PREFACE. Vll 



favor which has once more dawned upon science and literature 

 in India under the present administration. The proceedings 

 of the Asiatic Society, last year so full of painful discussion 

 and unsuccessful appeal, this year shine forth with tokens of 

 distinguished consideration. Consulted on the merit of pro- 

 positions connected with historical research in the Peninsula 

 and in Ceylon, its recommendations have met that attention 

 which dignifies its proceedings, and tends more than any thing 

 else to render it a substantive and useful institution. The 

 sanction of its auspices has been courted, and has been ex- 

 tended beneficially to publications of great magnitude and im- 

 portance. It has itself engaged in a new sphere of operations, 

 devolved upon it by the discussions of last year, which pro- 

 mises, by a judicious combination with the sister Societies 

 of France and England, to become equally advantageous to 

 the European scholar, and profitable to itself. The Society 

 of Paris has been the foremost to volunteer its co-operation in 

 the completion of the series of suspended oriental works; but we 

 have reason to know that the Royal Asiatic Society of London 

 has not espoused their cause less warmly or less successfully, 

 although the unavoidable delays of references to high autho- 

 rities have prevented our yet reaping the fruits of their influ- 

 ence and intercession. 



Many will consider with ourselves that the publication of 

 a full edition of the oriental classics is a perfectly legitimate 

 branch of labour for an Asiatic Society, and they may hope 

 to see it permanently continued under endowment and protec- 

 tion of the Government itself. — It may indeed be regarded 

 as a judicious modification of one of the earliest intentions of 

 the institution promulgated in July, 1806, but hitherto left a 

 dead letter on its minutes, " that a series of volumes, to be 

 entitled Bibliotheca Asiatica, be published by the Society 

 distinct from the Asiatic Researches, containing translations of 

 short works in the Asiatic languages, and extracts and de- 

 scriptive accounts of books of greater length, gradually extend- 

 ing to all Asiatic books deposited in the Society's library, and 

 even to all works extant in the languages of Asia. 1 ' 



The translation and critical examination of Oriental works at 

 the present day can be better undertaken by the distinguished 



