1864.] On the Origin of the Hindvi Language, 513 



they will learn it with all their might and main, for they know it 

 enables them to have intercourse with their governors, and opens the 

 way to wealth and power ; but they cannot perceive that changing 

 their own ancient and superior alphabet for a defective one, can do 

 them any good, and they will have none of it. The interference of 

 Government in such a case cannot but prove mischievous, for were 

 the Government even to confine its patronage of the Latin character 

 to printing vernacular books in it and giving them a wide circulation, 

 it would still displease its subjects, for, preternaturally suspicious as 

 they are, they cannot but look upon such a measure as an act of an- 

 tagonism against their ancient literature, while it will divert to a useless 

 channel a portion of the limited resources of the education department. 

 The Germans are more highly civilized and more intelligent than any 

 modern Asiatic race, and yet they have, up to this time, notwithstand- 

 ing the experience of centuries, failed to appreciate the superiority of 

 the slim Eoman to the cumbrous German type. The Hindus cannot 

 but prove infinitely more obtuse. It has been said that a patriotic 

 feeling for their ancient characters prevents the German from adopt- 

 ing the Roman letters. If so, (and most probably it is so,) how much 

 stronger must that feeling be in the Hindus in favour of the alphabet 

 in which is preserved their ancient and much revered Vedas, and 

 which is the repository of all their correspondence, accounts and title- 

 deeds. Teach the Roman character in our vernacular village schools, 

 and you will teach what the pupils will be most anxious to unlearn, for 

 it cannot help them at all in the affairs of their lives for centuries 

 to come, nor keep them au courant with the rest of their countrymen. 

 Tor my part I believe, with Sir Erskine Perry, that " were a legisla- 

 tive enactment to insist, even under penalty of death, upon the use 

 of the Roman character, it could not convert our banias' accounts to 

 round German text." 



Grand no doubt is the idea of a universal alphabet and grander 

 still is that of a universal language, but the curse of Babel is still 

 upon us, and neither the one nor the other is practicable.. 



POSTSCRIPT. 

 I take this opportunity to express my entire concurrence in the 

 opinion expressed by Capt. Lees, on the reading of my paper in 

 August last ; as to the number of non-Hindvi or foreign words trace* 



3 u 



