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ples of the British Government to consult the religious opinions of the natives； 〃consistently with the principles of morality； reason； and humanity。〃 There spoke Carey and Udny； and Wellesley himself。 But for another quarter of a century the funeral pyres were to blaze with the living also； because that caveat was set aside； that fundamental maxim of the constitution of much more than the British Governmentof the conscience of humanity； was carefully buried up。 The judges asked the pundits whether the woman is 〃enjoined〃 by the shaster voluntarily to burn herself with the body of her husband。 They replied 〃every woman of the four castes is permitted to burn herself；〃 except in certain cases enumerated； and they quoted Manoo； who is against the custom in so far as he says that a virtuous wife ascends to heaven if she devotes herself to pious austerities after the decease of her lord。
This opinion would have been sufficient to give the requisite native excuse to Government for the abolition； but the Nizamat Adawlat judges urged the 〃principle〃 of 〃manifesting every possible indulgence to the religious opinions and prejudices of the natives；〃 ignoring morality； reason； and humanity alike。 Lord Wellesley's long and brilliant administration of eight years was virtually at an end： in seven days he was to embark for home。 The man who had preserved the infants from the sharks of Sagar had to leave the widows and their children to be saved by the civilians Carey and he had personally trained； Metcalfe and Bayley； who by 1829 had risen to Council and become colleagues of Lord W。 Bentinck。 But Lord Wellesley did this much； he declined to notice the so…called 〃prohibitory regulations〃 recommended by the civilian judges。 These； when adopted in the year 1812； made the British Government responsible by legislation for every murder thereafter； and greatly increased the number of murders。 From that date the Government of India decided 〃to allow the practice；〃 as recognised and encouraged by the Hindoo religion； except in cases of compulsion； drugging； widows under sixteen； and proved pregnancy。 The policenativeswere to be present； and to report every case。 At the very time the British Parliament were again refusing in the charter discussions of 1813 for another twenty years to tolerate Christianity in its Eastern dependency； the Indian legislature legalised the burning and burying alive of widows； who numbered at least 6000 in nine only of the next sixteen years； from 1815 to 1823 inclusive。
》From Plassey in 1757 to 1829； three quarters of a century； Christian England was responsible； at first indirectly and then most directly； for the known immolation of at least 70；000 Hindoo widows。 Carey was the first to move the authorities； Udny and Wellesley were the first to begin action against an atrocity so long continued and so atrocious。 While the Governor…Generals and their colleagues passed away； Carey and his associates did not cease to agitate in India and to stir up Wilberforce and the evangelicals in England； till the victory was gained。 The very first number of the Friend of India published their essay on the burning of widows； which was thereafter quoted on both sides of the conflict； as 〃a powerful and convincing statement of the real facts and circumstances of the case；〃 in Parliament and elsewhere。 Nor can we omit to record the opinion of Carey's chief pundit； with whom he spent hours every day as a fellow…worker。 The whole body of law…pundits wrote of Sati as only 〃permitted。〃 Mritunjaya； described as the head jurist of the College of Fort William and the Supreme Court； decided that； according to Hindooism； a life of mortification is the law for a widow。 At best burning is only an alternative for mortification； and no alternative can have the force of direct law。 But in former ages nothing was ever heard of the practice； it being peculiar to a later and more corrupt era。 〃A woman's burning herself from the desire of connubial bliss ought to be rejected with abhorrence；〃 wrote this colossus of pundits。 Yet before he was believed； or the higher law was enforced； as it has ever since been even in our tributary States； mothers had burned with sons； and forty wives； many of them sisters； at a time； with polygamous husbands。 Lepers and the widows of the devotee class had been legally buried alive。 Magistrates； who were men like Metcalfe； never ceased to prevent widow…murder on any pretext； wherever they might be placed； in defiance of their own misguided Government。
Though from 4th December 1829memorable date； to be classed with that on which soon after 800；000 slaves were set free〃the Ganges flowed unblooded to the sea〃 for the first time； the fight lasted a little longer。 The Calcutta 〃orthodox〃 formed a society to restore their right of murdering their widows； and found English lawyers ready to help them in an appeal to the Privy Council under an Act of Parliament of 1797。 The Darpan weekly did good service in keeping the mass of the educated natives right on the subject。 The Privy Council； at which Lord Wellesley and Charles Grant； venerable in years and character； were present； heard the case for two days； and on 24th June 1832 dismissed the petition！
Though the greatest； this was only one of the crimes against humanity and morality which Carey opposed all his life with a practical reasonableness till he saw the public opinion he had done so much to create triumph。 He knew the people of India； their religious； social； and economic condition； as no Englishman before him had done。 He stood between them and their foreign Government at the beginning of our intimate contact with all classes as detailed administrators and rulers。 The outcome of his peculiar experience is to be found not only in the writings published under his own name but in the great book of his colleague William Ward； every page of which passed under his careful correction as well as under the more general revision of Henry Martyn。 Except for the philosophy of Hindooism； the second edition of A View of the History； Literature； and Mythology of the Hindoos； including a Minute Description of their Manners and Customs； and Translations from their Principal Works； published in 1818 in two quarto volumes； stands unrivalled as the best authority on the character and daily life and beliefs of the 200；000；000 to whom Great Britain had been made a terrestrial providence； till Christianity teaches them to govern themselves and to become to the rest of Asia missionaries of nobler truth than that wherewith their Buddhist fathers covered China and the farther East。
All the crimes against humanity with which the history of India teems； down to the Mutiny and the records of our courts and tributary states at this hour； are directly traceable to lawless supernaturalism like that of the civilised world before the triumph of Christianity。 In nothing does England's administration of India resemble Rome's government of its provinces in the seven centuries from the reduction of Sicily； 240 B。C。； to the fall of the Western Empire； 476 A。D。； so much as in the relation of nascent Christianity to the pagan cults which had made society what it was。 Carey and t