MAJOR MACDOXALD. 



45 



the second, with Chaucer. If these dates could be relied on, 

 they would show that Telugu has undergone much less 

 change in modem times than English, as the language of 

 Vemana differs little, if at all, from that now in use, 

 but they seem to have no foundation beyond rumour and 

 tradition. 



The Abbe Dubois, writing in 1806, assigns a some- 

 what more modern date to Vemana. " It is worthy of re- 

 mark," he says, " that amongst the philosophical writings 

 found in this country, where the authors are pleasant and 

 satirical on the subject of religion and ceremonies, there is 

 not one, as far as I know, which has been written by a 

 Brahman. All that I have seen or heard of are the works of 

 Sudras. One of the most celebrated in the whole country is 

 Vemana, whose poems were originally written in Telugu, and 

 are now translated into many other dialects. It is affirmed 

 that this philosopher lived within these one hundred and 

 fifty years, and was born in the district of Kadapa, of the 

 caste of Reddi, His poems are interesting and written in a 

 philosophical style." 



" It is also material to observe that all the philosophers 

 who have turned the religion and customs of the country 

 into ridicule, are modern authors, at least as far as I have 

 been able to obtain correct information. There may have 

 been ancient authors who have treated such subjects as 

 philosophers, but their works have perished ; and I am led 

 to believe that all the earlier works that tended to expose 

 the absurd worship of the Hindus have been destroyed by 

 the Brahmans of late times, in order to arrest the pro- 

 gress of infidelity. They shew themselves equally earnest 

 to discourage the circulation of the modern philosophical 

 writings." 



