2/0 Oriental Literature. [Chap. XIV. 



great improvements in oriental knowledge since 

 their time, they are still quoted frequently^ and 

 with high respect. To these great orientalists, 

 after an interval of many years, succeeded Mr. 

 ?Iolwell^ and Mr. Dow f, of Great Britain, who 

 spent some time in the east, and who professed 

 to give the public much new and curious informa- 

 tion concerning the religion and sacred literature 

 of the Hindoos. The publications of these gentle- 

 men, however, are by no means consistent with 

 each other, or, with themselves ; and although 

 they contain, especially the works of IMr. Hol- 

 well J, some useful and instructive matter, they 

 are far from being considered unexceptionable au- 

 thorities, by later and better informed writers. 



Mr. Warren Hastings, soon after receiving the 

 appointment of governor of Bengal, formed the 

 design of procuring a complete code of the laws 

 and customs of the Hindoos. With a view to the 

 accomplishment of this design he invited, about 

 the year ]7'^3, a number of Brahmans, who were 

 learned in the Sanscrit language, from Benares 

 and other parts of the country, to convene in Cal- 



* S^K his \voik on the Tnsts, Fcsfivals, and Metempsychosis of 

 the hindonfi, 2 vols, 8vo, 1/66, and also his Interesting Historical 

 Krents, 2 vols, Svo, 1/66". 



-f- TrnnsJntion o/'Ferishta's Indian History, 3 vols, 4to, 17/0. 



I John Zephaniah Holwell, esq., governor of Bengal, was 

 among the persons confined in the Black Hole at Calcutta, in 

 17.56, of which he published a narrative. He was one of the- 

 first P2uropt'ans who engaged in the study of Hindoo antiquities; 

 and pointed out the pith which others have so successfully pur- 

 sued. He was, however, wholly ignorant of the Sanscrit Ian* 

 guage; and, on account of this deficiency, laboured under many 

 disadvantages, and made gross mistakes in his investigations. 



