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MAY, 1878.]
BOOK NOTICES.
139
Whene'er their home they chance to leave, Dejected, pale, I fast and grieve. Their homeward safe return I greet With sparkling eyes, and welcome meet. Till all their wants are well supplied, I never for my own provide. At meal times, I, without delay, The food they love before them lay, Served up in golden platters fair, All burnished bright with constant care. My house is clean, and fairly swept, Well stocked and ordered, neatly kept. As friends I own, and talk with, none But virtuous women: bad I shun.
From all such acts I ever shrink As wellbred dames unseemly think. Loud laughter, foolish jests, I hate, And constant loitering at the gate. My lorde behests I all observe, From these I could not bear to swerve. Just issued from the bath, and bright In fair attire, with jewels dight, Before my lords' appearing, I Delight their eyes to gratify.
Whatever usage, rule or rite, Whatever courtly forms polite, My husbands' sires observed of old, And they themselves in honour hold, All these with never-ceasing care I carry out; no toil I spare. And here the way their mother shows, Who all the past exactly knows. Her will I follow; her revere; And hold the noble woman dear.
By constant care, alertness, zeal, I seek to work my husbands' weal. Base women's wicked arts I shun; By nobler means my ends are won.
In happier days,' at sumptuous feasts We entertained eight thousand priests. Those Brahmans, learn'd and grave, in state
Their food from golden platters ate. And many other guests beside Were every day with food supplied. Whate'er within our household passed Was known to me from first to last. I knew the servants, one by one, And all they did or left undone. My husbands' hoards of gold I knew, Their income, all their outlay too; To me they left all household cares, A mass of manifold affairs. On me this burthen all was thrown; This load I bore without a groan, And sacrificed my rest and ease, My work to do, my lords to please. I rose the first by dawn's faint light, Retired the last to rest at night. Such are the philtres, such the spells, Whose power my husbands' love compels. To please her lord a virtuous wife Should deem the object of her life. To him her thoughts should ever turn; With love to him her heart should burn; Her hope is he, her refuge, god; And all her acts should wait his nod.
In vain by ease is pleasure Bought; By pains and toil alone 'tis bought. Strive, then, thy lord's esteem to win; A new career of love begin. Whene'er his step without the gate Is heard, start up, and on him wait. With cheerful tact his wishes meet, His palate please with viands sweet, His every sense with pleasure sate; Within thy home a heaven create. So doing, thou shalt make it clear That he to thee is very dear; And then, thy love perceiving, he With answering love will cherish thee. This course will bring the high renown, - Thy life with bliss connubial crown.
(To be continued.)
BOOK NOTICES. THE VEDERTHAYATNA, or an attempt to interpret the Vedas, and notes, as well as one of the translations, are in
(Ankas 1-11, April 1876 to February 1877). Bombay: InduprakAsa Press.
Marathi, and only the second translation of the We had intended noticing this monthly publica- Vedic texts is given in English, it was difficult to tion at an earlier date, but as the commentary
find a qualified and independent critic. Scholars, Compare the Troades of Euripides, 647#f., where An- to a woman or not) this very conduct is sure to bring ill dromache says of herself :
repute in ita train, when one does not keep (literally, to πρώτον μέν, ένθα κάν προσή κάν μή προση
her who does not keep) at home; giving up the desire of
this, I used to stay within the house, and did not bring into ψόγος γυναιξίν, αυτο τούτ' εφέλκεται
it the clever sayings of women (1.6., their gossip, and roκακώς ακούειν, ήτις ουκ ένδον μένει,
mantio notions), but having my mind a good teacher by τούτου παρείσα πόθον έμιμνον εν δομοις
its own instinct, I was content with myself."-Paloy. είσω τεμελάθρων κομψά θηλειών, έπη
That is, while the Pandavas were at home, and in posουκ εισεφρούμην, τον δε νούν διδάσκαλος
session of their dominions. Some of the preceding details οίκοθεν έχουσα χρηστονν εξήρχουν εμοί.
alao, though expremed in the present tense, should--if the
story is to be regarded as self-consistent-be referred to "In the first place, where (whether a slur already attaches this earlier period.
