36 



CEYLON BRANCH ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



or the manner of putting it on, whilst a few lines may suffice 

 for the account of a man, who devoted his life to the im- 

 provement of the social condition of his country, let him not 

 suppose that such idiosyncracies are solitary in the history of 

 the world, or that the same feelings do not sometimes dis- 

 cover themselves, even in more modern times, or amongst 

 more highly civilized nations. 



One of the difficulties which present themselves to the 

 student of Ceylonese literature, is the variety of languages 

 in which the various works have been composed. A know- 

 ledge of the Singhalese tongue alone, does not unlock the 

 treasures of their literature. Thus, if I mistake not, their 

 scientific works are generally to be found in Sanscrit, their 

 religious writings in Pali, whilst their poetry is in a dialect 

 of its own- — the Elu, and on this account, as well as from the 

 paucity of books, may arise that want of general learning 

 amongst its sauans, which lowers them so much in European 

 estimation. This system, however, has its excellencies, as 

 well as its defects, and although annoying to the European 

 enquirer, must not, on that account, be judged valueless. 

 The prosecution of one branch of study by one set of men 

 would necessarily cause the advancement of that science, in 

 no slight degree, whatever might be the fate of the others ; 

 yet we cannot hide from ourselves the fact, that it would also 

 prevent that enlargement of the ideas, and that comprehen- 

 siveness of thought, without which little that is truly great 

 can be accomplished. The history of the advancement of 

 the sciences in the western world, however, goes far to prove, 

 that if eminence be desired or sought after in any one pur- 

 suit, that pursuit must be the object of a life -time, not the 

 transient purpose of a few years alone. 



Notwithstanding this peculiarity in their literature, the 

 early Singhalese seem to have had by no means a confined 

 idea of education. Thus, in describing the culture of a prince 

 destined to become afterwards the greatest sovereign, both 



