April— june, 1837.] The Tamil Epic Chintamani. 49 



contains 221 verses. In this portion of the work the nuptials of 

 Jivaka and Uakanei his maternal uncle's daughter are described. 



13. The thirteenth section is called Mutti Ilamhakam. The 

 final portion of the poem describes the religious acts of Jivaka and 

 his wives, the partition of his dominions among his sons, and the 

 renunciation of all secular pursuits and objects by himself and his 

 devoted female associates. 



This brief analysis of the work under notice, it is confessed, con- 

 veys but little to persuade the conviction of its superiority ; the 

 assumed facts of the Epic alone are here given. Though these may 

 appear inadequate as the basis of a work for which so much is 

 claimed, yet the work itself is so replete with credible incidents, so 

 wrought up by the vigor of literary talent, so interspersed with re- 

 marks involving the keenest intropection into the grounds of hu- 

 man action, so rich in theological sentiment, so redolent of all 

 the attractions of poetic genius, so full of circumstances evincing 

 the condition of the arts and the customs of social life at the period 

 of its composition ; that the scholar, the poet, and the antiquary must 

 be equally impressed in favor of the talent of the author, and the 

 unrivalled power of the language in which he has embodied the 

 splendid creations of his imagination. 



Sometime ago an intimation was put forth in one of the weekly 

 Journals to the effect that the work, whose analysis is here briefly 

 sketched, would, if encouragement were afforded, be published. 

 The idea has not been abandoned ; but such would be the weight 

 of the undertaking to a single individual, it can hardly be expect- 

 ed that any one will be bold enough to enter upon it. No doubt a 

 considerable number of copies might be sold among the natives per- 

 haps 500, and in time, it is possible, the publisher might recover 

 the capital expended on the work. 



