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theory of music was familiar to him, nor had he neglected to render himself acquainted with the interesting discoveries lately made in chemistry; and I have heard him assert, that his admiration of the structure of the human frame, induced him to attend for a season, to a course of anatomical lectures delivered by his friend, the celebrated Hunter. Of his skill in mathematics I am so far qualified to speak, that he frequently perused and solved the problems in the Principia.

His last and favourite pursuit was the study of botany. It constituted the principal amusement of his leisure hours. In the arrangement of Linnæus, he discovered system, truth, and science, which never failed to captivate and engage his attention; and from the proofs which he has exhibited of his progress in botany, we may conclude, if he had lived, that he would have extended the discoveries in that science*. From two of the essays mentioned in the note, I shall transcribe two short extracts which mark his judgment and delicacy of sentiment. "If botany could be described by metaphors drawn from "the science itself, we may justly pronounce a minute acquaintance “with plants, their classes, orders, kinds, and species, to be its flowers, "which can only produce fruit by an application of that knowledge "to the purposes of life, particularly to diet by which diseases may "be avoided, and to medicine by which they may be remedied." On the indelicacy of the Linnæan definitions, he observes," Hence "it is that no well-born and well-educated woman can be advised "to amuse herself with botany, as it is now explained, though a more

* Besides occasional botanical information, we have in the works of Sir William Jones, vol. ii. p. 1, a little tract intitled, The Design of a Treatise on the Plants of India, p. 39; A Catalogue of 420 Indian Plants, comprehending their Sanscrit and as many of the Linnæan generic names, as could with any degree of precision be ascertained; and, p. 47, Botanical Observations on seventy select Indian Plants, which last was a posthumous.. publication.

" elegant

"elegant and delightful study, or one more likely to assist and em"bellish other female accomplishments, could not possibly be "recommended."

It cannot be deemed useless or superfluous, to enquire by what arts or method he was enabled to attain this extraordinary degree of knowledge. The faculties of his mind, by nature vigorous, were improved by constant exercise; and his memory, by habitual practice, had acquired a capacity of retaining whatever had once been imprinted upon it. In his early years, he seems to have entered upon his career of study with this maxim strongly impressed upon his mind, that whatever had been attained, was attainable by him, and it has been remarked, that he never neglected nor overlooked any opportunity of improving his intellectual faculties, or of acquiring esteemed accomplishments.

To an unextinguished ardour for universal information, he joined a perseverance in the pursuit of it, which subdued all obstacles. His studies in India began with the dawn, and during the intermissions of professional duties, were continued throughout the day: reflection and meditation strengthened and confirmed what industry and investigation had accumulated. It was also a fixed principle with him, from which he never voluntarily deviated, not to be deterred by any difficulties that were surmountable from prosecuting to a successful termination, what he had once deliberately undertaken.

But what appears to me more particularly to have enabled him to employ his talents so much to his own and the public advantage, was the regular allotment of his time to particular occupations, and a scrupulous adherence to the distribution which he had fixed; hence all his studies were pursued without interruption or confu

sion.

sion. Nor can I omit remarking the candour and complacency, with which he gave his attention to all persons of whatever quality, talents, or education; he justly concluded, that curious or important information might be gained even from the illiterate, and, wherever it was to be obtained, he sought and seized it.

* It was a favourite opinion of Sir William Jones, that all men are born with an equal capacity for improvement. The assertion (which I do not admit) will remind the reader of the modest declaration of Sir Isaac Newton, that if he had done the world any service, it was due to nothing but industry and patient thought. The following lines were sent to Sir William by a friend, Thomas Law, Esq. in consequence of a conversation in which he had maintained the opinion which I have imputed to him; his answer, which was unpremeditated, is a confirmation of it.

Sir William, you attempt, in vain,
By depth of reason to maintain,
That all men's talents are the same,
And they, not Nature, are to blame.
Whate'er you say, whate'er you write,
Proves your opponents in the right.
Lest genius should be ill-defin'd,

I term it your superior mind,

Hence to your friends 'tis plainly shewn,
You're ignorant of yourself alone.

Sir WILLIAM JONES's Answer:
Ah! but too well, dear friend, I know
My fancy weak, my reason slow,

My memory by art improv'd,

My mind by baseless trifles mov'd.

Give me (thus high my pride I raise)

The ploughman's or the gardener's praise,
With patient and unceasing toil,

To meliorate a stubborn soil.

And say, (no higher meed I ask)

With zeal hast thou perform'd thy task?

Praise, of which virtuous minds may boast,
They best confer, who merit most.

The

The literary designs which he still meditated", seem to have been as ample as those which he executed; and if it had pleased Providence to extend the years of his existence, he would in a great measure have exhausted whatever was curious, important, and attainable, in the arts, sciences, and histories of India, Arabia, Persia, China, and Tartary. His collections on these subjects were extensive, and his ardour and industry we know were unlimited. It is to be hoped that the progressive labour of the society will in part supply, what he had so extensively planned.

Of

*See Memoirs, p. 229.

†The following paper written by Sir William Jones, was found amongst his papers after his death, and may be considered as exhibiting his Oriental literary projects:

DESIDERATA.

INDIA.
1.

The Ancient Geography of India, &c. from the Puránas.

2.

A Botanical Description of Indian Plants from the Coshás, &c.

3.

A Grammar of the Sanscrit Language from Pànini, &c.

4.

A Dictionary of the Sanscrit Language from thirty-two original Vocabularies and Niructi.

5.

On the Antient Music of the Indians.

6.

On the Medical Substances of India, and the Indian Art of Medicine. 7.

On the Philosophy of the Ancient Indians.

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Of his private and social virtues it still remains to speak; and I could with pleasure expatiate on the independence of his integrity,

11.

Translation of the Mahabharat and Rámáyan.

12.

On the Indian Theatre, &c. &c.

13.

On the Indian Constellations, with their Mythology, from the Puránas.

14.

The History of India before the Mohammedan Conquest. From the Sanscrit Cashmir Histories.

ARABIA.
15.

The History of Arabia before Mohammed.

16.

A Translation of the Hamása.

17.

A Translation of Hariri.

18.

A Translation of the Fácahatâl Khulafa. Of the Cafiah.

PERSIA.
19.

The History of Persia, from Authorities in Sanscrit, Arabic, Greek, Turkish, Persian, Ancient and Modern.

20.

The Five Poems of Nizami, translated in Prose.

A Dictionary of pure Persian-Jehangiri.

CHINA.

21.

Translation of the Shí-cing.

22.

The Text of Con-fu-tsu, verbally translated.

TARTARY.

23.

A History of the Tartar Nations, chiefly of the Moguls and Othmans, from the

Turkish and Persian.

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