A TEMPLE OF SIVA 301
privities (not very well) cover 'd with a cloth; they
wear long hair dishevel'd, dying their fore-heads with
spots of sanders, saffron, and other colours suitable to
their superstitious ceremonies. The rest of their bodies
is clean and smooth, without any tincture or impurity;
which I mention as a difference from some other Gioghi,
whose bodies are all smear 'd with colours and ashes,
as I shall relate hereafter. There is no doubt but these
are the ancient Gymnosophists so famous in the world,
and, in short, those very Sophists who then went naked
and exercis'd great patience in sufferings, to whom
Alexander the Great sent Onesicritus to consult with
them, as Strabo reports from the testimony of the same
Onesicritus. 1 Many of them stood in the temple near
the idols, which were plac'd in the innermost penetral,
or chancel of it, with many candles and lamps burning
before them. The idols were two stones, somewhat
long, like two small termini, or land-marks, painted
with their wonted colours; on the right side whereof
was a stone cut into a figure, and on the left another
of that ordinary form of a small .pillar, according to
which as I said before that they use to shape Mahedeu.
And before all these another like figure of Mahedeu,
made of crystal, upon which the offerings were lay'd,
as milk, oyle, rice and divers such things. The assistant
Gioghi give every one that comes to worship some of
the flowers, which are strew 'd upon and round about
the idols, receiving in lieu thereof good summs of alms.
Coming out of this temple, and ascending up the
1 See pages 54-57 of this volume.
