ins, governors and military men belong to
this caste, which lives on the best terms with the Brahmins, since they
cannot subsist without each other, and the peace of the country depends
on the alliance of the lights and the sword, of Brahma's temple and the
royal throne.

The Vaisyas, who constitute the third caste, issued from Brahma's belly.
They are destined to cultivate the ground, raise cattle, carry on
commerce and practice all kinds of trades in order to feed the Brahmins
and the Kshatriyas. Only on holidays are they authorized to enter the
temple and listen to the recital of the Vedas; at all other times they
must attend to their business.

The lowest caste, that of the black ones, or Sudras, issued from the
feet of Brahma to be the humble servants and slaves of the three
preceding castes. They are interdicted from attending the reading of the
Vedas at any time; their touch contaminates a Brahmin, Kshatriya, or
even a Vaisya who comes in contact with them. They are wretched
creatures, deprived of all human rights; they cannot even look at the
members of the other castes, nor defend themselves, nor, when sick,
receive the attendance of a physician. Death alone can deliver the
Sudra from a life of servitude; and even then, freedom can only be
attained under the condition that, during his whole life, he shall have
served diligently and without complaint some member of the privileged
classes. Then only it is promised that the soul of the Sudra shall,
after death, be raised to a superior caste.

If a Sudra has been lacking in obedience to a member of the privileged
classes, or has in any way brought their disfavor upon himself, he sinks
to the rank of a pariah, who is banished from all cities and villages
and is the object of general contempt, as an abject being who can only
perform the lowest kind of work.

The same punishment may also fall upon members of another caste; these,
however, may, through repentance, fasting and other trials, rehabilitate
themselves in their former caste; while the unfortunate Sudra, once
expelled from his, has lost it forever.

From what has been said above, it is easy to explain why the Vaisyas and
Sudras were animated with adoration for Jesus, who, in spite of the
threats of the Brahmins and Kshatriyas, never forsook those poor people.

In his sermons Jesus not only censured the system by which man was
robbed of his right to be considered as a human being, while an ape or a
piec