24 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Jan. 



and in doing so, I alluded to his merits not only as an oriental scholar 

 and author, but as a foremost man in native society, and a leader of 

 Hindoo thought. His great work, the Sanscrit Encyclopaedia, (Sabda 

 Kalpadruma) of 8,000 pages, over which the greater part of his life 

 and much of his fortune had been spent, has immortalized him in 

 Sanscrit literature, as have his many virtues in the hearts of his coun- 

 trymen ; it has gained for him the highest honour from scholars and 

 crowned heads in Europe, and last of all, and perhaps that which 

 afforded him most gratification, the knighthoo d of the Star of India, 

 as a recognition by the Empress of India of the claims of her learned 

 subject. His labours and character are so well-known, that it is un- 

 necessary for me to add to the many appropriate encomiums that 

 have been passed on his life and works ; I have only to place on record 

 the deep regret with which we learned that India had lost one of her 

 most distinguished scholars, and our Society one of its most honored 

 members. 



M. Reinaud was born at Lambesc en Provence in 1795, and com- 

 menced his education at Aix, whence he went to Paris in 1814, to 

 begin those oriental studies in which he subsequently became so 

 great a master. He was elected an honorary member of this Society 

 in March 1840, and I regret to say we have received news that the 

 death of this great Arabic scholar took place on the 2nd January, 

 1867, at Nice. 



M. Reinaud was professor of Arabic in the school of living oriental 

 languages in Paris. He was also custodian of the oriental MSS. 

 in the Imperial Library, and he was the author of many historical and 

 geographical works. He has left two which are about to be pub- 

 lished ; one is a report on the progress of Arabic literature in France 

 during the past 20 years. The other is the first volume of a collec- 

 tion of Arabian historians of the Crusades, the publication of which 

 had been entrusted to him by the " Academie des inscriptions." M. 

 Mohl in his address to the Societe Asiatique de Paris has the following 

 remarks : — 



" In his ardour for work, M. Reinaud paid regard neither to the 

 demands of age nor the exhaustion of his powers. About two years 

 before his death, he appeared to have had a vague idea that he ought 

 to diminish the amount of his work, and apply himself solely to the 



