Quidnunc flying all abroad upon a pair of wings formed of the broad sheets of The Times newspaper, and bawling the latest scrap of news from Constantinople. There was my literary torment bestraddling a long roll of MSS., which he would certainly have inflicted on me, had he overtaken me. There was 22 the naturalist, also, on his entomological hobby, no other than a mighty flea (as huge as that which Panurge wore in his ear-ring), with a proboscis like that of a young elephant. The whole of Fâcheux were upon me, anicorps mated with their original malignitydoubtless, not a little increased by their rage at the exposure I was so rash as to make of some of them in these very columns, many a fair moon since. 1 Narrow, indeed, was my escape from them. An escape it was, trulynot from one death, but from a thousand. When I was recovered from my fright, we were in a somewhat more retired and quiet corner of the region. My guide called my attention to a figure in a naval unform, who was managing, with no great address, something on which he was seated astride, with a conceited, assuming air, obviously anxious to concentrate the attention of all the row upon himself. This proved to be no other than Captain Warner on his notorious hobby, the Long Range. At first, the ladies were thrown into consternation when they heard he was coming; but they soon saw that the beast was an innocent poor creature; and some of them, to the Captain's great annoyance, caressed it as they passed, and even looked down the animal's throat. Who should ride by next, but a most respectable, but unwieldy old gentleman, whom I knew, the moment I saw him, to be the venerable Joseph Hume, upon that well-known Scotch hack of his, Economy, out of Cheeseparing, by Pennywise, out of Poundfoolish. Corpulent as he was, there was a Quixotic air about him; and this was improved by the circumstance that he was followed by his squire Williams, nicknamed Smollet by the Parliamentary wags, being a sorry continuation of Hume." Close at their heels was another legislator, who, seen at a distance, looked like Orson in the legend, or a moving bush, as if "Birnam wood was coming to Dunsinane" in earnest. But he was soon near enough to be recognised by any one 66 I need who had ever seen him before. hardly say it was the grisly and gallant Sibthorpe. His lance was in the rest, and he was in full tilt at the Crystal Palace, a phantom of which was, no doubt, standing before him, and exciting him to frenzy. "Now for the lasso," cried my comrade; and, in good sooth, it was time to arrest the Colonel's progress, for he was dashing right into the Bohemian glass and the old china, probably tak ing them for the object of his antipathy, or one of its wings. The loop was flung; and so adroitly, though invisible, that the Lincoln knight on his hobby lay sprawling the next instant, biting the dust like one of Homer's heroes. Another moment, and the same dexterous hand pulled out an enormous pair of shears, and left the brave Colonel's chin as smooth as Apollo's. The fiend tossed it into the air, where it looked exceedingly like a meteor, as it streamed to the wind; and was taken by the terrestrial astronomers for the tail of a comet, the same which people caught colds gazing at no later than last September. I overheard Squire Williams characteristically whispering to the knight, his master, that it was a shame to waste so much good hair, which would have stuffed an excellent mattress. The fate of Sibthorpe was a warn ing to Mr. Muntz, who was not far off at the time. The Birmingham hero, whose bush was quite as tempting, seeing what befell the Colonel, rode away, full speed, on his indefatigable Currency nag, and was soon out of sight. Presently there "came pricking o'er the plain," a form more dignified and respectable than any I had yet observed. My less reverential companion would again have thrown his lasso ; but I held his arm, and the gentle knight passed forward unmolested forbearance which his noble philanthropy and strain of true chivalry justly claimed for him. It was Lord Dudley Stuart on his generous Polish steed. а roar occasioned by Bright on his Bucephalus and Cobden on his cob, making after the Knight of the Long Range, who fled before them into all corners of the Pampas. Certainly there was never a more magnificent pair of hobbies bred in a stable than the two enthusiasts, now approaching in full gallop, had under them. The name of Bright's was Peace; that of Cobden, Arbitration. Bright, being