« ON THE ORTHOGRAPHY 



c Bengal vowels, and was at laft by no means fatisfied 

 6 with his own feleclion.' If any thing diffatisfies me, 

 in his clear and accurate fyftem, it is the ufe of double 

 letters for the long vowels, (which might, however, 

 be juftified,) and the frequent intermixture of Italick 

 with Roman letters in the fame word ; which, both in 

 writing and printing, mufl be very inconvenient. 

 Perhaps it may be added, that his diphthongs are not 

 expreffed analogoufly to the founds of which they are 

 compofed. 



The fyftem of Mr. Wilkins has been equally well 

 confidered; and Mr. Halhed himfelf has, indeed, 

 adopted it in his preface to the Compilation of Hindu 

 Laws. It principally confifts of double letters, to fig- 

 nify our third and fifth vowels; and of the common 

 profodial marks, to afcertain their brevity or their 

 length: but thofe marks are lb generally appropriated 

 to books of profody, that they never fail to convey an 

 idea of metre. Nor, if either profodial fign were 

 adopted, would both be necefTary ; fince the omiffion 

 of a long mark would evidently denote the fhortnefs of 

 the unmarked vowel, or converfely. On the whole, 

 I cannot but approve this notation for Sanfcrit words, 

 yet require fomething more univerfally expreflive of 

 Ajiatick letters. As it is perfect, however, in its kind, 

 and will appear in the works of its learned inventor* 

 I fhall annex, among the examples, four diltichs from 

 the Bhdgawat, expreffed both in his method and mine*. 

 A tranflation of them will be produced on another oc- 

 cafion. But, in order to render this tract, as complete 

 as poflible, a fuller fpecimen of Sanfcrit will be fub- 

 j[oined with the original, printed in the characters of 

 Bengal, into which the Brdhmans of that province 

 tranfpofe all their books, few of them being able to 

 read the Devandgari letters; fo far has their indolence 

 prevailed over their piety ! 



Let 



* Plate IV. 



