Page images
PDF
EPUB

through Tipera to Dacca: an old engagement will oblige us to deviate a little out of our way to Comarcaly; and if the Jellingy be navigable, we fhall foon be in Calcutta, if not, we must pass a second time through the Sundarbans; in all events, nothing I think can hinder my being in court on the 15th of June. Suffer me now to thank you, as I do most heartily, for the very ufeful information which you give me concerning money matters. The ancients faid, (not very properly of their imaginary gods) carior eft divis homo, quam fibi :' but I may truly fay, 'carior eft amicis, quam fibi,' fpeaking of myself and of your friendly attentions to me.

[ocr errors]

silver placed in the conduit for carrying off the superfluous water, was discoloured in a few minutes, and an infusion of tea gave a dark tinge to the water.

On the side of a hill distant about three miles from the burning well, there is a spot of ground of a few feet only in dimensions, from which flashes of fire burst on stamping strongly with the foot. The appearance of this spot resembled that of earth, on which a fire had been kindled. I do not recollect whether it was hot to the touch.

Sir William Jones to Sir J. Macpherson, Bart.

May 6, 1786.

I delayed from day to day, and

from week to week, the pleasure of answering your acceptable letter, which I received, I am afraid, so long ago as the middle of March. I wished to fend you something interesting; but my days flowed on in the fame equable and uniform tenor, and were only to be diftinguished by the advances I made in my Perfian, Indian, and botanical purfuits. In fhort, as it fometimes happens, by intending to write much, I had written nothing; and was preparing to give you fome account of my motions towards the prefidency, when I had the very great fatisfaction of receiving your packet full of matter, full of pleafing accounts, and full of just observations.

[blocks in formation]

I read with pleasure, while I was at breakfast, Mr. Forfter's lively little tract, and having finished my daily task of Perfian reading with a learned Parfi of Yezd, who accompanied me hither, I allot the reft of the morning ot you.

The approbation given at home to your seasonable exertions here, was but natural; it could not have been otherwise, and therefore it gives me great pleasure, but no surprise. Be affured that general applause ever has refulted, and ever will refult from good actions and falutary measures, as certainly as an echo, in rocky places, follows the voice. You will readily believe me, when I affure you, that I have few things more at heart than that you may enjoy as much as you can defire of that echo, and receive no pain or injury from the rocks; for rocks abound, my friend, in the fea of life,

The Scripture fpeaks of nations overturning their judges in ftony places; and ambitious judges ought to be overturned, but as I do not aspire, I can never fall from an eminence.

The state of parties in England, still makes me rejoice, that I am not in London. My friendships would lead me naturally to wish

[blocks in formation]

it. God grant he may adopt the best meafures for this country, and give them effect by the best means, without difarranging your measures, fince the wheel of continual changes cannot but have a bad effect in the minds of the governed-but I fat down to write a letter, not a treatise.

By the way, I have read a fecond time here your friend's Treatife on the Hiftory of Civil Society, and am extremely pleased with it, especially his chapter on the relaxation of national spirit.

*

*

*

Your communications about the Lama will be truly interefting. I have read fince I left Calcutta Soo pages in quarto concerning the Mythology and Hiftory, both civil and natural, of Tibet. The work was printed with every advantage of new types and curious engravings, at Rome, about ten years ago, and was compiled from the papers of an Italian father, named Orazio, who had lived thirty years in that country and Napal, where he died. On my return, I purpofe, with the

permiffion of the fociety, to fend a treatise* to the prefs, which ought to stand first in our collections, as it will be a key to many other papers. I have caufed fix or feven plates to be engraved for it.

Always excepting my own imperfect essays, I may venture to foretell, that the learned in Europe will not be disappointed by our first volume. But my great object, at which I have long been labouring, is to give our country a complete digeft of Hindu and Muffulman law. I have enabled myself by exceffive care to read the oldeft Sanfcrit law books with the help of a loofe Perfian paraphrafe; and I have begun a translation of Menu into English; the beft Arabian lawtract, I translated last year. What I can poffibly perform alone, I will by God's bleffing perform; and I would write on the subject to the Minifter, Chancellor, the Board of Controul, and the Directors, if I were not apprehenfive that they who know the world, but

* A Dissertation on the Orthography of Asiatic Words in Roman Letters. Works, vol. iii. page 253.

« PreviousContinue »