a disciple of William Penn, wore a jacket of drab, and, instead of the jockey's cap, the broad brim of his community; such a turn-out as was never seen on the turf before. Sir Cobden was cased in printed calico -the costume, no doubt, of the days of the League. "Fine animals," quoth I, as they came near (meaning the hobbies, I entreat you to understand). Chargers, you observe," said the fiend; "regular war-horses-particularly Friend Bright's, who richly deserves to be read out of meeting." "And pray remark," I rejoined, "how much more noise their hobbies make than the Captain's, who is a man of war by profession, and rides that huge piece of ordnance." "They make a d-1 of a clatter between them," said he; "there was never heard the like since the ghost of Guido Cavalcanti pursued the spectre-maid with his hell-dogs, in the pineforests of Ravenna." "Hold," I exclaimed, interrupting him; "they will overtake poor Warner, if you are not expeditious; and assuredly he will be torn to pieces, or they will annihilate him with their olive cudgels." "Which will you have ?" cried he. "Friend Bright, by all means.' The lasso flew. You never saw an experter cast; it would have charmed poor Basil Hall, or Mayne Reid, who understands this sort of thing perfectly. Cobden made his escape; Bright rolled in the dust at our feet, bellowing like a bull of Basan. The fiend gave me the hobby to hold; but the creature was so vicious, notwithstanding his gentle name, and made such attempts to kick my shins, that I had a great mind to let him go. However, I managed to hold him for a few minutes-long enough to give my com panion time to thrash his master with his own olive branch, which he did most lustily, dusting his drab jacket, to the infinite joy of men and angels. You have no notion what a deal of thrashing a shadow will bear without being much the worse for it five minutes after. This done, my companion took the rope of his lasso and secured the crest-fallen Quaker Mazeppa-wise on the back of his charger; then administering a sound kick to the latter, a parte post, he dismissed the horse and the rider with more execrations than ever Lear poured on his daughters. 66 THE DREAM OF RAVAN-A MYSTERY. PART III. THE KAMATUR RAKSHAS AND THE SUPERNATURAL WEAPONS. WHEN Ravan mentioned the name of the Kamatur Rakshas, a smile full of meaning passed round the assembly. KAMATUR Signifies "sick with love;' or madly in love ;" and since his hallucination about Sita, the epithet of Kamatur Rakshas, or "the love-sick Titan," had been stealthily applied to himself in all the gossiping coteries that formed round the Court of Lanka. For then, as now, though subjects would fight loyally, and die bravely for their monarch, they would freely canvass his faults. Indeed, the nickname was first tauntingly given him by his own virtuous brother, Bibbishana, who, though most devotedly attached to his person and his government, never ceased to protest against his injustice in detaining Sita, and to warn him of the fatal results of persevering in such a course. But there was another reason for the furtive merriment. Among the auditors of the dream, standing in his place among the ancient Senapatis, or military chiefs, was the genuine Kamatur Rakshas himself, to whom Ravan's narrative alluded. He was the oldest friend and companion of the Titan king, and was a general favourite at the Rakshas' court; but of so humorous a turn of mind, and so eccentric in his conduct, that the mere introduction of a name so constantly associated with fun, into a recital so sombre, and almost tragic in its general character, produced a contrast of ideas that was too violent for the gravity of the assembly. The original name of this Titan was Kopa-dana, a title indicative of the combination in his character of anger and generosity; but since he had held the government of the pearlfisheries, it had been changed to Kamatur. For while exercising this government he had once entertained, for some months, a group of beautiful Apsaras, those celestial nymphs that dance like mists upon the sunbeams whose virtue was equal to their beauty -and became passionately attached to one of the number, named Ramaniya,* or the "Charmer." His love, however, was as chivalric as it was ardent; and, not being returned by the fair object of his passion, except by a grateful friendship, he limited the expres sion of his passion to keeping vigil at night (in full armour) outside the tower in which Ramaniya's chamber was situated, and