1^38.] 



Asiatic Society of Bengal, 



241 



of his attainments in Sanskrit, for Dr. Mill was so scrupulous of accu- 

 racy that he never put a page of his own composition to press until it 

 had undergone the scrutiny of several natives of learning. On asking 

 an opinion of one of the most learned of these, Kamala'kan'ta had beg- 

 ged to be allowed to express it in verse, and he now held in his hand 

 what might really in some degree be regarded as a diploma of the Vice- 

 President's Sanskrit proficiency. " Where, said the pandit, among all 

 the English who have studied our language, was there yet one who 

 could compose a poem in the style and language of our most classical 

 ages ? Verily he is Ka'li'da'sa come again among us." 



4th Oct. 1837. —The President in compliance with the resolution of 

 last meeting, rose, the members also standing, and read the following 



AOdress to Dr. Mill. 



The Asiatic Society, to the Reverend W. H. Mill, D. D. Principdl 

 of Bishop's College^ their Vice-President. 



Reverend Sir, 



The intelligence of your intention to return immediately to Europe 

 has been received by us with feelings of deep regret, impressed as 

 we are with the conviction that India is about to sustain, by your 

 departure, a loss which cannot easily be repaired. 



It will rest with higher authority than the Asiatic Society, to bear 

 Witness to the unwearied zeal and fervent piety by which you have 

 been uniformly distinguished in the discharge of the sacred duties 

 bommitted to your care j but it is peculiarly our privilege to testify^ 

 in the most public manner, our sense of the benefit we have derived 

 from your abilities and learning, as well as to convey some parting 

 token of our esteem aiid respect to a Scholar whose presence among 

 Us we have always regarded with feelings of pride and satisfaction. 



It is now sixteen years since you arrived in this country. While 

 yet a young man, you had established for yourself a literary reputa- 

 tion of no common order, having excelled on an arena where ex- 

 cellence could have been won only by the united efforts of genius and 

 industry. We hailed your arrival therefore with no ordinary feelings 

 of satisfaction, indulging in the hope that the classical languages and 



