My dialogue contains my fyftem, which I have ever avowed, and ever will avow; but I perfectly agree (and no man of found intellect can disagree) that fuch a system is wholly inapplicable to this country, where millions of men are fo wedded to inveterate prejudices and habits, that if liberty could be forced upon them by Britain, it would make them as miferable as the crueleft defpotism.

Pray remember me affectionately to all my friends at the bar, whom I have not time to

enumerate, and affure my academical and pro

feffional friends, that I will write to them all when I have leifure. Farewell, &c.

Sir WILLIAM JONES to CHARLES CHAPMAN, Efq.

Gardens, near Allipore, April 26, 1784.

Allow me, dear Sir, to give you the

warmeft thanks in my own name, and in that of our infant fociety, for the pleasure which we have received from your interesting account of Cochin-china, with confiderable extracts from which we have been favoured by

our patrons. Our meetings are well attended, and the fociety may really be faid, confidering the recent time of its establishment, to flourish.

We have been rather indisposed, the weather being fuch as we had no idea of in England, exceffive heat at noon, and an inceffant high wind from morning to night; at this moment it blows a hurricane, and my ftudy reminds me of my cabin at sea. Our way of life however is quite pastoral in this retired spot; as my prime favourites, among all our pets, are two large English sheep, which came with us from Spithead, and, having narrowly escaped the knife, are to live as long and as happily with us as they can; they follow us for bread, and are perfectly domeftic. We are literally lulled to fleep by Perfian nightingales, and cease to wonder, that the Bulbul, with a thousand tales, makes such a figure in Oriental poetry. Since I am refolved to fit regularly in court as long as I am well, not knowing how foon I may be forced to remit my attention to business, I fhall not be at liberty to

enter my budgerow till near the end of July, and must be again in Calcutta on the 22d of October, so that my time will be very limited; and I shall wish if poffible to see Benares.

The principal object of his meditated excurfion was to open fources of information, on topics entirely new in the republic of letters. The indisposition which he mentions, not without apprehenfions of its continuance, had not altogether left him when he commenced his journey, and during the progrefs of it returned with a feverity, which long held the public in anxious fufpenfe, before any hopes could be entertained of its favourable termination.

The author of thefe memoirs faw him in Auguft 1784, at the house of a friend in the vicinity of Moorfhedabad, languid, exhaufted, and emaciated, in a state of very doubtful convalefcence ; but his mind had fuffered no depreffion, and exhibited all its habitual fervour. In his conversation he spoke with rapture of the country, of the novel and in

teresting fources opened to his researches, and feemed to lament his fufferings, only as im

pediments to the profecution of them. From Moorfhedabad he proceeded to Jungipore, at the distance of a day's journey only, and from this place continued his correfpondence, which defcribes his condition.

Sir WILLIAM JONES to CHARLES CHAPMAN, Efq.

August 30, 1784.

Nothing but a series of fevere at

tacks of illness could have prevented my replying long ago to your friendly letter. After refifting them by temperance and exercise for fome time, I was quite overpowered by a fever, which has confined me ten weeks to my couch, but is now almost entirely abated, though it has left me in a state of extreme weakness. I had a relapfe at Raugamutty, which obliged me to stay three weeks at Afzalbang, where the judgment and attention of Dr. Glas, prevented perhaps ferious confequences. I have spent two days at this place,

and I find myself so much better, that I pro pofe to continue my voyage this evening: whether I shall be able to go farther than Patna, (I long to fee Benares) is very uncertain. This is only the second attempt I have made to write fince my illness; and as I hold my pen with fome difficulty, I will fay no more than that I am, with great efteem, &c.

P. S. I cannot help adding, that your propofal of extracting fuch parts of your very interesting narrative concerning Cochin-china, as you may think proper to deposit among the archives of our fociety, is the very thing I wished, and I really think it will be one of our most valuable tracts *.

* The extracts alluded to, have not yet appeared in the Asiatic Researches. The voyage which led to that narrative, was undertaken on the following occasion: Two Mandarins of Cochinchina, had been accidentally brought to Calcutta, in 1778; the Governor-General of India, W. Hastings, Esq., from motives of humanity and policy, furnished the means of their return to their native country, and Charles Chapman, Esq., at his own request, was appointed to accompany them with a public commission, with instructions to establish, if practicable, a commercial intercourse between the Company's settlements in India and Cochinchina, and to procure such