1838,1 



Report on the Mackenzie Manuscripts. 



81 



ber of paging in pale ink, a clue was obtained. The pages it was 

 found had all been so marked; but the binder not knosN'ing how to 

 read English numbers, had made the transposition before stated. This 

 negligence is to be regretted; particularly on account of Z>em-g-*r«. 

 Nearly the whole of the fragments were read over; and it was per- 

 ceived that a legendary history of Deva-giri, embodying some tales 

 from the Puranas, and apparently some points , or facts, of real history, 

 must have been contained in the section referrin:* to that subject. The 

 like remark, in a lower degree, seemed to apply to the other sections. 

 The result i?, the necessarily setting aside this book, for the present, as 

 irrecoverable. It is much damaged; but must be left as found; unless 

 the discovery of some other book, containing the pages wanting in this 

 one, should hereafter render the present loss remediable. 



The book is entered in De.s. Cat. vol.2, p. cxv. art. xxi. the sec- 

 tions being copied from the English headings of the book; giving 

 some idea of what ought to be its contents, had the book not been mu- 

 tilated. 



Manuscript book. The numbers, and English heading, destroyed. 



A romance of the rajas of Bharatapur, 



This book was found to be in so wretched a plight, that, as in one 

 or two preceding cases, it became necessary to submit it to the process 

 of restoration as far as practicable, before its contents could be fully 

 appreciated ; which seemed the more desirable, as the beginning of 

 the Mahratta promised to yield an account of the rajas of Bhara' 

 iapur (or the famous Bhurtpoor). The process of restoration, though 

 not complete, yet has been so far effectual as to preserve the general 

 sense unimpaired. 



The perusal however has led to the impression that it is not a his 

 torical document, but a romance, under the gui.se of a historical veil 

 Its object seems to have been to offer moral instructions (according to 

 Hindu notions of morals) to the children of kings ; warning them of 

 dangers to be shunned, or evils to be avoided, under the inviting form 

 of narrative. In this respect, and so far, only, it is like the Telema- 

 chus of Fenelon ; but not in a too closely drawn resemblance. Such 

 being the case, an abstract of particulars does not seem to be called 

 for. Among Hindu romances, translated and edited, it might find a 

 place ; but that is not my task. The incidents, in their tone and bear- 



