CALLOGRAPHY. 



but recently cultivated by European scholars. The oldest poem of 

 the Hindoos, is said to be the Ramayana, (or Ramayon), by Val- 

 miki, (or Balmiki), describing the exploits of Rama, or Ramatshandra, 

 king of Ayodya, supposed to be an incarnation of Vishnoo ; who 

 wrought wonders in rescuing his beloved Sita. Next to this is the 

 Maha-bhdrata, (or Mahabharat), by Vyasa, which treats of the wars 

 of the Curavas and Puravas, (or Kurus and Pandus), two branches 

 of the race of Bharata, who strove for the sovereignty of India, it is 

 said, 1391 B. C. In this war, gods, and giants, and heroes, particu- 

 larly Crishna, (Krishnoo), are represented as taking part ; and the 

 episode called Raghu-vansa, gives a distinct history of the race of 

 Crishna. These are both sacred poems, and rank next to the Vedas. 

 The Gita Govinda, by Djaga Deva, (or Jayadeva), and the Bhaga- 

 vata, or Bagavadam, which is one of the Puranas, and attributed to 

 Vyasa : both also relate to the life and exploits of Krishnoo. The 

 Cumara Sambhava, (or Koumara), by Calidasa, is an epic poem on 

 the birth of Cartica, or Kumara, the physician of the gods ; and Ca- 

 lidas also wrote a Raghuvansa, or children of the sun, perhaps the 

 one already mentioned, besides the Meghaduta, or cloud messenger, 

 and the Nalodaya, or rise of Nala, both elegant love tales. The 

 poem called Bhatti, is a popular epic, by Pandita ; and the Rasa- 

 manjari, by Misra, is an analysis of love. The meeting of Jlrjoun 

 and Seva, is described by Djana Radjah ; but the subject of the Ka- 

 dambari, by Bhattu Bana, we have been unable to ascertain. The 

 Puranas, being among the sacred poems, we shall not here attempt to 

 describe. The Manava Dharma Shastra, or Institutes of Menu, 

 embrace not only the Hindoo laws, but morals and mythology. 



Of Hindoo romance, we would mention the Vrihatcatha, and the 

 Cat 9 ha Saritsagara, both collections of tales by Somadeva ; the 

 former in verse ; also Singhasana, or the throne of Vicramaditya, 

 consisting of tales supposed to have been related by the images sur 

 rounding the throne ; and finally the Suca Saptati, or seventy tales 

 of a parrot, from which the Persians probably borrowed their Tooti- 

 nameh. The Hitopadesa of Vishnu Sarman, is a collection of ele- 

 gant fables, so connected as to form a code of moral and political 

 instruction : and Sir William Jones supposes that their title, abbre- 

 viated and corrupted in Persian, was mistaken for the name of a 

 person ; but that no such person as Pilpay ever existed. Of Hindoo 

 dramatic poems, or Natacas, the Sacontala, (Sokuntolo), or Fatal 

 Ring, by Calidasa, is regarded as the best performance ; and next to 

 it is his Urvasi, (Ourvasi Vikrama), or the heroism of Urvasi. The 

 Ketriabali, or pearl necklace, by Ilersadeva ; the Prabodha C/ian- 

 drodaya, or rising moon of knowledge, by Misra; the Mafia Na- 

 taca, or great drama, by Misra Murari ; and the Hasyarnava, or sea 

 of laughter, a farce by Jagadiswara, (or Bhaltatcharia), are all dra- 

 matic productions of interest and value. So are Malati and Mad- 

 hava, (or Malheva), and the Malignant Child, the Rape of Usha, the 

 Taming of Durvasas, the Seizure of the Lock, and others, by 

 unknown authors. 



4. Of Chinese Callography, we have very little to say. The 

 Chinese have considerable poetry ; much of which appears to treat 



