Of the religion of the Ceylonese we have very imper fect and contradictory accounts. They acknowledge the existence of one Supreme Being, the Creator and Governor of the world, hut they have also a number of inferior deities and evil demons. Of the former, the most exalted is Buddhu, whom some represent as origin ally a divine person, and others as the spirit of a good man crowned with divine honours. He is said to have appeared in the world in the form of a man, and after having performed a vast number of virtuous actions, and been transformed into a great variety of shapes, he ascended again into heaven, where he acts as a mediator with the Supreme Being, and procures the pardon of his worshippers. The Ceylonese dedicate no temples to the Supreme Being ; but those of I3uddhu arc superior to those of all the other deities. They have no certain form, as they arc generally built in the caves of rocks, and it depends on the particular nature of the cave, whether the statue of Buddhu is standing, or sitting with its legs across, or lying upon its right side. This figure is invariably yellow from the head to the feet, and a large garment of the same colour covers the whole body except the right breast. On one side of the temple there is always a monument in the form of a cupola, placed on a moulded pedestal, which is said to contain a particle of the bones of Buddhu. Captain Percival mentions, that the ruins of the temples and pagodas which he saw in the interior of the country were all of hewn stone, and of much superior workmanship to those on the coast. Several of them were in a state of perfect preservation, and, on comparison with the modern structures, afford the strongest proof that the inhabitants of this country had formerly attained a much higher degree of improvement than at present appears among them. As the temples of Buddhu are superior to those of the other deities, so the priests of that god are held in the highest estimation, and are endowed with a variety of peculiar privileges. They are chosen by the king front the body of nobles, and in consequence of their birth, they am generally men possessed of power and influence, independent of their sacred character. Though they arc chosen by the sovereign, he retains no authority over them, but endeavours to cultivate their regard, by respecting their privileges, and loading them with favours. They choose their own superiors, and the chief priest is invested with the power of settling all religious disputes. They have also the chief manage ment of public affairs, and are exempted from the pay ment of all taxes. The highest honours arc paid them by the rest of the nation. All ranks bow down before them ; when they sit, their scats arc covered with a white cloth, and when they walk, the broad end of the talipot leaf is borne before them ;—privileges which, in Ceylon, are of the highest kind, and shared with them only by the monarch. But while the priests enjoy these and other honours, they are also placed under certain restric tions. They arc not allowed to marry, and they are also prohibited the use of wine and animal food. They have an opportunity, however, of escaping from these re straints, as they are allowed to lay aside their order when ever it suits their inclination. The temples dedicated to the other deities arc much inferior to those of Buddhu. In general, they arc poor, mean, contemptible huts of one story high, without windows, constructed of clay and wood, and covered with cocoa-nut leaves. There is no figure too ridiculous to find a place in them ; besides swammics of all descriptions, there arc representations of wild beasts, birds, pieces of consecrated armour, and some very indecent figures of men and women. The priests of the inferior deities, though dressed like those of Buddhu, may easily be distinguished by the smaller degree of respect which is paid to them. They are con tinually met in their wandering excursions over the island, and like all those of the same class in India, are a set of lazy, impudent vagabonds, who, without any exer tion or industry, are enabled to live comfortably by the extortions which they practise upon the people. But though the Ceylonese worship these various deities, the chief objects of their fear are the subordinate demons, whom they consider as the spirits of wicked men. These impress their mind with much greater awe than the more powerful divinities who dispense blessings among them. They, indeed, think that their country is in a particular manner delivered over to the dominion of evil spirits. There is no people who labour so much under the influence of superstitious fear as the Ceylonese. Omens regulate the whole of their conduct, and even decide upon their destiny from their birth. The Maha vellaganga is said, by Mr Cordincr, to be held in the same religious veneration by the Ceylonese as the Gan ges by the inhabitants of Bengal. The water of this river is considered as effectual to washing away sin ; but dead bodies arc never thrown into it. The immortality
of the soul, and the resurrection of the body, are doc trines generally believed among the Ceylonese. They suppose that the souls of the just are immediately after death admitted into the rank of gods, and that their ancient prophets and good kings are long since employ ed in exercising the power of deities : while, on the other hand, the souls of the wicked, particularly of unjust tyrants and impious priests, arc supposed to have passed into wild beasts and reptiles. The Ceylonese are very liberal in the distribution of charity. It is cus tomary for them even to appropriate a certain portion of their Hod fur distribution among the poor ; and although among the Ilindoos, strangers in distress arc accounted objects of very little compassion, yet a Cingalese will not shut his house against a Malabar or Moor N1 ho asks him for relief.
Such is a slight sketch of the system of Paganism professed in Ceylon. Christianity, however, has been established on the island for three centuries past. The Portuguese, when they first settled on the coast, intro duced the Catholic religion among the Cingalesc, and subjected them to the yoke of the church of Rome. Afterwards, the Dutch introduced the doctrine of the Reformation, and propagated the profession of them among the natives. Indeed, if the number of converts be any proof of success, in no country has Christianity been so successful, in modern times, as in Ceylon. Both the Catholics and the Protestants, boast of hundreds of thousands among the natives whom they called Chris tians ; but we regret to add, that most of them had no claim to the title, for though they had been baptized in the name of Christ, they were still worshippers of the idol Buddhu. So late as 1801, we arc informed that the number of native Protestant Christians on the island was upwards of 3.12,000 ; and that it was supposed the Ro man Catholics were still more numerous. At the same per'ipd, the number of native schools amounted to about 170 ; but shortly after, the most of them were suppressed by the ill-judged parsimony of the Court of St James's, though the whole saving to government scarcely amount ed to the paltry sum of 1800/. ! The government of Candy is an absolute despotism ; but notwithstanding this, the nati‘es look upon certain fundamental laws and regulations existing among them from time immemorial, as the real depository of power ; and they maintain, that if the king encroach upon these, . he is amenable to the justice of his country as well as the meanest subject. It is evident, however, that while there is no power to balance that of the sovereign, it is only a successful rebellion that can bring him to justice The monarchy of Ceylon is completely elective, accord ing to the fundamental laws of the kingdom ; and when a deposition takes place, this principle is usually acted upon. It is in the power of the people to put aside the next branch of the royal family, and to elect a distant relation, or even a perfect stranger. If the last king has no immediate descendants, and the hereditary right lies equally between males and females, the preference, according to the Candian laws, is given to the female branch of the family.
The king of Candy yields to no eastern prince in the number and extravagance of his titles, and in the reve rence which is shewn him by his subjects. No one dare approach him without prostrating himself three several times before the throne, and each time repeating a long string of his majesty's titles. No one, even of the highest rank, is allowed to cough or spit in his presence ; every one is silent before him, nor does any one, even in a whisper, venture to address one another. The prime minister is the only person who is allowed to stand in the royal presence, and even he is obliged to be some steps lower than his majesty, as no one must appear on a level with him who is supposed to be descended from the sun. The business of state is transacted between the king and the prime minister in low whispers ; and any message from his majesty to those present, is conveyed in the same manner by the adigars.
The highest officers of state are the adigars or prime ministers. They are two in number, and actually share all the power of the court between them. The officers next in rank arc the dessauvas, who are the governors of the corles, or districts, into which the kingdom is divided, and they are also the principal military com manders. The whole plans of government form a regular system of oppression, which falls with peculiar severity on the lower orders of the people. Few have the courage to appeal against the unjust extortions of the higher ranks, and fewer still meet with any redress. They have long since been stript of every thing valua ble, and many of them trust for subsistence to the spon taneous productions of their forests, rather than cul tivate fields, whose produce must be shared with their oppressors.