the life of william carey-第38章

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e　of　the　mission　would　be　furthered　by　it；　and　I　was　not　able　to　reply　to　their　arguments。　　I　was　convinced　that　it　might。　　As　to　my　ability；　they　could　not　satisfy　me；　but　they　insisted　upon　it　that　they　must　be　the　judges　of　that。　　I　therefore　consented；　with　fear　and　trembling。　　They　proposed　me　that　day；　or　the　next；　to　the　Governor…General；　who　is　patron　and　visitor　of　the　college。　　They　told　him　that　I　had　been　a　missionary　in　the　country　for　seven　years　or　more；　and　as　a　missionary　I　was　appointed　to　the　office。　　A　clause　had　been　inserted　in　the　statutes　to　accommodate　those　who　are　not　of　the　Church　of　England　（for　all　professors　are　to　take　certain　oaths；　and　make　declarations）；　but；　for　the　accommodation　of　such；　two　other　names　were　inserted；　viz。；　lecturers　and　teachers；　who　are　not　included　under　that　obligation。　　When　I　was　proposed；　his　lordship　asked　if　I　was　well　affected　to　the　state；　and　capable　of　fulfilling　the　duties　of　the　station；　to　which　Mr。　B。　replied　that　he　should　never　have　proposed　me　if　he　had　had　the　smallest　doubt　on　those　heads。　　I　wonder　how　people　can　have　such　favourable　ideas　of　me。　　I　certainly　am　not　disaffected　to　the　state；　but　the　other　is　not　clear　to　me。

〃When　the　appointment　was　made；　I　saw　that　I　had　a　very　important　charge　committed　to　me；　and　no　books　or　helps　of　any　kind　to　assist　me。　　I　therefore　set　about　compiling　a　grammar；　which　is　now　half　printed。　　I　got　Ram　Basu　to　compose　a　history　of　one　of　their　kings；　the　first　prose　book　ever　written　in　the　Bengali　language；　which　we　are　also　printing。　　Our　pundit　has　also　nearly　translated　the　Sanskrit　fables；　one　or　two　of　which　Brother　Thomas　sent　you；　which　we　are　also　going　to　publish；　These；　with　Mr。　Foster's　vocabulary；　will　prepare　the　way　to　reading　their　poetical　books；　so　that　I　hope　this　difficulty　will　be　gotten　through。　　But　my　ignorance　of　the　way　of　conducting　collegiate　exercises　is　a　great　weight　upon　my　mind。　I　have　thirteen　students　in　my　class；　I　lecture　twice　a　week；　and　have　nearly　gone　through　one　term；　not　quite　two　months。　　It　began　4th　May。　　Most　of　the　students　have　gotten　through　the　accidents；　and　some　have　begun　to　translate　Bengali　into　English。　　The　examination　begins　this　week。　　I　am　also　appointed　teacher　of　the　Sanskrit　language；　and　though　no　students　have　yet　entered　in　that　class；　yet　I　must　prepare　for　it。　　I　am；　therefore；　writing　a　grammar　of　that　language；　which　I　must　also　print；　if　I　should　be　able　to　get　through　with　it；　and　perhaps　a　dictionary；　which　I　began　some　years　ago。　　I　say　all　this；　my　dear　brother；　to　induce　you　to　give　me　your　advice　about　the　best　manner　of　conducting　myself　in　this　station；　and　to　induce　you　to　pray　much　for　me；　that　God　may；　in　all　things；　be　glorified　by　me。　　We　presented　a　copy　of　the　Bengali　New　Testament　to　Lord　Wellesley；　after　the　appointment；　through　the　medium　of　the　Rev。　D。　Brown；　which　was　graciously　received。　　We　also　presented　Governor　Bie　with　one。

〃Serampore　is　now　in　the　hands　of　the　English。　　It　was　taken　while　we　were　in　bed　and　asleep；　you　may　therefore　suppose　that　it　was　done　without　bloodshed。　　You　may　be　perfectly　easy　about　us：　we　are　equally　secure　under　the　English　or　Danish　Government；　and　I　am　sure　well　disposed　to　both。〃

