the houses of the chief offenders, and to impose a fine on their abettors. Stories are told of the walls of towns falling down at the shout of an army of Moollahs; and swords are blunted, and balls turned aside, when aimed at the life of these holy personages. Yet, a stand was once made against them, even near Peshawer, when the Haukun of Hushtnugger resisted an army of them who came to enforce an usurious contract, and beat them off with loss, to the great joy of the neighbourhood. Though treated with great respect in this part of the country,

I believe they are more feared than loved. In the west, their power is much more limited, and their character much more respectable. They are, in consequence, generally popular, particularly in the country: but, even there, they are complained of for the vices of their order, and for their intrusive and insatiable demands on the hospitality of the inhabitants. Even in the west, their power has sometimes been felt in the towns, particularly during the reign of Timoor Shauh, whose Prime Minister was a Moollah. At that time, they carried their insolence to such a pitch at Candahar, that a band of them attacked Kefauyet Khaun (a Sheah nobleman of Persian descent, who had held some of the highest offices in the state), and rushed into his harem, insisting on a present, and protesting against the injustice of his eating rich pilaws, while they had only dry bread. It was with difficulty, and by the king's interposition alone, that the tumult was appeased. Their peculiar vices are hypocrisy, bigotry, and avarice. Their, lives are sanctimonious in public, but some of them practise all sorts of licentiousness that can be enjoyed without scandal; and many are notorious for the practice of usury. Lending money on interest is expressly prohibited by the Koraun; and few decent Mussulmans openly infringe a prohi. bition which it is so easy to evade. Most men content themselves with lending their money to merchants, stipulating for a share of the profit derived from the use of it, or with placing it in the hands of bankers, who profess to employ it in commerce, and to secure the owner a

certain gain; but, many Moollahs lend avowedly on compound interest and with good security, by which they multiply their wealth to an incredible extent, and have got possession of a considerable share of the landed property of the kingdom. But, as all do not practise usury, it may excite some curiosity to know how so numerous a body can be maintained.

Besides those who have ecclesiastical offices, or pensions from the crown (who will be mentioned in another place), and the more numerous class of village Imauns, who receive a certain share of the produce of the crops and flocks in their districts, many have grants of land from the king and from heads of villages; and some have received legacies of land from individuals. Some subsist by teaching and practising the law; others teach schools, or are tutors to the sons of rich men; some preach, and are paid by their congregations; some live by the charitable allowances granted by the crown, and by villages, to students, or by the alms and hospitality of people, through whose country they travel; and others follow trade or farming, or live on their own means, and pursue their studies and

amusements at leisure.

The character of a Moollah is conferred by an assembly of members of that order on persons who have gone through the proper course of study, and passed the requisite examination. The admission of a candidate is attended with a prescribed form; the chief part of which is investing him with a turban of a Moollah, which is bound round his head by the principal person in the assembly.

The Moollahs are distinguished by a particular dress, consisting of a large loose gown of white or black cotton, and a. very large white turban of a peculiar shape.

There are no corporate bodies of Moollahs as there are of monks in Europe, nor is the whole order under the command of any chief, or subject to any particular discipline, like the clergy in England. All, except those who hold offices under the crown, are entirely independent; and, the co-operation among them is only produced by a sense of common interest. They all marry, and live in other respects like laymen. I do not know that they have any peculiar manners, except an affectation of strictness. Some of them affect great gravity, and others take pleasure in frequenting all companies, and meddling in all affairs.

One of these may often be seen, with a large turban, and a blue handkerchief, a couple of yards long, over his shoulder, parading the streets at the head of a dozen of his disciples, with a long staff in his hand, and a large law book under his arm; or sitting in the houses of the rich, haranguing the company, enforcing his doctrines with his fore finger, and shaking his wide sleeve, or amusing the master of the house with his jokes and stories, and handing round his enormous snuff-box among the rest of the party. Moollahs of this sort are reckoned very pleasant companions; they are great frequenters of Jeergas, where indeed their knowledge gives the whole order much weight in civil matters.

One would expect that the Moollahs would be great enemies