500 
Hindu and Mahommedan Law, from 
Sanfcrit and Arabic originals, with 
an offer to fuperintend the compi- 
lation, and with a promife to tranf- 
late it. He had forefeen, previous 
to his departure from Europe, that, 
without the aid of fuch a work, the 
wife and benevolent intentions of 
the legiflature of Great Britain, in 
leaving to a certain extent the na- 
tives of thefe provinces in poffef- 
fion of their own laws, could not be 
completely fulfilled ; and his expe- 
rience, after a fhort refidence in 
India, confirmed what his fagacity 
had anticipated, that, without prin- 
ciples to refer to in a language fa- 
miliar to the judges of the courts, 
adjudications amongft the natives 
~ mutt too often be fubject to an un- 
certain and erroneous expofition, 
or wilful mifinterpretation of their 
laws. : 
*“ To the fuperintendance of 
this work, which was immediately 
undertaken at his fuggeflion, he af- 
fiduoufly devoted thofe hours which 
he could {pare from his profeffidnal 
duties. After tracing the plan of 
the Digeit, he prefcribed its ar- 
rangement and mode of execution, 
and felected frem the moft learned 
Hindus and Mahommedans fit per- 
fons for the tafk of compiling it. 
Flattered by his attention, and en- 
ou aged by his applaufe, the Pun- 
dits profecuted their labours with 
cheerful zeal to a fatisfactory con- 
clufion. The Molavees have alfo 
nearly finifhed their portion of the 
work; but we muft ever regret, 
that the promifed tranflation, as 
well as the meditated preliminary 
differtation, have been fruftrated by 
that decree, which fo often inter- 
cepts the performance of human 
purpofes.”” 
During the courfe of this ecompi- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1797. 
lation, and as an auxiliary to it, he- 
was led to ftudy the works of Me- 
nu, reputed by the Hindus to be 
the oldeft and holieft of legiflators ; 
and finding them to comprife a fyf- 
tem of religious and civil dutiesy 
and of law in all ,its branches, fo 
comprehenfive and minutely exact, 
that it might be confidered as the 
inftitutes of Hindu law, he prefent- 
eda tranflation of them to the go- 
vernment of Bengal. During the 
fame period, deeming no labour 
exceffive or fuperfluous that tended 
in any refpeét to promote the wel- 
fare. or happinefs of mankind, he 
gave the public an Englifh verfion 
of the Arabic text of the Sirajiyah, 
or Mahommedan law of inheritance, 
with a commentary. He had al- 
ready publifhed in England, a 
tranflation of a traét on the fame 
{ubje&t by another Mahommedan 
lawyer, containing, as his own 
words exprefs, ‘a lively and ele- 
gant epitome of the law of inherit- 
ance of Zaid.” 
The vanity and petulance of 
Anquetil du Perron, with his illibe- 
ral refle€tions on fome of the learn- 
ed members of the univerfity of 
Oxford, extorted from him a letter 
in the French language, which has 
been admired for accurate criticifm, 
juft fatire, and elegant compofition. 
A regard for the literary reputation 
of his country, induced him to 
tranflate, from Perfian original, in- 
to French, the life of Nadir Shah, 
that it might not be carried out of 
England with a reflection, that no 
perfon had been found in the Bri- 
tifh dominions capable of tranflat- 
ing it. The ftudents of Perfian li- 
terature muft ever be grateful to 
him for a grammar of that language, 
in which he has fhown the poflibi- 
lity of combining tafte and wr 
wiih 