driving away all the Yakshas and Pishachas that infested the neighbourhood, with the intention of carrying off the beauty. One of the remarkable peculiarities about the Kamatur Rakshas was his (apparent) love for the brute creation. He collected together all the animals and birds of every description that he could lay his hands on-fed them sumptuously, erected extensive Pashu-shalas (the same as the modern Pinjura-purs, or animal hospitals of Surat and Bombay) for their accommodation, and passed a great part of his time in their company; so that he was as well known and beloved among the deer, wild boars, sheep, kids, peacocks, herons, doves, &c., as a Buddhist priest or a Muni living in forest hermitage. A friar, indeed, of the Buddhist order actually assisted him in these beneficent ministrations to the animals and birds; but, strange to say, all this attachment was, on his part, wholly deceptive. One after another, he slaughtered and feasted on his favourites, not only without remorse, but with a cruel zest that betrayed the latent Titan. The true solution of the inconsistency was this: He was a firm believer in the metempsychosis. But on this general doctrine he had engrafted a theory of his own, that the happiness of the wandering soul, after each emigration, depended on its condition (happy or otherwise) at the moment of making * RAMANA signifies, in Sanscrit, a husband, a lover, a sporter, player, tumbler. RAMANI, a wife, sweetheart, agreeable woman, female player, dancer; from the root RAM, to sport. There can be no doubt this is the true origin of the term ROMANI, by which the Gypsies designate both a Gypsy and a husband. Their language, with a great portion of modern Hindu dialects, contains many words of pure Sanscrit, such as SHAKA (vegetable); KASHTA (wood), &c. its exit from one sphere of living being into another. So that the greatest possible mercy that could be shown to any animal was to cut it off when it was in the full flush of good feeding, and rolling in clover. The misery in which old and diseased animals linger out a wretched existence in the Pinjarapurs, or animal hospitals, had probably suggested this theory, and certainly af forded it no small justification. But it was found also to harmonise admirably with a very proper Titanic relish for good fat saddles of gram-fed mutton, haunches of venison, and boars roasted whole. Another peculiarity was his power of using the "Mohan-Astra," and the delight which he took in it. The Astras are, as we may inform our readers, a kind of weapons that one constantly meets in the ancient Hindu legends, and which at first are very puzzling. They sometimes have a palpable shape, and from their effects in burning the enemy, &c., we are led to imagine, that they are nothing but rockets or shells, and that the ancient Hindus were well acquainted with the use of gunpowder. But a further acquain. tance corrects this idea. We find the operator folding his arms on the field of battle, and, by mere inward meditation, despatching the Astra, which is to arrest or consume the hostile army. We find such elemental Astras as "Wet Thunderbolt," "Dry Thun derbolt," "Rain Astra," "Drought Astra,' ""Frost Astra ;" such spiritual 66 as Fascination," "Allure. ment," " Maddening," or "Intoxica tion," "Trembling" or "Panic;" such physiological Astras as "Overpowering with Sleep," "Quieting," and "Paralysing;" and we are forced ultimately to conclude, that the whole armoury is spiritual, and is to be interpreted by three analogies in the European sphere of thought and experi ence-namely, magic, mesmerism, and the modern electro-biology. We subjoin here a curious list of these weapons, taken from the Ramayana. The manuscripts vary a good deal: even the printed editions of Schlegel and Gorresio differ somewhat as to the order, the number, and the names of the Astras. There is, however, a sufficient agreement, on the whole. Gorresio's edition, the typography of which is beautiful, but in which the text is, in general, less carefully and correctly edited than Schlegel's, contains the fuller list of the two. We have constructed the subjoined catalogue of the magical armoury from a comparison of both: LIST OF ASTRAS, OR SUPERNATURAL WEAPONS, DELIVERED BY THE SAGE VISHVAMITRA TO RAMA, FOR HIS COMBAT WITH THE TITANS. RAMAYANA-ADI-KANDA-SARGA. XXIX.