the life of william carey-第39章

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nication；　and　by　written　explanations；　varied　according　to　the　circumstances　and　capacities　of　the　people。

〃The　acquisitions　of　our　students　are　appreciated　at　this　moment　by　those　learned　Asiatics　now　present　in　this　assembly；　some　of　them　strangers　from　distant　provinces；　who　wonder　every　man　to　hear　in　his　own　tongue　important　subjects　discussed；　and　new　and　noble　principles　asserted；　by　the　youth　of　a　foreign　land。　　The　literary　proceedings　of　this　day　amply　repay　all　the　solicitude；　labour；　and　expense　that　have　been　bestowed　on　this　institution。　　If　the　expense　had　been　a　thousand　times　greater；　it　would　not　have　equalled　the　immensity　of　the　advantage；　moral　and　political；　that　will　ensue。

〃I；　now　an　old　man；　have　lived　for　a　long　series　of　years　among　the　Hindoos。　　I　have　been　in　the　habit　of　preaching　to　multitudes　daily；　of　discoursing　with　the　Brahmans　on　every　subject；　and　of　superintending　schools　for　the　instruction　of　the　Hindoo　youth。　Their　language　is　nearly　as　familiar　to　me　as　my　own。　　This　close　intercourse　with　the　natives　for　so　long　a　period；　and　in　different　parts　of　our　empire；　has　afforded　me　opportunities　of　information　not　inferior　to　those　which　have　hitherto　been　presented　to　any　other　person。　　I　may　say　indeed　that　their　manners；　customs；　habits；　and　sentiments　are　as　obvious　to　me　as　if　I　was　myself　a　native。　And　knowing　them　as　I　do；　and　hearing　as　I　do　their　daily　observations　on　our　government；　character；　and　principles；　I　am　warranted　to　say　（and　I　deem　it　my　duty　to　embrace　the　public　opportunity　now　afforded　me　of　saying　it）　that　the　institution　of　this　college　was　wanting　to　complete　the　happiness　of　the　natives　under　our　dominion；　for　this　institution　will　break　down　that　barrier　（our　ignorance　of　their　language）　which　has　ever　opposed　the　influence　of　our　laws　and　principles；　and　has　despoiled　our　administration　of　its　energy　and　effect。

〃Were　the　institution　to　cease　from　this　moment；　its　salutary　effects　would　yet　remain。　　Good　has　been　done；　which　cannot　be　undone。　　Sources　of　useful　knowledge；　moral　instruction；　and　political　utility　have　been　opened　to　the　natives　of　India　which　can　never　be　closed；　and　their　civil　improvement；　like　the　gradual　civilisation　of　our　own　country；　will　advance　in　progression　for　ages　to　come。

〃One　hundred　original　volumes　in　the　Oriental　languages　and　literature　will　preserve　for　ever　in　Asia　the　name　of　the　founder　of　this　institution。　　Nor　are　the　examples　frequent　of　a　renown；　possessing　such　utility　for　its　basis；　or　pervading　such　a　vast　portion　of　the　habitable　globe。　　My　lord；　you　have　raised　a　monument　of　fame　which　no　length　of　time　or　reverse　of　fortune　is　able　to　destroy；　not　chiefly　because　it　is　inscribed　with　Maratha　and　Mysore；　with　the　trophies　of　war　and　the　emblems　of　victory；　but　because　there　are　inscribed　on　it　the　names　of　those　learned　youth　who　have　obtained　degrees　of　honour　for　high　proficiency　in　the　Oriental　tongues。

〃These　youth　will　rise　in　regular　succession　to　the　Government　of　this　country。　　They　will　extend　the　domain　of　British　civilisation；　security；　and　happiness；　by　enlarging　the　bounds　of　Oriental　literature　and　thereby　diffusing　the　spirit　of　Christian　principles　throughout　the　nations　of　Asia。　These　youth；　who　have　lived　so　long　amongst　us；　whose　unwearied　application　to　their　studies　we　have　all　witnessed；　whose　moral　and　exemplary　conduct　has；　in　so　solemn　a　manner；　been　publicly　declared　before　this　august　assembly；　on　this　day；　and　who；　at　the　moment　of　entering　on　the　public　service；　enjoy　the　fame　of　possessing　qualities　（rarely　combined）　constituting　a　reputation　of　threefold　strength　for　public　men；　genius；　industry；　and　virtue；these　illustrious　scholars；　my　lord；　the　pride　of　their　country；　and　the　pillars　of　this　empire；　will　record　your　name　in　many　a　language　and　secure　your　fame　for　ever。　　Your　fame　is　already　recorded　in　their　hearts。　　The　whole　body　of　youth　of　this　service　hail　you　as　their　father　and　their　friend。　　Your　honour　will　ever　be　safe　in　their　hands。　　No　revolution　of　opinion　or　change　of　circumstances　can　rob　you　of　the　solid　glory　derived　from　the　humane；　just；　liberal；　and　magnanimous　principles　which　have　been　embodied　by　your　administration。

