JONES. 



-ment, and widied fiicccfs to the exeriions ef that nation for 

 "theeftabliflinient of a free conditution ; hut fiibfequenl eventa 



-tnnd have given him new views, not fo much of the prin- 



ciples on which the revohition was fcuniied, as of the 



Mleafures which have been adopted by fome of its zealous 



partizanB. To hberty, indeed, liis attachment was cnthu- 



iialHc, and he never fpeaks of tyranny or opprcffion, but in 



the language of deteflation. He dreaded, and widicd to 



i-eftrain every encroachment on Hberty ; and though he never 



enhfted under the banners of any party, he always concurred 



in judgment and exertion with thofe who wifhed to render 

 ■pure and permanent the conditution of his country. With 



this view he was a zealous advocate for a reformation in the 



reprefentation of the country, as the only means of rcRoring 



the balance of the conftitution, and in one of his letters to 

 -lord Alihorp, he exprefsly declares, that " on the popular 

 •part of every government depend its real force, the obliga- 

 iion of its laws, its welfare, its fecurity, its permanence." 



The laft political publication of fir W. .Tones is prior to the 

 ■year 178J. 



As a judge in India, his condutl was firidly conformable 



to the profelTions which he made in his firft charge to the 

 grand jury at Calcutta. " On the bench he was laborious, 

 patient, and difcriminating ; his charges to the grand jury, 

 'which do not exceed fix, exhibit a veneration for the laws of 

 his country ; a juft and fpirited encomium on the trial by Befides the iinillied produttions of fir William Jones's 

 jury, as the grcatell and moil invaluable right derived from flcill and labour, he had contemplated nwny more than he had 

 them to the fubjeft ; adeteftation of crimes, combined with executed : and for this realbn, as well as many others, wc 

 mercy to the offender ; occafional elucidations of the law ; cannot forbear regretting his premature death, 

 and the ftrongeft feelings of htimanity and benevolence. It is needlefs to add any thing in commendation of his 

 His knowledge of the Sanfcrit and Arabic eminently qua> private and fecial virtues, The independence of his inte. 

 lifted him for the adminiftration of juftice in the fupreme grity, his probity and humanity, and alfo his univerfal phi- 

 court, by enabling him to deteft mifreprefentations of the lanthropy and benevolence, are acknowledged by all who 

 Hindu or Mohammedan laws, and to correft impofitions in knew him. The compiler of this article joins with many 

 the form of adminillering o;..ths to the followers of Brahma others in a grateful and refpeflful remembrance of hii dif- 

 snd Mohammed. The inflexible integrity with which he pofition to perform adls of kindnefs ; and he has reafons, 

 difcharged the folemn duty of this ftation will long be re- peculiar to hirafelf, for regretting his premature death. In 

 tnernbered in Calcutta, both by Europeans and natives. every domeilic relation, as a fon, a brother, and a hufbar.d, 



Having through life directed hia attention to various he was attentive to every ditlate of love, and to every obli- 

 branches of liter,iture and fcience, in all which he had made gation of dv:ty. In his intercourie vvitli the Indian natives, 

 confiderable proficiency, his lail and favourite purfuit was he was condefccnding and conciliatory ; liberally rewarding 

 the ftudy of botany t and this conftituted the principal thofe who afiifted him, and treating his dependents as friends, 

 amufement of his leifure hours. His biographer records the following anecdote of a cir- 



It might naturally be inquired by what arts or method cumftance that occun-ed after his demife : " the Pundits 

 he was enabled to attain that exti^aordinary degree of know- who were in the habit of attending him, when I faw them at 

 led^e for which hejwas diftinguifiied. His faculties were natu- a public durlar, a few days after that melancholy event, 

 rally vigorous and Ihvngthened by exercife \ liis mcmorv, could neither reftrahi their tears for his lofs, nor find terms 

 as we have before obfervcl, was, from early hfe, fingularly to exprcfs their admiration at the wonderful progrcfs which 



'« Sir William, you attempt, in vain, 

 By depth of reafon to maintain, 

 That all men's talents are the fame, 

 Andthey, not nature, are to blame. 

 Whate'er you fay, whate'er you write, 

 Proves your opponents in the r-ght. 

 Left genius fhould be ill-defiu'd 

 I term it your fuptr'wr niincf, 

 Hence to your friends lis plainly fiiewn. 

 You're ignorant of yourfeif alone." 



Sir Wilii.im Jones's Anfwcr. 

 ' Ah ! but too well, dear friend, I know 

 My fancy weak, my reafon llow, 

 My memory by art improv'J, 

 My rnind by bafelefs trifles mov'd. 

 Give me (tlnis high my pride I raife) 

 The ploughman's or the gardener's praifc, 

 With patient and unceafing toil. 

 To meliorate a ftubborn fuii, 

 And fay, (no higher meed I alk,) 

 With zeal hall thou perform'd thy talk. 

 Praife, of which virtuous minds may boall. 

 They bed confer, who merit moil." 



tervcl, was, 



retentive ; his emulation u-as ardent and unbounded 



his perfeverance invincible. In India his ihidies bejjan 



he had made, in the fcienccs which they profoffed." Upon 

 I'ith the whole, we may join with Dr. Parr, who knew his ta- 

 the dawn ; and, with the intermidion of profeiTional duties, lents and character, in applying to fir William Jones his own 

 were continued throughout the day. Another circnmftance, words : " It is happy for us that this man was born.' ' 

 which has besn exemphfied in fome other inftances that Having attained, by the afP.duous exertion of his abilities, 

 wiight be mentioned, and which gave him peculiar advantage and in a courfe of ufeful fcrviee to hid country and man- 

 in the exercife of his talents, was " the regular allotment of kind, a high degree of reputation ; and by economy that did 

 his time to particular occupations, and a fcrupulous adhe- not encroach upon his beneficence, a liberal competence, he 

 rence to the didribution which he had fixed ;" fo that " all was prepared, one would have thought, at the age of 47 

 hisftudies were purfued without interruption or confufion." years, to enjoy dignity with independence. His plans, and ihe 

 With fir W. Jones it was a favourite opinion, " that all men objetis of his purfuit, in the profpeft of future life, were 

 are born with an equal capacity for improvement." Ac- various and extenfive ; and he would naturally indulge many 

 cordingly fir I. Newton modedly declared, " that if he had plcafing ideas in the vifcw of returning, at a fixed period, to 

 done tlie world any fervicc, it was due to nothing but in- his native country, and to beloved friends, who wonl.i 

 dudry and patient thought," Sir W. Jones having main- anxioully wiih for his arrival. Few pcrfons feonicd to be 

 tained the above-mentioned opinion in convcrfation with a mere capable of improving and enjoying prolonged life than 

 friend, Thomas I-av/, cfq. received the following unprcme- fir William Jones ; and few pcrfons feemed to be better prc- 

 -ditated reply ; pared for a more exalted date of progreffive improvement. 



Vol. XIX. 3B and 



