Oriental Literature. 10 



of Mr. Halhed,* and especially of Sir William 

 Jones, deserve particular attention, and the high- 

 est praise.' To Father Paolino, formerly Pro- 

 fessor of Oriental Languages in the Propaganda 

 at Rome, the public are also indebted, for some 

 useful exertions to promote the study of Sanscrit. 

 During a residence of thirteen years in India he ac- 

 quired much information concerning this language, 

 and formed a grammar, which is said to exhibit its 

 elements in a very clear and satisfactory manner. 



The institution of the Asiatic Society, in Cal- 

 cutta, in the year 1784, forms an important era in 

 the history of oriental learning. The design of this 

 association was to trace the antiquities, arts, sci- 

 ences, and literature of the immense continent of 

 Asia. It was planned and founded by Sir William 

 Jones, who was long its president, and certainly 

 the most active and extensively useful member. 

 How diligent, and unwearied the labours of this 

 association; and how curious and valuable the 

 results of their investigations, are generally known 

 by means of the several volumes of Asiatic Be- 

 searches, which have been laid before the public 

 in the course of the last fifteen years. In these 

 volumes, the intelligent reader will find an amount 

 of information, on the subjects of inquiry be- 



k Mr. Halhed is of opinion that the Sanscrit was, in ancient periods, 

 current, not only over all India, considered in its largest extent, but over 

 all the oriental world ; and that traces of its original diffusion may still be 

 discovered in almost every region of Asia. 



/ " The Sanscrit language, whatever be its antiquity, is of a wonderful 

 structure; more perfect than the Greek, more copious than the Latin, and 

 more exquisitely refined than either; yet bearing to both of them a stronger 

 affinity, both in the roots of verbs, and in the forms of grammar, than 

 could possibly have been produced by accident; so strong, indeed, that no 

 philologer could examine them all, without believing them to have sprung 

 from some common source, which, perhaps, no longer exists. There is 

 similar reason, though not quite so forcible, for supposing that both the 

 Gothic and the Celtic, though blended with very different idioms, had the 

 same origin with the Sanscrit : and the old Persian might be added to the 

 same family." See Sir William Jones's Third Discourse before the Asiatic 

 Society. 



