f65 Oriental Literature* [Chap. XIV- 



when afterwards governor of India, oriental'litera,- 

 ture was cultivated with so much zeal, became 

 early in life fond of this language, and exerted 

 himself to diffuse a knowledge of it in his own 

 countiy. Sir William Jones also, while yet a 

 youth, discovered much of that enthusiastic at- 

 tachment to eastern learning, in which he after^ 

 wards made such astonishing progress *, In 1773 



* Sir A^'illinm Jones was one of the brightest ornaments of the 

 eighteenth century, and in some respects one of the most wonder- 

 ilil men that ever existed. He died in 179"^, after having lived a 

 little more tlian 47 years. In this short period he had acquired an 

 extent of learning, and a variety and elegance of accopiplishments, 

 which seldom fall to the lot of an individual. There were few 

 sciences in which he had not made considerable proficiency, and 

 in most his knowledge was profound. His capacity for the ac- 

 quisition of languages has probably never been excelled, in 

 Greek and Roman literature his early proliciency was the subject 

 cf admiration and applause > and knowledge, of whatever nature, 

 onee obtained by him was ever afterwards progressive. 'J'he 

 more elegant dialects of modern Europe, the French, the Spanish, 

 and the Italian, he spoke and wrote with the greatest fluency and 

 precision j and the German and Portuguese were familiar to him. 

 At an early period of life his application to oriental literature com* 

 menccd; he studied the Hebrew with ease and success, and 

 many of the most learned Asiatics have the candour to avow, thai 

 his knowled j;e of Arabic and Persian was as accurate and exten- 

 sive as their own. He was also conversant in the Turkish idioms, 

 and even the Chinese had attracted his notice vso far as to induce 

 him to learn the radical characters of that language, with a view, 

 perhaps, to furtlier improvements. It was to be expected, after 

 his arrival in India, that he would eagerly embrace the opportu- 

 nity of making himself master of the Sanscrit) and the most en- 

 lightened professors of the doctrines of Brahwali confessed, wrth 

 pride, delight, and astonishment, that his knowledge of their sa- 

 cred dialect was mott critically correct and profound. To a pro- 

 ficiency in the languages of Greece, Rome, and Asia, he added a 

 knowledge of the philosophy of tliose countries, and of every thixig 



