Page:History of India Vol 9.djvu/388

affairs. Their religion, as far as I could gain any information, is much corrupted from the ancient worship; they acknowledge that several Hindu forms and ceremonies have crept in amongst them, probably in compliance to the natives, in order to conciliate their affections.

A MANUSCRIPT OF THE AVESTA WITH PAHLAVI TRANSLATION.

I have heard it observed, however, that the Hindu religion does, in itself, bear some analogy to the ancient Persian worship. It seems that their sacred book, the Zend, which is said to have been written by their celebrated prophet Zerdusht (called by us Zoroaster), is at present only a copy of a few centuries;