I SHOULD be guilty of unpardonable ingratitude, were I to suffer the INDIAN ANTIQUITIES to clofe without paying the public tribute of respect, intended by this Dedication, to those kind friends who, at the very commencement of the undertaking, fo decidedly stood forth to promote its fuccefs and befriend the author. In the dark moment to which I allude, when accumulated difficulties started up on every fide to obftruct the public appearance

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pearance of this work, your joint liberality, spontaneously exerted, fmoothed the way and difpelled the gloom. The two first volumes, in confequence, fhortly after appeared, and my mind could not fail of being impreffed with the trueft fatisfaction, on finding that what you had thus generously patronized was honoured with a large portion of the public applause.

Through a series of years not a little inaufpicious to great literary efforts, and often with but very flender materials, from the mine of Indian science having been hitherto but very fuperficially explored, with health in not the most vigorous ftate, and with spirits confequently not always free from depreffion, I have perfeveringly laboured to complete this, and the yet greater, work with which it is connected, till, at length, the vaft outlines, which I had sketched for the conduct of both, are, as far as poffible, filled up, and nothing remains but the grateful task of returning those fincere acknowledgements, which are fo justly due from me to all my generous patrons, both public and private. Among thefe, Gentlemen, befides yourselves, I could,

with equal pride and pleasure, enumerate fome of the most illuftrious characters who prefide on the bench and practise at the bar of British jurisprudence, who, convinced of the intimate connection fubfifting between the national code of equity and that sublimer code, on which, indeed, it is, in a great degree, founded, and the leading principles of which are throughout these pages humbly attempted to be defended and illuftrated, have uniformly befriended this growing work in every stage of its progrefs towards maturity, and have rejoiced to behold obftacles furmounted and difficulties fubdued. Nor has this generous patronage been folely confined confined to the circle of those who prefide and practise in the courts of common law; fince, from fome who prefide in those of the civil law of this country, I have alfo received fuch flattering marks of attention, as I must remember with fervent gratitude to the latest hour of my life.

Gentlemen, forgive me, if, on this occafion, I cannot avoid indulging a small portion of, I truft, a laudable vanity: for, to be honoured, on the one hand, with the pa

tronage of men, by ftation fo highly elevated, and themfelves fuch accomplished proficients in literature, as the present Lord High Chancellor, the Mafter of the Rolls, Lord Eldon, and Sir Giles Rook; and, on the other, with the decided applause of characters fo deservedly estimated by their countrymen, as Sir William Wynne, Sir William Scott, and Sir John Nicholl, falls to the envied lot of but very few writers of the age. I trust thefe distinguished perfonages will not be offended at my thus publicly stating to you, and to the public, my peculiar obligations to them, nor refuse to accept of my warmeft acknowledgements for their continued kindness.

Among the numerous barristers, diftinguifhed by talents and by fcience, whom I am also proud to rank among my friends and fubfcribers, I am bound by gratitude at least to mention one, Mr. MACKINTOSH, whose obliging notice of my efforts, in the very elegant profpectus to his interesting lectures, demands, and has, my warmest thanks. At no period of our history, I believe, was the English bar filled by men. of more tranfcendent abilities, of purer principles,