The chapter on the manner of living of a virtuous woman, and her behaviour during the absence of her husband, is quite admirable for the sound common sense and knowledge of mankind that mark every part of it. I should like to quote it as it stands, but must content myself with giving a rough idea of it. First, the young wife is to take upon herself the whole care of the household and family, and particularly of the household gods; treating 'the parents, relations, friends, sisters, and servants of her husband as they deserve.' As regards meals, she should consider always what her husband likes and dislikes, and what is good for him, what bad. The kitchen should be inaccessible to strangers, and kept scrupulously clean; as also should be the vessels in which wine is purchased and kept. The husband's faults should. not be visited with excessive blame: nothing causes dislike so much as a habit in a wife of scolding. Expenditure should be regulated by the income. Stores should be laid in when things are cheap. Old clothes should be given to deserving servants. Every detail of management should be carefully looked after ; and the wife' should surpass all the women of her own rank in life in her cleverness, her appearance, her knowledge of cookery, her pride, and her manner of serving her husband.' She should not gad about, validity of a Gandharva marriage between Kshatriyas appears to have been declared by the Bengal Sudder Court in 1817. It seems to me, however, that this form belongs to a time when the notion of marriage involved no idea of permanence or exclusiveness. Its definition implies nothing more than fornication. It is difficult to see how such a connection could be treated at present as constituting a marriage with the incidents and results of such a union.'

but stay at home, except when she goes out with her husband. To please him she should put on all her ornaments and bravery. In his absence she should live secluded, and wear her plainest dress. She should in all things respect her husband's father and mother, and be dependent on their will. Above all, whether a woman of noble family, or a virgin widow remarried, or a concubine, the wife should lead a chaste life, devoted to her husband, keeping his secrets, and doing everything for his welfare. Thus she will acquire dharma, artha, and kāma, and preserve her husband's love unimpaired.

Chapter ii. of Part IV. contains miscellaneous rules of conduct for wives and others, of no special importance; but, incidentally, it shows that husbands used to marry second wives, or practise polygamy, for many reasons besides that of having begotten no son-e.g. on account of a feeling of dislike towards the first wife or wives. And, similarly, a wife would leave her husband because she disliked him, and live with another man. Therefore a virgin widow who contemplates marrying again is recommended to be careful to choose a man whom she likes, and who will suit her, since otherwise she may repent her choice, and have to leave her husband for another man. At the time of her marriage the widow'should obtain from her husband the money to pay the cost of drinking-parties and picnics with her relations,' and other things. If she leaves her husband after marriage of her own accord, she should return to him what he may have given to her, except mutual pre

sents. In his house she should live like one of the chief members of the family, but treating all with due kindness and respect. Apparently her position was likely to be one of some little difficulty. It is noticeable that in several passages the widow remarried is spoken of in terms implying that she was less highly considered than other wives. Thus, the King is recommended to converse, when he visits the harem, first with his ordinary wives, then with the widows remarried, and lastly with his concubines and dancing girls. Where there are many wives, a young woman who is good-tempered, and who behaves herself according to the çastras, will win her lord's love and overcome her rivals.

Part V. contains several chapters on 'other men's wives,' and gives a detailed and highly interesting account of Hindu society, from the point of view of the fashionable adulterer. It strongly discountenances the sin of adultery, and warns readers against using Vatsyayana's teachings except for the purposes of self-protection. If they do, they will court disaster, and destroy dharma and artha.

Part VI. gives an exhaustive and an exceedingly clever account of the Hetara, who appears to have occupied a very prominent and distinguished position in Hindu society at the time when our author wrote. It contains ample warnings against her rapacity and heartlessness, but in no degree disapproves of men resorting to her company. On the contrary, our author evidently regards her proceedings with complacency and sympathy. Part VII. contains some.

foolish recipes and miscellaneous observations, and remarks in conclusion.

Such, in brief, is the Kama-sūtra of Vatsyayana, which has been explained by commentaries, and in other ways treated like a dharma-çãstra. To those who would wish to understand the Hindu 'law' as a whole that is to say, as an aggregate of written and unwritten rules of conduct by which the Hindu community has habitually and more or less unconsciously governed itself a knowledge of the contents of this standard work of reference would seem to be as necessary as a knowledge of the contents of Manu, indeed to be indispensable. The circumstance that some parts of it are what an English journalist would consider to be wholly unfit for publication, should in no degree tend to lessen the value of the treatise, viewed as an exponent of actual Hindu usages, manners, and customs. and customs. On the contrary, it appears to me to be in itself of great importance, as going to show that the Brahman and Kṣatriya public, for which Vatsyayana wrote one thousand years or so ago, far from being a gloomy and puritanic society, intent only on outward religion, must have been a gay and dissipated society, fond of getting and spending money, and essentially worldly, though by no means unmindful of religion and duty as then understood.

It appears from Dr. Pope's edition of the Kurral, that this celebrated Tamil religious and moral poem is divided into three books, treating of dharma, artha, and kāma respectively. And the Nannul, a standard Tamil grammar of much later date, has the rule:

'The benefit derived from a treatise must be the attaining to Virtue, Wealth, Enjoyment, Deliverance;' just as the Hitopadeça (cl. 26) gives the enumeration, dharma-artha-kāma mokshāṇām.

Dr. Pope seems to have been afraid for many years to look into the kama section of the kurral: and when he did at last make up his mind to study it, to have been agreeably surprised by what he found. It contains, indeed, little or nothing that is objectionable; whilst it gives a not unpleasing description of Tamil love affairs. A hasty glance at it has sufficed to convince me that its author must have been acquainted with the Kama-sutra, or at all events with works closely connected therewith. It is little more than a romance in some 250 couplets, about the Gandharva marriage, and the quarrels, hopes, fears, griefs, and reunion of fortunate lovers, upon the lines laid down by Vatsyayana.

The section in the Kurral on artha consists of about seven hundred couplets on 'royalty,' 'ministers of state,' and 'essentials of a state,' with an 'appendix,' on various subjects, as nobility, honour, greatness, &c. The Tamil for artha is porul, which Beschi renders by 'rerum proprietates,' Grant by 'bona,' and Ariel by 'la fortune.' The section on it is longer than the other two sections put together, and probably deals with the subject exhaustively.

Burnell has pointed out in his 'Introduction' to Manu, that this work is remarkable for the interpolation in it of Chapter VII., which treats of matters relating solely to polity and the life of kings,' and

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