1840.] Asiatic Society. 337 



ed, what I feel sure are the feelings of this Society, and I will propose it for your 

 adoption. If the Society feels as I do on this occasion, the business of this evening- 

 will not proceed further. The resolution is as follows. 



The Asiatic Society is desirous of expressing its sense of the great loss it has 

 sustained by the death of its Secretary Mr. James Prinsep. 



For a period of six years, in the midst of laborious public duties, he devoted him- 

 self to the pursuits of the Society with unexampled assiduity and zeal. He 

 carried on an extensive correspondence in Asia and in Europe. He edited 

 the Journal of the Asiatic Society, a work containing the most valuable 

 records of all that had been effected in Natural History, in Chemistry, in Geo- 

 graphy, in Geology, in Statistics, and in the Language and Literature of the 

 East; amongst these his own contributions form the most conspicuous part, and 

 have been the means of raising the Journal to that high degree of celebrity, 

 which it has attained, not only in this country, but in Europe, and all parts of 

 the world. 



His latter labours in decyphering the Pali inscriptions of Asoca, and in tracing 

 through the Bactrian coins, the link between the histories of the East and 

 West, have placed him in the foremost rank of those whose brilliant disco- 

 veries have enlightened and adorned the obscure path of antiquarian research. 



To have a perpetual memorial of such a man among us, the Society solicits 

 the aid of its Members, to place his bust by the side of those distinguished 

 men who have preceded him. 



The Honorable W. W. Bird begged to second the resolution. It would be pre- 

 sumptuous in me to expatiate upon the labours of the late Mr. Prinsep, that is for the 

 Society ; for other members are far better able than myself to do the subject credit. 

 But all, I will venture to express, will agree with me when I say, that as to those la- 

 bours, with the numerous other avocations in which he was engaged, he sacrificed his 

 life, it would be impossible for this Society to do sufficient honour to the memory of 

 such a man. 



Dr. John Grant. — If the last honored speaker deemed it presumptuous on his part 

 to expatiate upon the labours and merits of the late Mr. James Prinsep, how much 

 greater presumption would it be in me to do so at any length, nevertheless on so 

 peculiar and solemn an occasion, I cannot reconcile it to my feelings to allow the 

 resolution to pass in silence, without testifying, however imperfectly, to the worth of our 

 departed friend. As a man of science and unwearying zeal, he could not be sur- 

 passed. Whatever he undertook he never gave up until he had either mastered 

 the subject or satisfied himself that it was impracticable; truth in him found an 

 active, energetic, and clear-minded advocate. Our excellent President has alluded 

 to his labours in various walks of science in this country. He was a valuable member 

 of the Society before he became its Secretary, and a frequent contributor to its pub- 

 lications and collections. It was said of Cuvier, that from a fossil fragment he 

 could reconstruct individual specimens of animals no longer existing ; so with James 

 Prinsep it might be said, that from a letter on a coin, he could trace a dynasty of 

 ancient kings. The resolution before us was worthy of the Society, and of him, whose 

 memory it was anxious to honour. But it was not solely as a philosopher and 