For　seven　years；　since　his　first　settlement　in　the　Dinapoor　district；　Carey　had　given　one…third　of　his　long　working　day　to　the　study　of　Sanskrit。　　In　1796　he　reported：〃I　am　now　learning　the　Sanskrit　language；　that　I　may　be　able　to　read　their　Shasters　for　myself；　and　I　have　acquired　so　much　of　the　Hindi　or　Hindostani　as　to　converse　in　it　and　speak　for　some　time　intelligibly。。。Even　the　language　of　Ceylon　has　so　much　affinity　with　that　of　Bengal　that　out　of　twelve　words；　with　the　little　Sanskrit　that　I　know；　I　can　understand　five　or　six。〃　　In　1798　he　wrote：〃I　constantly　employ　the　forenoon　in　temporal　affairs；　the　afternoon　in　reading；　writing；　learning　Sanskrit；　etc。；　and　the　evening　by　candle　light　in　translating　the　Scriptures。。。Except　I　go　out　to　preach；　which　is　often　the　case；　I　never　deviate　from　this　rule。〃　　Three　years　before　that　he　had　been　able　to　confute　the　Brahmans　from　their　own　writings；　in　1798　he　quoted　and　translated　the　Rig　Veda　and　the　Purana　in　reply　to　a　request　for　an　account　of　the　beliefs　of　the　priesthood；　apologising；　however；　with　his　usual　self…depreciation：〃I　am　just　beginning　to　see　for　myself　by　reading　the　original　Shasters。〃　　In　1799　we　find　him　reading　the　Mahabharata　epic　with　the　hope　of　finding　some　allusion　or　fact　which　might　enable　him　to　equate　Hindoo　chronology　with　reliable　history；　as　Dr。　John　Wilson　of　Bombay　and　James　Prinsep　did　a　generation　later；　by　the　discovery　of　the　name　of　Antiochus　the　Great　in　two　of　the　edicts　of　Asoka；　written　on　the　Girnar　rock。

By　September　1804　Carey　had　completed　the　first　three　years'　course　of　collegiate　training　in　Sanskrit。　　The　Governor…General　summoned　a　brilliant　assembly　to　listen　to　the　disputations　and　declamations　of　the　students　who　were　passing　out；　and　of　their　professors；　in　the　various　Oriental　languages。　　The　new　Government　House；　as　it　was　still　called；　having　been　completed　only　the　year　before　at　a　cost　of　？40；000；　was　the　scene；　in　〃the　southern　room　on　the　marble　floor；〃　where；　ever　since；　all　through　the　century；　the　Sovereign's　Viceroys　have　received　the　homage　of　the　tributary　kings　of　our　Indian　empire。　　There；　from　Dalhousie　and　Canning　to　Lawrence　and　Mayo；　and　their　still　surviving　successors；　we　have　seen　pageants　and　durbars　more　splendid；　and　representing　a　wider　extent　of　territory；　from　Yarkand　to　Bangkok；　than　even　the　Sultanised　Englishman　as　Sir　James　Mackintosh　called　Wellesley；　ever　dreamed　of　in　his　most　imperial　aspirations。　　There　councils　have　ever　since　been　held；　and　laws　have　been　passed　affecting　the　weal　of　from　two　to　three　hundred　millions　of　our　fellow…subjects。　　There；　too；　we　have　stood　with　Duff　and　Cotton；　Ritchie　and　Outram；　representing　the　later　University　of　Calcutta　which　Wellesley　would　have　anticipated。　　But　we　question　if；　ever　since；　the　marble　hall　of　the　Governor…General's　palace　has　witnessed　a　sight　more　profoundly　significant　than　that　of　William　Carey　addressing　the　Marquis　Wellesley　in　Sanskrit；　and　in　the　presence　of　the　future　Duke　of　Wellington；　in　such　words　as　follow。

The　seventy　students；　their　governors；　officers；　and　professors；　rose　to　their　feet；　when；　at　ten　o'clock　on　Thursday　the　20th　of　September　1804；　His　Excellency　the　Visitor　entered　the　room；　accompanied；　as　the　official　gazette　duly　chronicles；　by　〃the　Honourable　the　Chief　Justice；　the　judges　of　the　Supreme　Court；　the　members　of　the　Supreme　Council；　the　members　of　the　Council　of　the　College；　Major…General　Cameron；　Major…General　the　Honourable　Arthur　Wellesley；　Major…General　Dowdeswell；　and　Solyman　Aga；　the　envoy　from　Baghdad。　　All　the　principal　civil　and　military　officers　at　the　Presidency；　and　many　of　the　British　inhabitants；　were　present　on　this　occasion；　and　also　many　learned　natives。〃

