643 



JONES, SIR WILLIAM. 



JONSON, BENJAMIN. 



650 



school, he surpassed almost all his schoolfellows in learning ; and so 

 high an opinion had Dr. Thackeray, at that time head-master of the 

 school, formed of the talents of his pupil, that he used to say that "if 

 Jones were left naked and friendless on Salisbury Plain, he would 

 nevertheless find the road to fame and riches." Dr. Tbackeray was 

 succeeded by Dr. Sumner, who had an equally high opinion of the 

 abilities of Jones ; he has been known to declare " that Jones knew 

 more Greek thau himself, and was a greater proficient in the idiom of 

 that language." During the last two years of his residence at Harrow 

 Jones did not confine himself to the study of the classical writers ; he 

 learned the Arabic characters, and made some progress in Hebrew. 

 He devoted a considerable part of his time to composition in Latin, 

 Greek, and English ; some of his juvenile pieces have been printed iu 

 the fragment of a work which he began at school, and entitled ' Limon,' 

 in imitation of a lost work of Cicero. During the vacations he studied 

 the French and Italian languages. N 



In 1764, at the age of seventeen, he entered at University College, 

 Oxford, where he continued to prosecute his studies with the greatest 

 diligence. He especially directed his attention to the study of Arabic 

 and Persian ; and employed his vacations in reading the best authors 

 iu Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. In 1765 he left Oxford, and went 

 to reside in the family of Earl Spencer, in order to superintend the 

 education of Lord Althorp. In 1770 he resigned this situation with 

 the intention of going to the bar, but he did not immediately commence 

 his legal studies. During the five years that he resided in Earl 

 Spencer's family he made great acquirements in Oriental literature, 

 and obtained by his publications the reputation of being one of the 

 first Oriental scholars of his age. In 1768 he was requested by the 

 king of Denmark to translate the 'Life of Nadir Shah' from the Persian 

 into French ; this translation was published in 1770, with a treatise on 

 Oriental poetry, also written in French, in which he has translated 

 several of the Odes of Hafiz into French verse. In the following year 

 he published an excellent grammar of the Persian language : it has 

 been republished of late years with many additions and improvements 

 by the late Professor Lee, of Cambridge. In his twenty-first year 

 Jones began hia 'Commentaries on Asiatic Poetry' iu imitation of 

 Bishop Lowth's ' Prelections on the Sacred Poetry of the Hebrews." 

 This work, which was written in Latin, and was published in 1774 

 under the title of 'Poeseos AsiaticaJ Commentariorum Libri Sex,' 

 contains many excellent remarks on Oriental poetry in general, and 

 translations from the most celebrated Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, and 

 Turkish poets. It was republiahed by Eichhorn, at Leipzig, 1776. 

 He also began, during hi, residence with Earl Spencer, a Dictionary 

 of the Persian language, in which the principal words were illustrated 

 by quotations from the most celebrated Persian authors. In 1771 he 

 replied anonymously in French to Anquetil du Perron, who had 

 attacked the University of Oxford and some of its learned members 

 in his introduction to the ' Zend-Avesta.' This reply was written in 

 such good French that Biora Sthal, a Swedish Orientalist, says, " that 

 he had known many Frenchmen BO far mistaken in the writer as to 

 ascribe it to some bel-etprit of Paris." In 1772 Mr. Jones published a 

 small volume of poems consisting chiefly of translations from the 

 Asiatic languages. 



In 1774 Mr. Jones was called to the bar. Feeling the importance 

 of devoting his whole time to his legal studies, he left all his Oriental 

 books and manuscripts at Oxford, and diligently attended the courts 

 of common law. During this time he wrote an essay on the law of 

 bailments, which has since been republished. The work is characterised 

 by Jones's usual perspicuity and ease of expression ; so far as concerns 

 the arrangement aud matter, we are not aware that it contains any- 

 thing original, and it is sufficient to read it to be convinced that the 

 author had not a mind adapted to seize with precision the fundamental 

 principles which form the science of law. Jones's panegyric on Black- 

 stone is sufficient to show in what manner he had studied law. 



In 1780 he became a candidate to represent the University of Oxford 

 in parliament, but finding that he had no hope of success in conse- 

 quence of his opposition to the ministers of the day, and his condem- 

 nation of the American war, he withdrew from the contest. His 

 opinions on political subjects are given in his ' Enquiry into the Legal 

 Mode of Suppressing Kiots,' in his ' Speech to the Assembled Inhabit- 

 ants of Middlesex,' &c., in his ' Plan of a National Defence,' and in his 

 ' Principles of Government ;' which are printed in the eighth volume 

 of his works (8vo edition). After an interval of six years, when he 

 had acquired great reputation iu his profession, he again resumed his 

 Oriental studies, and employed the leisure hours of tho winter of 

 1780-1 in translating some ancient poems of the highest repute in 

 Arabia, which arc called Moallakat, or ' suspended,' because they are 

 hung up iu the Temple of Mecca. In 1783 he was appointed, through 

 the influence of Lord Ashburton, a judge in the supreme court of 

 judicature at Fort William in Bengal; on which occasion he was 

 knighted. A few weeks after he married Miss Shipley, the eldest 

 daughter of the bishop of St. Asaph. 



Sir William Jones arrived at Calcutta at the close of the year ; and 

 from this time to that of his death, a period of eleven years, he devoted 

 all his leisure time to the study of Oriental literature. Almost imme- 

 diately after his arrival he induced those persons who had paid attention 

 to Oriental literature to unite in forming a Society " for inquiring into 

 the history and antiquities, the arts, sciences, and literature of Asia." 



