OR SACRED WRITINGS OF THE HINDUS. 487 



tempted : some have for a time succeeded, and 

 been ultimately discovered : in regard to otliers, 

 detection has immediately overtaken the fraudu- 

 lent attempt. A conspicuous instance of syscema-. 

 tic fabrication, by which Captain Wilford was 

 for a time deceived, has been brought to light, as 

 has been fully stated by that gentleman. But 

 though some attempts have been abortive, others 

 may doubtless have succeeded. I am myself in- 

 clined to adopt an opinion supported by many 

 learned Hindus, who consider the celebrated Sr) 

 Bhagavata as the work of a grammarian, supposed, 

 to have lived about six hundred years ago. 



In this, as in several other instances, some of 

 which I shall have likewise occasion to notice, the 

 learned among the Hindus have resisted the impo- 

 sitions that have been attempted. Many others 

 might be stated, where no imposition has been 

 either practised or intended. In Ew^ope, as well 

 as in the East, works are often published anony- 

 mously, with fictitious introductions : and diverse 

 compositions, the real authors of which are not 

 known, have, on insufficient grounds, been dig- 

 nified with celebrated names. To such instances, 

 which are frequent every where, the imputation of 

 forgery does not attach. 



In Europe too, literary forgeries have been com- 

 mitted, both in ancient and modern times. The 

 poems ascribed to Orpheus, are generally admit- 

 ted not to have been composed by that poet, if, 

 indeed, he. ever existed. Nani, or Annius, of 

 Viterbo, is now universally considered as an im- 

 postor, notwithstanding the defence of his publi- 

 cation, and of himself, by some among the learned 

 of his age. In our ov/n country, and in recent 

 times, literary frauds have been not unfrcquent. 



V\ 4 



