i8p 



raged by his applause, the Pandits prosecuted their la- 

 bours with cheerful zeal, to a satisfactory conclusion/ 

 The Moltrcees have also nearly finished their portion of 

 the work -, but we must ever regret that the promised 

 translation, as well as the meditated preliminary dis- 

 sertation, have been frustrated by that decree which so 

 ofien intercepts the performance of human purposes. 



During the course of this compilation, and as 

 an auxiliary to it, he was led to study the works of 

 Menu, reputed by the Hindus to be the oldest and 

 holiest of legislators; and finding them to comprize 

 a system of religious and civil duties, and of law in 

 all its branches, so comprehensive and minutely 

 exact^ that it might be considered as the institutes of 

 Hindu law, he presented a translation of them to the 

 Government of Bengal. During the same period, 

 deeming no labour excessive or superfluous that 

 tended, in any respect, to promote the welfare or hap- 

 piness of mankind, he gave the public an English ver- 

 sion cf the Arabic text of the Sirajiyvah, or Ma- 

 hommedan Law of Inheritance, with a Commentary. 

 He had already published in England^ a translation 

 of a Tract on the same subject, by another Mahom- 

 medan lawyer, containing, as his own words express, 

 a lively and elegant epitome of the Law of Inheritance, 

 according to Zaid. 



To these learned and important works, so far out of 

 the road of amusement, nothing could have engaged 

 his application, but that desire which he ever professed, 

 of rendering his knowledge useful to his own nation, 

 and beneficial to the inhabitants of these provinces. 



Vs^TiiOUT 



