96 Lieut-Colonel Brigg^ Memoir of the early Life of Nana Famevis. 



Accidentally placed in communication with many of his contemporaries, 

 and interested in obtaining every information regarding this celebrated 

 personage, I procured several narratives of the events which occurred 

 under the eyes of some of my native friends to be written for me by them ; 

 and in the course of my inquiries, I was enabled to gain access to his private 

 papers, to the number of nine thousand. Among these were several hun- 

 dred written in Nana's own hand, which cannot easily be mistaken. After 

 many copious selections of the most interesting, I translated many of these 

 documents, and brought them with me to this country. 



In the course of these investigations a confidential clerk of the family 

 brought me the curious relic, the translation of which is presented to the 

 Society. The paper in question is a life of Nana in his own hand-writing, 

 commencing with his birth, and coming down only to the period when his 

 patron, Madhu Rao the Great, ascended the throne, and when Nana was 

 himself only nineteen years of age. 



Nana's official career is a subject of public record and history, but his 

 private life at any stage must naturally excite the utmost interest. That he 

 should have written his life at all is certainly a very remarkable circum- 

 stance ; but the identity of his hand-writing, which I took pains not only 

 to scrutinize myself, as far as I was able, but which I submitted to the 

 inspection and examination of a vast number of disinterested persons, was 

 never for a moment doubted by them. 



Having endeavoured to establish this fact, I shall proceed at once to the 

 translation, which begins thus : 



" Let me consider what is the semblance of the face of God. It is the 

 " emblem of truth, full of animation, and resplendent with its own efful- 

 " gence. God passes his existence in watchfulness, in sleep, and in contem- 

 " plation. His watchfulness is apparent throughout all animated nature ; 

 " his contemplation is displayed in the light of day ; his sleep is typified in 

 " the stillness of night. He, to whom we attribute these qualities, is The 

 " Only One — The Spirit. 



" It is he, who in the plentitude of his power displays himself in every 

 " thing. He is every where present at the same moment, moving without 

 " feet, seeing without eyes, touching without hands, hearing without ears, 

 " pervading all space. 



" If it be asked from what are we to conclude the Great Spirit pervades 

 " all space, and that it is a single and sole spirit ? I reply, that we derive 



