annot
help revering them."

"Thou receivest more advantage," replied Zadig, "from the waters of the
Red Sea, which carry thy merchandise to the Indies. Why may not it be as
ancient as the stars? And if thou adorest what is placed at a distance
from thee, thou oughtest to adore the land of the Gangarides, which lies
at the extremity of the earth."

"No," said Setoc, "the brightness of the stars commands my adoration."

At night Zadig lighted up a great number of candles in the tent where he
was to sup with Setoc; and the moment his patron appeared, he fell on his
knees before these lighted tapers, and said, "Eternal and shining
luminaries! be ye always propitious to me." Having thus said, he sat down
at table, without taking the least notice of Setoc.

"What art thou doing?" said Setoc to him in amaze.

"I act like thee," replied Zadig, "I adore these candles, and neglect
their master and mine." Setoc comprehended the profound sense of this
apologue. The wisdom of his slave sunk deep into his soul; he no longer
offered incense to the creatures, but adored the eternal Being who made
them.

There prevailed at that time in Arabia a shocking custom, sprung
originally from Leythia, and which, being established in the Indies by the
credit of the Brahmans, threatened to overrun all the East. When a married
man died, and his beloved wife aspired to the character of a saint, she
burned herself publicly on the body of her husband. This was a solemn
feast and was called the Funeral Pile of Widowhood, and that tribe in
which most women had been burned was the most respected.

An Arabian of Setoc's tribe being dead, his widow, whose name was Almona,
and who was very devout, published the day and hour when she intended to
throw herself into the fire, amidst the sound of drums and trumpets. Zadig
remonstrated against this horrible custom; he showed Setoc how
inconsistent it was with the happiness of mankind to suffer young widows
to burn themselves every other day, widows who were capable of giving
children to the state, or at least of educating those they already had;
and he convinced him that it was his duty to do all that lay in his power
to abolish such a barbarous practice.

"The women," said Setoc, "have possessed the right of burning themselves
for more than a thousand years; and who shall dare to abrogate a law which
time hath rendered sacred? Is there anything more respectable than ancient
abuses?"

"Reason is more