IV PREFACE TO THE THIRD VOLUME. 



Chrisha-Nagar, IQth October, 1790. 

 Dear Sir, 



IT is not possible for me to forget the pleasure 

 which I have received from your conversation, and the opinion 

 which I always entertained of your parts and industry. The 

 arduous undertaking, of which I have just perused the plan, fully 

 justifies my opinion ; but I am so oppressed with a heavy arrear 

 of business, that I cannot Avrite at large on the subject of it. I 

 will desire my agent in London to subscribe for me, and will do 

 all I can to promote the subscription here. Such is the expense 

 of printing at Calcutta, that it would cost thirty pounds sterling to 

 reprint the pamphlet ; but the proposals shall be reprinted, and 

 carefully circulated. I am confident that you might learn Persian 

 in six months, (if you have not learned it already,) so well at least 

 as to read the original text of Ferishtah, whose work, with sub- 

 mission, is very highly esteemed by all learned Indians and Indian 

 scholars. To an historian I must express every truth, even 

 though friendship might induce me to conceal it; ******* 

 ******** L e {. me, at the same time, exhort you not 

 wholly to rely on my authority ; for, though I have diligently 

 avoided errors, yet I have made many : for instance, Por, a word 

 which I found for Porm in the Shah-Nameh, is, I now find, pro- 

 nounced Pur, or Poor, by the native Persians ; and I have reason 

 to believe, from Sanscrit authorities, that the true name of that 

 prince was PAURAVA- If you read Persian, Mr. Boughton Rouse 

 will, I dare say, lend you the Modern History of India, by Gholam 

 Husain. Farewell, my Dear Sir, and believe me to be, with great 

 regard, 



Your ever faithful humble Servant, 



WILLIAM JONES. 

 Rev. Thomas Maurice. 