-ED. SCHLEGEL-XXX. ED. GORRESIO. The Bramh Astra;' terrible to the three collected worlds. The Astra, or Discus of Judgment;' which causes the extermination of the people. The irresistible Astra, or Discus, of Fate. The etherial Discus of Vishnu; the cruel Discus of Indra. TheThunderbolt,' hard to resist; the excellent Trident of Shiva.' The terrible Bramhan's Head;' the 'arrow-resembling' Astra. The Bramhanical Astra,' incomparable; the Shankar-Astra,' with flaming mouth. The iron-headed club of Vishnu-Kaumodaki. The Noose of Law,' and the 'Noose of Fate.' The most wonderful 'Noose of Varuna' (God of the water). The two Thunderbolts of Indra, 'Dry' and 'Wet.' The Astra of the Trident-bearer, and the 'Narayan-Astra.' The fiery Astra, called Point,' and the windy Astra, called 'Whirl-about.' The Astras Pounding to Atoms, Shaking to Pieces,' and 'Tearing asunder of Enemies.' The Horse's head' Astra; the Hammer,' the 'Heron's beak.' The two-powers (or spears), 'Not sped in vain,' and 'Victorious.' The terrible Skeleton Pestle,' the Bracelet of Skulls,' and the 'Tinkling Waist-Chain o Rattling Bones,' worn by the Titans. The great Astra, called 'the Delighting' of the Vidhyadharas (Who ascend to heaven by holding a magical pill in their mouths). The Casting into deep sleep' Astra, the Thoroughly quieting,' and the 'Paralysing" Astras. The 'Solar' Astra, the Rain,' and the 'Drought' Astras. The 'Burning-up' and the 'Smearing-over' Astras. The Allurement' and the 'Maddening"" Astras, dear to Cupid. The cherished Astra of the Gandharvas, called 'MOHANA,' or 'Fascination.' The Sura Astra, which steals away lustre and beauty; the Blasting of enemies.' The Paishacha,' or Devil's Astra; called 'Red-flesh-eater.' The Kubera' Astra (for showering gold). The Rakshas,' or Titan Astra, which destroyeth the fortune, the courage, and life of one's foes. The Fainting' Astra, the Whipping,' the Trembling,' the 'Drawing along of Enemies.' The Diluvial' Astra, the Whirlpool,' the ' Paviour.' The Truth' and the Lying' Astras; the Astra of 'Maha-Maya,' or 'Great magical illusion.' The Heroism' Astra; the 'Splendour,' the Abstraction of others' splendour.' The 'Moon' and the Frost' Astras; the 'Twashtra,' or 'Chaos-demon' Astra, powerful to enemies. The invincible' Smiting' Astra; the 'Daitya,' the 'Danava' Astras. The purely spiritual nature of these weapons, that they are summoned and embodied by magical incantation, dwell in the mind alone, and perform their service by inward volition, or mental summons, is evident from the following passage, which succeeds the enumeration of the Astras: : Then, turning with his face to the east, and purified, the eminent Muni When, by a mere volition and word spoken, the professor of biology makes his victim not only believe that it freezes, but actually shiver with cold in the midst of summer, he merely launches the "Frost Astra" at him from his mind. When he forces him to take shelter under the table from the pelting of the pitiless storm, it is "Wet Thunderbolt" and the "Rain Astra." When he causes him to feel the taste of wine from a draught of pure water, and to reel and stagger from its effects, it is the "Intoxication Astra." When he nails his foot to the floor with a word, or shuts his eyes SO that he cannot open them, it is the "Paralysing Astra." The "casting into deep sleep," the thoroughly quieting," and the "Paralysing Astras" have their co-relatives in mesmerism, also, to which biology evidently bears some relation. In the 66 burning,' "whipping," "pounding to atoms," "shaking to pieces," and other Astras of physical Or "Intoxication." " torture, we are reminded of the plagues with which the magician, Prospero, threatens to visit the refractory Caliban, according to the well-known practice of his profession. The Astras of "allurement,' 66 fascination," "bewitching," "maddening with love," are amongst the recognised powers of magic; love itself being, indeed, an admitted magical and mesmeric power, acting through the eyes. The power of affecting the BRAIN through the optic nerve, by fixing the eye on one point, if luminous so much the better, to which the biologist resorts, and which is only another form of Mr. Braid's HYPNOTISING, and of Jacob Behmen's looking into the bright tin dish to bring on ecstacy has been exercised, time out of mind, by the ecstatic schools of India: many of the Yogis, following the advice of Krishna, in the Gita, and gazing downward on the tips of their own noses, while others squint upwards at the corner of their eyebrows. But this is a very different matter from the † Schlegel renders it "taking them each by the hand"-Singulos manu prehendens. |