346 Lassen on the History traced [No. 100. 



that the native language did not admit an n, followed by 

 dentals. Mr. Prinsep read Minano, as the penultimate symbol 

 is indeed very similar to the n, already discussed. It is thus 

 upon the coin (As. Trans, v. PL xlvi. No. 6,) where no error 

 appears to have occurred l>ZZw, and I should not hesitate to 

 read Minano, were it not evident, that by the law of the language 

 the n cannot be retained in Menandros, and were not the 

 omission of dr at variance with the rules of the absorption of 

 consonants. 



Mr. Grotefend's supposition, as it appears from his Hebrew 

 paraphrase [yn] J3D is deficient, in that the termination 6, which 

 he improperly puts also between brackets, occurs often enough 

 to prove, that nothing is omitted before it. I do not therefore 

 know, how he can read Menandro ; for the coins he used, have 

 no more symbols than the others. 



It is only fair, however, to add, that the letters of the coins 

 (R. R. I. No. 8, 9, 11) have become so indistinct, that, with 

 regard to the name, nothing can be decided from them. No. 10 

 renders, in apparently well preserved characters, "P^i^iu;, which 

 we might read Mitaro or Mitado, but the "P upon the coin 

 is certainly spoiled. Not to judge too arbitrarily, I shall leave 

 it to a renewed investigation, if there occur two orthographies of 

 that name. 



By comparing the remaining copies we observe, R. R. II. No. 

 12. has still the n, though mutilated, then •£, and lastly T. Even 

 upon Tod's coin, No. 2, quoted by Mr. Grotefend, the terminal 

 letters are also obviously *£l ; the preceding letter is entirely mis- 

 drawn. As. Trans. PL xxvi. No. 2. distinctly renders L in the 

 form, above established, and the final letters are again *£i. 

 Consequently TfciUJ ; No. 3 is no less distinct \ the 'I has an addi- 

 tional point, as at R. R. II. No. 12, As. Trans, v. pi. xlvi. No. 8 

 has T'fckUJ, with two points. At the same place, No. 1 gives 

 -l with the point, but afterwards an n of the same form, but 

 without the point. Thus also v. pi. xlvi. No. 6. ¥££u>.* Final- 

 ly at the same place No. 9 and No. 5 have for these two l, two I 

 viz. TIiu>, save only, that No. 5 is more indistinct and corroded. 



* Mr. James Prinsep has two readings for the Bactrian legend of Menander- 

 coins, viz. >££vu Menanasa and TliUJ Medanasa.— H. T. P. 