After　Romer　had　defended；　in　Hindostani；　the　thesis　that　the　Sanskrit　is　the　parent　language　in　India；　and　Swinton；　in　Persian；　that　the　poems　of　Hafiz　are　to　be　understood　in　a　figurative　or　mystical　sense；　there　came　a　Bengali　declamation　by　Tod　senior　on　the　position　that　the　translations　of　the　best　works　extant　in　the　Sanskrit　with　the　popular　languages　of　India　would　promote　the　extension　of　science　and　civilisation；　opposed　by　Hayes；　then　Carey；　as　moderator；　made　an　appropriate　Bengali　speech。　　A　similar　disputation　in　Arabic　and　a　Sanskrit　declamation　followed；　when　Carey　was　called　on　to　conclude　with　a　speech　in　Sanskrit。　　Two　days　after；　at　a　second　assemblage　of　the　same　kind；　followed　by　a　state　dinner。　　Lord　Wellesley　presented　the　best　students　with　degrees　of　merit　inscribed　on　vellum　in　Oriental　characters；　and　delivered　an　oration；　in　which　he　specially　complimented　the　Sanskrit　classes；　urged　more　general　attention　to　the　Bengali　language；　and　expressed　satisfaction　that　a　successful　beginning　had　been　made　in　the　study　of　Marathi。

It　was　considered　a　dangerous　experiment　for　a　missionary；　speaking　in　Sanskrit；　to　avow　himself　such　not　only　before　the　Governor…General　in　official　state　but　before　the　Hindoo　and　Mohammedan　nobles　who　surrounded　him。　　We　may　be　sure　that　Carey　would　not　show　less　of　his　Master's　charity　and　wisdom　than　he　had　always　striven　to　do。　　But　the　necessity　was　the　more　laid　on　him　that　he　should　openly　confess　his　great　calling；　for　he　had　told　Fuller　on　Lord　Wellesley's　arrival　he　would　do　so　if　it　were　possible。　　Buchanan；　being　quite　as　anxious　to　bring　the　mission　forward　on　this　occasion；　added　much　to　the　English　draft〃the　whole　of　the　flattery　is　his；〃　wrote　Carey　to　Fullerand　sent　it　on　to　Lord　Wellesley　with　apprehension。　　This　answer　came　back　from　the　great　Proconsul：〃I　am　much　pleased　with　Mr。　Carey's　truly　original　and　excellent　speech。　　I　would　not　wish　to　have　a　word　altered。　　I　esteem　such　a　testimony　from　such　a　man　a　greater　honour　than　the　applause　of　Courts　and　Parliaments。〃

〃MY　LORD；　it　is　just　that　the　language　which　has　been　first　cultivated　under　your　auspices　should　primarily　be　employed　in　gratefully　acknowledging　the　benefit；　and　in　speaking　your　praise。　This　ancient　language；　which　refused　to　disclose　itself　to　the　former　Governors　of　India；　unlocks　its　treasures　at　your　command；　and　enriches　the　world　with　the　history；　learning；　and　science　of　a　distant　age。　　The　rising　importance　of　our　collegiate　institution　has　never　been　more　clearly　demonstrated　than　on　the　present　occasion；　and　thousands　of　the　learned　in　distant　nations　will　exult　in　this　triumph　of　literature。

〃What　a　singular　exhibition　has　been　this　day　presented　to　us！　　In　presence　of　the　supreme　Governor　of　India；　and　of　its　most　learned　and　illustrious　characters；　Asiatic　and　European；　an　assembly　is　convened；　in　which　no　word　of　our　native　tongue　is　spoken；　but　public　discourse　is　maintained　on　interesting　subjects　in　the　languages　of　Asia。　The　colloquial　Hindostani；　the　classic　Persian；　the　commercial　Bengali；　the　learned　Arabic；　and　the　prim鎣al　Sanskrit　are　spoken　fluently；　after　having　been　studied　grammatically；　by　English　youth。　　Did　ever　any　university　in　Europe；　or　any　literary　institution　in　any　other　age　or　country；　exhibit　a　scene　so　interesting　as　this？　　And　what　are　the　circumstances　of　these　youth？　　They　are　not　students　who　prosecute　a　dead　language　with　uncertain　purpose；　impelled　only　by　natural　genius　or　love　of　fame。　　But　having　been　appointed　to　the　important　offices　of　administering　the　government　of　the　country　in　which　these　languages　are　spoken；　they　apply　their　acquisitions　immediately　to　useful　purpose；　in　distributing　justice　to　the　inhabitants；　in　transacting　the　business　of　the　state；　revenual　and　commercial；　and　in　maintaining　official　intercourse　with　the　people；　in　their　own　tongue；　and　not；　as　hitherto；　by　an　interpreter。　　The　acquisitions　of　our　students　may　be　appreciated　by　their　affording　to　the　suppliant　native　immediate　access　to　his　principal；　and　by　their　elucidating　the　spirit　of　the　regulations　of　our　Government　by　oral　communication；　and　by　written　explanations；　varied　according　to　the　circumstances　and　capacities　of　the　p