354 ON THE LITERATURE 



they contain all the ftories of the Rdmdyana, Bhdrala, 

 and Bhdgawata. They have accefs to many treatifes 

 of Alancdra, or Rhetorick, with a variety of works in 

 modulated Profe. To Updchydna, or Civil Hiftory, 

 called alfo Rdjatarangini ; to the Ndtaca, which an- 

 fwers to the Gdndharvaveda, confifting of regular Dra- 

 matick pieces in Sanfcrit and Prdcrit : befides which, 

 they commonly get by heart fome entire dictionary and 

 grammar. The beft lexicon or vocabulary was com- 

 pofed in verfe, for the affiftance of the memory, by the 

 illuftrious Amarafinha ; but there are feventeen others 

 in great repute. The beft grammar is the Mugdhabod- 

 ha, or the Beauty of Knowledge, written by a Gdfwdmi, 

 named Vdpadeva, and comprehending, in two hundred 

 fhort pages, all that a learner of the language can have 

 occafion to know. To the Cofids, or dictionaries, are 

 ufually annexed very ample Ticd's, or Etymological 

 Commentaries. 



We need fay no more of the heterodox writings, than 

 that thofe on the religion and philofophy of Buddha, 

 feem to be connected with fome of the mod curious 

 parts of Afiaiick Hiftory, and contain, perhaps, all that 

 could be found in the Pali, or facred language, of the 

 Eaftern Indian Peninfula. It is afferted in Bengal, 

 that Amarafinha himfelf was a Baudha ; but he feems 

 to have been a theift of tolerant principles, and, like 

 AhCljazl, defirous of reconciling the different religions 

 of India. 



Wherever we direcl our attention to Hindu Literature, 

 the notion of infinity prefents itfelf ; and the longeft. 

 life would not be fufficient for the perufal of near five 

 hundred thoufand ftanzas in the Pur and 5,with a million 

 more perhaps in the other works before mentioned. 

 We may, however, {elect the beft from each Sdjlra, 

 and gather the fruits of fcience, without loading our- 

 felves with the leaves and branches; while we have the 



pleafure 