〃To　whatever　situation　the　course　of　future　events　may　call　you；　the　youth　of　this　service　will　ever　remain　the　pledges　of　the　wisdom　and　purity　of　your　government。　　Your　evening　of　life　will　be　constantly　cheered　with　new　testimonies　of　their　reverence　and　affection；　with　new　proofs　of　the　advantages　of　the　education　you　have　afforded　them；　and　with　a　demonstration　of　the　numerous　benefits；　moral；　religious；　and　political；　resulting　from　this　institution；benefits　which　will　consolidate　the　happiness　of　millions　of　Asia；　with　the　glory　and　welfare　of　our　country。〃

The　Court　of　Directors　had　never　liked　Lord　Wellesley；　and　he　had；　in　common　with　Colebrooke；　keenly　wounded　them　by　proposing　a　free　trade　movement　against　their　monopoly。　　They　ordered　that　his　favourite　college　should　be　immediately　abolished。　　He　took　good　care　so　to　protract　the　operation　as　to　give　him　time　to　call　in　the　aid　of　the　Board　of　Control；　which　saved　the　institution；　but　confined　it　to　the　teaching　of　languages　to　the　civilians　of　the　Bengal　Presidency　only。　　The　Directors；　when　thus　overruled　chiefly　by　Pitt；　created　a　similar　college　at　Haileybury；　which　continued　till　the　open　competitive　system　of　1854　swept　that　also　away；　and　the　Company　itself　soon　followed；　as　the　march　of　events　had　made　it　an　anachronism。

The　first　law　professor　at　Haileybury　was　James　Mackintosh；　an　Aberdeen　student　who　had　leaped　into　the　front　rank　of　publicists　and　scholars　by　his　answer　to　Burke；　in　the　Vindici？Gallic？　and　his　famous　defence　of　M。　Peltier　accused　of　a　libel　on　Napoleon　Buonaparte。　　Knighted　and　sent　out　to　Bombay　as　its　first　recorder；　Sir　James　Mackintosh　became　the　centre　of　scholarly　society　in　Western　India；　as　Sir　William　Jones　had　been　in　Bengal。　　He　was　the　friend　of　Robert　Hall；　the　younger；　who　was　filling　Carey's　pulpit　in　Leicester；　and　he　soon　became　the　admiring　correspondent　of　Carey　himself。　　His　first　act　during　his　seven　years'　residence　in　Bombay　was　to　establish　the　〃Literary　Society。〃　　He　drew　up　a　〃Plan　of　a　comparative　vocabulary　of　Indian　languages；〃　to　be　filled　up　by　the　officials　of　every　district；　like　that　which　Carey　had　long　been　elaborating　for　his　own　use　as　a　philologist　and　Bible　translator。　In　his　first　address　to　the　Literary　Society　he　thus　eulogised　the　College　of　Fort　William；　though　fresh　from　a　chair　in　its　English　rival；　Haileybury：〃The　original　plan　was　the　most　magnificent　attempt　ever　made　for　the　promotion　of　learning　in　the　East。。。Even　in　its　present　mutilated　state　we　have　seen；　at　the　last　public　exhibition；　Sanskrit　declamation　by　English　youth；　a　circumstance　so　extraordinary；　that　if　it　be　followed　by　suitable　advances　it　will　mark　an　epoch　in　the　history　of　learning。〃

Carey　continued　till　1831　to　be　the　most　notable　figure　in　the　College　of　Fort　William。　　He　was　the　centre　of　the　learned　natives　whom　it　attracted；　as　pundits　and　moonshees；　as　inquirers　and　visitors。　　His　own　special　pundit　was　the　chief　one；　Mrityunjaya　Vidyalankar；　whom　Home　has　immortalised　in　Carey's　portrait。　　In　the　college　for　more　than　half　the　week；　as　in　his　study　at　Serampore；　Carey　exhausted　three　pundits　daily。　　His　college…room　was　the　centre　of　incessant　literary　work；　as　his　Serampore　study　was　of　Bible　translation。　　When　he　declared　that　the　college　staff　had　sent　forth　one　hundred　original　volumes　in　the　Oriental　languages　and　literature；　he　referred　to　the　grammars　and　dictionaries；　the　reading…books；　compilations；　and　editions　prepared　for　the　students　by　the　professors　and　their　native　assistants。　　But　he　contributed　the　largest　share；　and　of　all　his　contributions　the　most　laborious　and　valuable　was　this　project　of　the　Bibliotheca　Asiatica。

