After an account of the creation of the world, in the first book, the four stages of a Brahmin’s life are the only subjects treated of in regular order in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth books, four books being devoted to the duties of the religious student and married householder, and the sixth book treating of the two last stages of anchorite and religious mendicant. The seventh and eighth books propound the rules of government, principally, of course, for the guidance of the second great class of Kshatriyas, from which the king was chosen. The ninth book contains precepts on the subject of women, husband and wife; their offspring and the law of inheritance and division of property, with additional rules for kings, and a few precepts relative to the two remaining castes. It also describes the employments to which the several castes are restricted, and states the occupations permitted to Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vais’yas and S’udras, in times of exigency and distress. The eleventh book gives rules of expiation, both for the sins of the present life--especially sins against caste--and for the effects of offenses committed in previous bodies, as shown in congenital diseases, etc. The twelfth continues the subject of the recompenses or consequences of acts, good or bad, as leading to reward in Heaven or punishment in various hells, and to triple degrees of transmigration. It closes with directions as to the best means of obtaining final beatitude and absorption into the universal essence. A few specimens of Manu’s moral precepts are here subjoined: “Daily perform thine own appointed work Unweariedly; and to obtain a friend-- A sure companion to the future world-- Collect a store of virtue like the ants, Who garner up their treasures into heaps; For neither father, mother, wife, nor son, Nor kinsman, will remain beside thee then, When thou art passing to that other home-- Thy virtue will thy only comrade be. “Single is every living creature born, Single he passes to another world, Single he eats the fruits of evil deeds, Single the fruit of good; and when he leaves His body like a log or heap of clay Upon the ground, his kinsmen walk away: Virtue alone stays by him at the tomb, And bears him through the dreary, trackless gloom. “Depend not on another, rather lean Upon thyself; trust to thine own exertions Subjection to another’s will gives pain; True happiness consists in self-reliance. “Strive to complete the task thou hast commenced; Wearied, renew thy efforts once again; Again fatigued, once more the work begin; So shalt thou earn success and fortune win.” There are, in addition to the Code of Manu, at least nineteen other codes of various degrees of authority. DEGRADATION OF WOMEN ACCORDING TO MANU’s LAWS.