It is said, that when women addict themselves to vice of any kind,
they carry it to extravagance, and become far worse than bad men. In
like manner, when the natural softness and amiability of the Hindoo
character yield to the temptations of luxury and dominion, the
individual grows into a tyrant as cruel and odious as any of those
depicted in history. This apparent discrepancy has given rise to many
speculative mistakes; but, in our opinion, it is as certain that the
mass of the Hindoos are gentle and kindly in their nature, as it is
that the mass of women are so. It is a curious thing to see the
gallant sepoy on a march, attended by his pet lambs, with necklaces of
ribbons and white shells, and ears and feet dyed of an orange colour.
But even wild creatures are at home with the kindly Hindoo. Fluttering
among the peasants threshing corn in a field, are flocks of wild
peacocks, gleaning their breakfast; and in the neighbourhood of a
village, a traveller can hardly distinguish between the tame and wild
ducks, partridges, and peacocks. 'There is a fine date-tree,' says a
recent writer, 'overhanging a kind of school, at the end of one of the
streets in the town of Jubbulpore, quite covered with the nests of the
baya bird; and they are seen every day, and all day, fluttering about
in scores, while the noisy children at their play fill the street
below, almost within arm's reach of them.'

Almost all the natives of India are fond of rearing pet birds; and
the pet is, more frequently than otherwise, a parrot, which is prized
for its conversation. The same taste prevailed, we are told, in the
fifteenth century, in the city of Paris, where talking-birds were hung
out almost at every window. The authority says, that this was attended
with rather an awkward result. 'Leading the public life they did, in