〃24th　July；　1805。By　the　enclosed　Gazette　you　will　see　that　the　Asiatic　Society　and　the　College　have　agreed　to　allow　us　a　yearly　stipend　for　translating　Sanskrit　works：　this　will　maintain　three　missionary　stations；　and　we　intend　to　apply　it　to　that　purpose。　　An　augmentation　of　my　salary　has　been　warmly　recommended　by　the　College　Council；　but　has　not　yet　taken　place；　and　as　Lord　Cornwallis　is　now　arrived　and　Lord　Wellesley　going　away；　it　may　not　take　place。　　If　it　should；　it　will　be　a　further　assistance。　　The　business　of　the　translation　of　Sanskrit　works　is　as　follows：　About　two　years　ago　I　presented　proposals　（to　the　Council　of　the　College）　to　print　the　Sanskrit　books　at　a　fixed　price；　with　a　certain　indemnity　for　100　copies。　　The　plan　was　thought　too　extensive　by　some；　and　was　therefore　laid　by。　　A　few　months　ago　Dr。　Francis　Buchanan　came　to　me；　by　desire　of　Marquis　Wellesley；　about　the　translation　of　his　manuscripts。　　In　the　course　of　conversation　I　mentioned　the　proposal　I　had　made；　of　which　he　much　approved；　and　immediately　communicated　the　matter　to　Sir　John　Anstruther；　who　is　president　of　the　Asiatic　Society。　　Sir　John　had　then　been　drawing　out　a　proposal　to　Lord　Wellesley　to　form　a　catalogue　raisonn？of　the　ancient　Hindoo　books；　which　he　sent　to　me；　and　entering　warmly　into　my　plan；　desired　that　I　would　send　in　a　set　of　proposals。　　After　some　amendments　it　was　agreed　that　the　College　of　Fort　William　and　the　Asiatic　Society　should　subscribe　in　equal　shares　300　rupees　a　month　to　defray　the　current　expenses；　that　we　should　undertake　any　work　approved　of　by　them；　and　print　the　original　with　an　English　translation　on　such　paper　and　with　such　a　type　as　they　shall　approve；　the　copy　to　be　ours。　　They　have　agreed　to　recommend　the　work　to　all　the　learned　bodies　in　Europe。　　I　have　recommended　the　Ramayana　to　begin　with；　it　being　one　of　the　most　popular　of　all　the　Hindoo　books　accounted　sacred。　　The　Veda　are　so　excessively　insipid　that；　had　we　begun　with　them；　we　should　have　sickened　the　public　at　the　outset。　　The　Ramayana　will　furnish　the　best　account　of　Hindoo　mythology　that　any　one　book　will；　and　has　extravagancy　enough　to　excite　a　wish　to　read　it　through。〃

In　1807　Carey　became　one　of　the　most　active　members　of　the　Bengal　Asiatic　Society。　　His　name　at　once　appears　as　one　of　the　Committee　of　Papers。　　In　the　ninth　volume　of　the　Asiatic　Researches　for　that　year；　scholars　were　invited　to　communicate　translations　and　descriptive　accounts　of　Asiatic　books。　　Carey's　edition　of　The　Ramayana　of　Valmeeki；　in　the　original　Sanskrit；　with　a　prose　translation　and　explanatory　notes；　appeared　from　the　Serampore　press　in　three　successive　quartos　from　1806　to　1810。　　The　translation　was　done　by　〃Dr。　Carey　and　Joshua　Marshman。〃　　Until　Gorresio　published　his　edition　and　Italian　translation　of　the　whole　poem　this　was　the　first　and　only　attempt　to　open　the　seal　of　the　second　great　Sankrit　epic　to　the　European　world。　　In　1802　Carey　had　encouraged　the　publication　at　his　own　press　of　translations　of　both　the　Mahabharata　and　the　Ramayana　into　Bengali。　　Carey's　Ramayana　excited　a　keen　interest　not　only　among　the　learned　of　Europe；　but　among　poetical　students。　　Southey　eagerly　turned　to　it　for　materials　for　his　Curse　of　Kehama；　in　the　notes　to　which　he　makes　long　quotations　from　〃the　excellent　and　learned　Baptist