THE INTRODUCTION, Ylt 



Mr. Hastings therefore appeared, as Governor-Ge* 

 neral, among the Patrons of the new Society; but he 

 feemed, in his private fiation, as the fir ft liberal promo~ 

 ter of ufefiul knowledge in Bengal, and, efpecially as the 

 great encourager of Perfian and Sanfcrit literature, to 

 dtferve a particular mark of difiinftion ; and he was 

 accordingly requefied, in a Jhort letter, to accept the title 

 of Prcfident. It was, indeed, much doubted whether he 

 would accept any office, the duties of which he could not 

 have leifure to fulfil ; but an offer of the honorary title 

 was intended as a tribute of refpeB, which the occafion 

 feemed to demand, and which could not have been omitted 

 without an appearance of inattention to his difiinguifJied 

 merit. His anfwer is alfo annexed. 



Gentlemen, 



1 AM highly fenfible of the honour which you have: 

 been pleafed to confer upon me, in nominating me to 

 be the President of your Society ; and I hope you will 

 both admit and approve the motives which impel me 

 to decline it. 



From an early conviction of the utility of the Infti- 

 tution, it was my anxious wifh that I might be, by 

 whatever means, inftrumeiual in promoting the fuccefs 

 of it; but not in the mode which you have propofed, 

 which, I fear, would rather prove, if of any effect, an 

 incumbrance on it. 



I have not the leifure requifite to difcharge the func- 

 tions of fuch a ftation : nor, if I did pofiefs it, would 

 it be confident with the pride which every man may be 



allowed 



