P8 ORIGIN AND DECLINE OF THE 



It is supposed, that the Brahmeiis are too proud to 

 borrow any thing from their neighbours ; but this is 

 by no means the case ; and whenever they are ac- 

 quainted with the circumstance, they will most can- 

 didly acknowledge it, particularly^ astronomers and 

 physicians. 



After the conquests of Alexander, and for many 

 centuries after, there seems to have been an eager 

 desire in India for foreign arts and sciences, curiosi- 

 ties, instruments of music, wine, and even beautiful 

 damsels from Greece. According to Elian and 

 DioCiiRYsosTOM, the Hindus, as well as the Pe?^sianSy 

 had the works of Ho:.ier translated into their native 

 languages: and Philostratus says, that they were 

 well acquainted with the ancient heroes of Greece; 

 and that they had statues made by Grecian artists. 

 And this is very possible, as the Greeks of Bactriana 

 were in possession of the Paiijab for more than a 

 hundred and twenty j^ars. The Kings of Magadlia 

 repeatedly wrote to the successors of Alexander 

 for sophists, or learned men, from Greece ; and lately 

 the famous Jaya-Sinha, Raja of Jaypin\ wrote to 

 the King of Portugal for learned men, and he had 

 several sent to him ; and the King of France sent 

 him also an astronomer, P. Boudier. He had the 

 elements of Euclid translated into Sanscrit^ part of 

 which fell into the hands of ]\Ir. Davis. There, it 

 is said, that this valuable book, originally written by 

 Vis'vacarma, or Twasht'a', the artist god, had 

 been lost for many thousand years ; but was rescued 

 from obscurity by the extraordinary efforts of Jaya- 



SINMA. 



He had also another voluminous treatise, called the 

 Sidd'hanta-Sanif^at, on geometry and astronomy, en- 