To the ' Asiatic Researches,' which were published by this society, of 

 which Sir William Jones was the first president. Oriental scholars in 

 Europe are indebted for much of their knowledge of the literature 

 and antiquities of the Hindoos. Sir William Jones contributed the 

 following treatises to the first four volumes of the 'Asiatic Researches:' 

 eleven 'Anniversary Discourses' on the different nations of Asia, &c. ; 

 'A Dissertation on the Orthography of Asiatic Words in Roman 

 Letters ;' ' On the Gods of Greece, Italy, and India ;' ' On the Chrono- 

 logy of the Hindus ;' ' On the Antiquity of the Indian Zodiac ;' ' On 

 the Second Classical Book of the Chinese ;' ' On the Musical Modes of 

 the Hindus ;' ' On the Mystical Poetry of the Persians and Hindus,' 

 containing a translation. of the Gitagovinda by JayadSva; 'On the 

 Indian^ Game of Chess ;' ' The Design of a Treatise on the Plants of 

 India ;' and many other treatises of less importance. 



The study of Sanskrit principally engaged the attention of Sir 

 William Jones during the first three or four years of his residence in 

 Bengal. When he had attained sufficient proficiency iu this language 

 he proposed to the government to publish a copious digest of Hindoo 

 and Mohammedan law; he offered to superintend the compilation, 

 and to translate it. This offer was willingly accepted, and Sir 

 William Jones laboured for many years on the work. It was unfinished 

 at the time of his death ; but has since been completed under the 

 superintendence of Mr. Cplebrooke. The laws of Manu, on which the 

 whole system of Hindoo jurisprudence is founded, were translated by 

 Sir William Jones, and published separately in 1794. Those who are 

 interested in Hindoo literature are also indebted to Sir William Jones 

 for a translation of Sacuntala, a dramatic poem by Cjtlidasa, which 

 appeared for the first time at Calcutta in 1789 [CALIDASA] ; and also 

 for a translation of the Hitopadesa, which appears to have been tho 

 original of the celebrated collection of Persian fables known under 

 the name of Pilpay or Bidpai. But while he was indefatigable in the 

 pursuit of literature, he never neglected his duties as a judge ; and 

 "the inflexible integrity," remarks Lord Teignmouth, " with which he 

 discharged the solemn duty of this station, will long be remembered 

 iu Calcutta, both by Europeans and natives." He died at Calcutta, on 

 the 27th of April 1794, after a few days' illness. 



A mere catalogue of the writings of Sir William Jones would show 

 the extent and variety of his knowledge. He had a wonderful facility 

 for the acquisition of languages ; his knowledge of Latin and Greek 

 was extensive, though not profound ; his acquaintance with Arabic, 

 Persian, and Sanskrit has seldom been equalled, and scarcely, if ever, 

 surpassed by any European ; he was familiar with Turkish and Hebrew ; 

 and had learned enough of the Chinese to enable him to translate an 

 ode of Confucius. He was also well acquainted with most of the 

 modern languages of Europe, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, 

 and German ; and had studied less critically numerous other languages. 

 His knowledge of science was not so extensive or accurate : he had 

 however made some progress in mathematics; was well acquainted 

 with chemistry ; and had studied botany during the latter years of his 

 life with the greatest diligence. But though the attainments of Sir 

 William Jones were so various and extensive, he does not appear to 

 have possessed much originality. He neither discovered new truths 

 nor placed old ones in a new light. He possessed neither the power 

 of analysing nor of combining and constructing. For language, as a 

 science, he did nothing : he only collected materials for others. His 

 writings on Oriental literature are interesting and instructive; but 

 neither they nor auy of his other works are distinguished by originality 

 of thought or power of expression ; his style is weak, and his judgment 

 frequently defective. His literary attainments were certainly such as 

 few men, perhaps none, have ever made ; yet with every disposition to 

 admire and honour him for what he has done, we cannot assign him 

 a high intellectual rank. Doubtless he weakened his powers by dif- 

 fusing them over so large a surface, instead of concentrating them on 

 a few objects. His personal character must always command our 

 respect ; he was an indefatigable scholar, an affectionate son, a faithful 

 friend, a useful citizen, and an upright j udge. 



In addition to tho works which have been already mentioned, Sir 

 William Jones published a translation of Isa;us ; aud also translations 

 of two Mohammedan law tracts ' On the Law of Inheritance, and of 

 Succession to Property of Intestates ;' ' Tales and Fables by Nizami ;' 

 ' Two Hymns to Pracriti ;' and ' Extracts from the Vedas.' 



A complete edition of the works of Sir William Jones was published 

 in 6 vols. 4to, 1799, and iu 13 vols. 8vo, 1807, with his life by Lord 

 Teignmouth. 



JON SON, BENJAMIN, was born at Westminster in the year 1574, 

 and educated at Westminster School, where Camdeu was his master, 

 as he mentions in the dedication of 'Every Man in his Humour.' 

 Jousou's father had died just before his son's birth. His widow about 

 two years afterwards married a second husband, by trade a bricklayer, 

 and when Jonson became of sufficient ago to be employed, he worked at 

 his father-in-law's business. According to Fuller, he suon left it and 

 went to the University of Cambridge, but was obliged from necessitous 

 circumstances speedily to return, aud was employed in the new 

 structure of Lincoln's Inn. According to Wood, some gentlemen who 

 saw him working with his father took compassion on him, and he 

 was sent by Camden to Sir Walter Kaleigh, whose son he attended on 

 his travels on the Contiuent. On his return ho went to Cambridge. 

 According to another account, before going to Cambridge he served 



