Roy, whose visit to England in 1831 is still
remembered by many in this country. In theory,
the Brahmas have repudiated the Hindoo idolatry;
but they have as yet done little towards
the reformation of social institutions. The
recent marriage, to which we have just alluded,
is the first attempt in that direction.

Among the Hindoos, marriages are celebrated
with various idle ceremonies. The idols are
worshipped; gifts are made to Brahmas, while
the processions, fireworks, and beating of tom-
toms, give to the Hindoo nuptials a character of
barbarism. Of late years, a fashion has grown
up of employing European bands of music on
these occasions; but as this Western music is
combined with the bagpipes and tom-toms of
the East, the effect is certainly not improved.
None of these barbarous accompaniments
marked the recent Brahma marriage celebrated
at Calcutta. It was performed quietly, and
with solemnity, in the presence of a number
of Hindoo gentlemen, who had received the
benefit of education at the English schools and
colleges of our Eastern metropolis.

The Brahma marriage, however, retained much
of its Hindoo character; we think, wisely,
because if it were made too European, there would
be no possibility of rendering the improvement
popular, and a powerful opposition would be
aroused among the gentle sex.

The following free translation of the pamphlet
describing the social innovation in question, will,
we hope, prove interesting:

"On Friday, the 12th of Sraban last (26th
July), the marriage of Hemendro Nath Mookerjee
with the daughter of Babu Devendro Nath
Tagore* was solemnised with great éclat. This
is the first occasion on which a marriage in
Bengal has been conducted according to the
religion of the Brahmas. It gives us pleasure to
state that nearly two hundred Brahmas met for
the due performance of the ceremony.
* D. N. Tagore is now the acknowledged leader
of the Brahmas, and is the eldest son of the late
Dwarka Nath Tagore, who was called "the Oriental
Crœsus," and was well known in England.

"The friends of the bride, the bridegroom, and
his companions, having assembled in the hall
appointed for the ceremony, Babu Devendro Nath
Tagore came in after ten P.M., and took his seat,
the bridegroom being seated in front of him.
He thus began the preliminary invocation.

"' Om!* As the auspicious presentation of a
virgin is to be made, say ye, that the day is
good!'
* Om (pron. om) is the mystical Sanskrit word
signifying the Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer of
the Universe.

"[The priests answered,] ' Om! The day is
good! Om! The day is good! Om! The day is
good.'

"' Om! On this proper and auspicious ceremony
of the presentation of a virgin, say ye,
Increase!'

"'Om! Increase!' (Thrice repeated.)

"'Om! On this proper and auspicious ceremony
of the presentation of a virgin, say ye,
Success!'

"' Om! Success!' (Thrice.)

"Then the father of the bride, having taken
'arghya,'* or a present of flowers sprinkled with
particles of sandal-wood, said:
* It is an ancient custom among the Hindoos to
make such presents to the guests, as a mark of
respect.

"' Om! Arghyam (thrice) accept.'

"[The bridegroom.! ' Om! Arghyam, I
accept.'

"' Om! Madhuparka* (or a present of honey
and curds) (thrice) accept.'
* Among the ancient Hindoos, whenever an
extraordinary guest arrived in a house, the first duty
of the host was to give him water to wash his feet;
then arghya and madhuparka were given. The last
of these was probably a kind of lunch. Up to the
present day this is the order in which worship is
offered to the idols.

"'Om! Madhuparka I accept.'

'' 'Om! This ring (thrice) I accept.'

"'Om! This ring I accept.'*
*This and some other parts of the pamphlet are
in Sanskrit. The language used in Hindoo religious
services and rites must be "the language divine."
The Brahmas follow the custom.

"Then followed a presentation of clothes and
ornaments.

"The 'reception' of the bridegroom having
been thus performed, he was conducted to the
inner apartment of the house, in order to be
present at certain ceremonies then performed by
female friends and relatives. He afterwards
returned, and sat on the carpet appointed for
him. The bride also was brought and seated in
front of him. The priests took their seats on a
high stool in front of the father of the bride;
and divine service began by the chanting of a
hymn. All became silent. The noise of men
was hushed. The sound of the good name of God
only was heard.

"'Om! THAT* is truth!
*Meaning God.

"'Om! Repeated reverence to Him, the Being
Divine, who is in fire, who is in water, who is in
plants and trees, and who pervadeth all the
world.

"'Om! God is true, wise, and infinite. He is
the blissful, the immortal, the manifest, all-good,
all-peace, and without a second.

"'Om! God is omnipresent, pure, bodiless,
exempt from all disease, nerveless, immaculate,
impervious to unholiness, all- seeing, mind-
regulating, above all, and self-existent. He it is
that ever dispenseth their respective requisites to
His creatures. By Him were created life, mind,
all the senses, sky, air, light, water, and the all-
containing earth, it is through awe of Him that
fire flameth; it is through awe of Him that the
sun shineth; it is through awe of Him that
clouds, winds, and, fifthly, death have their
course.