246 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [No. 3. 



and the memorial proceeds to ask for " pecuniary aid in the expense 

 of publishing standard and useful works in Oriental Literature." 



At this period the Society was fortunate in enjoying the advantage 

 of your assistance as its agent in Europe, and you warmly supported 

 the memorial in two letters, dated in 1836 and 18^ in one of 

 which you characterize the grant solicited as " a provision for the 

 encouragement of learned natives and the revival of native Litera- 

 ture, and for publishing the most esteemed writings of the East for 

 the use as much of Europeans as of Asiatics." 



The Court replied in a despatch (No. 8 of 1838) addressed to 

 " Our Governor of the Presidency of Fort William in Bengal" from 

 which the following is an extract. 



" We are still of opinion that the publication of Oriental works 

 and works on instruction in the Eastern languages, should not be 

 abandoned. We therefore authorize you to devote a sum not exceed- 

 ing 500 Eupees a month to the preparation and publication of such 

 works either through the medium of the Asiatic Society or any 

 equally appropriate channel." 



It was in these general terms that the Court was asked for and 

 accorded the grant out of which the expenses of the Society's 

 Oriental publications have since been defrayed. 



The unfinished editions made over to the Society by Government 

 comprized Sanskrit, Arabic, and Persian works, and these having 

 been completed, a new series, under the name of Bibliotheca Indica, 

 was commenced in 1847, 



This was at first entrusted to the Editorship of a Sanskrit scholar, 

 and all the earlier works which appeared in it were Sanskrit. Dr. 

 Sprenger's work or Arabic Bibliography in 1849 was the first intru- 

 sion into the series of another Oriental language and the commence- 

 ment of Nejamy's Khiddnamah in 1852, in Persian was the next. 



Subsequently (in 1852) the series was placed on a new footing. 

 The Society dispensed with the single paid Editor and invited 

 Editors of texts from the general body of Oriental scholars. 



All offers to edit works were firet carefully sifted by the Philolo- 

 gical Committee, and if the Council adopted their recommendation, 

 the Society's sanction to the publication was obtained at an ordinary 

 general meeting. 



