516 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Aug. 



works in this country ; and a work of this kind, which would take many years in 

 Europe, might be readily produced here in less than twelve months. We have 

 our disadvantages too : for it is far from probable, that any editor could be pro- 

 cured here, possessing the high qualifications and the indefatigable industry of the 

 Professor before named, united with the leisure necessary for the undertaking ; 

 one who would carry through the formidable labour of collation, of elaborate 

 verbal criticism, and the compilation of a lexicon of words found in the original 

 Arabic of this work, but in no other authority extant! We may despair of this ; 

 but it is not too much to say, that an edition, accurate in all essential particu- 

 lars, may be brought through ; and I will not conceal, that it would be a source 

 of great gratification to me to be the means of giving to the classical literature 

 of the East a book, which, while it has enjoyed throughout Asia and the civi- 

 lized world a reputation equalled by none, has been, heretofore, in its complete 

 and original form, but a name ! 



Calcutta, September 5, 1836. C. Brownlow. 



JResc-lved unanimously, That Mr. Brownlow is entitled to the warmest 

 thanks of the Society, and of all interested in oriental literature, for his 

 disinterested exertions in regard to the Alif Leila, and for his laudable 

 wish to make public the valuable and complete edition he has become 

 possessed of. As it seems possible, by further comparison of the manu- 

 script with the recent translation of M. Trebutien, and with the Arabic 

 printed version of Professor Habjcht, and the incomplete volumes publish- 

 ed in Calcutta, to add in some degree to the guarantee of its authenti- 

 city, the Committee of Papers is requested to enter upon this examination, 

 and report upon the extent of patronage to be accorded by the Society to 

 Mr. Brownlow' s laudable enterprize. 



A letter from M. Eugene Ormoult, Director of the French Journal 

 entitled " Institut," addressed to the President, invited the Society to 

 communicate copies of its proceedings and publications to this Journal, 

 and to subscribe for a copy of the work. Referred to the Committee of 

 Papers. 



A letter was read from Dr. F. Mohl, one of the Secretaries of the 

 Asiatic Society of Paris : — 



Referring to a prior official communication (not yet received) offering to unite 

 with the Bengal Society in the expence of completing the oriental publications 

 abandoned by the late Government of India, and in furtherance thereof re- 

 questing a supply of the works already finished for sale on the Society's ac- 

 count, it states that the five copies of the Mahabharat sent home under charge 

 of our associate M. Richy, had been sold in one day, and it was calculated that 

 there might be a demand for 100 copies of this work on the continent, and for 

 half that number of other Sanscrit works. The money realized has been paid to 

 the Society's agent in London. Dr. Mohl concludes : — 



" Nous ferons ici tout ce que nous pourrons pour repandre ces ouvrages en 

 France et en Allemagne, car nous sentons tous vivement le service que la 

 Soci^te" de Calcutta rend a la literature orientale ; et s' il m'est permis de parler 

 de moi je ne desire rien plus ardemment que de pouvoir lui etre utile dans cette 

 circonstance, ou elle a pris si energiquernent et si honorablement les interet9 

 de la literature orientale." 



Library. 

 The following books were presented. 



Transactions of the American Phil. Society — by the Society, through Mr. 

 Ryan. 



