MAJOR MACDONALD, 



59 



Mr. Brown observes that the expressions used by Vemana 

 are sometimes such as cannot with propriety be translated 

 into English, and that he has wholly omitted some epigrams 

 on account of their objectionable character. Those who 

 penetrate beneath the veil, which the translator has thrown 

 over certain portions of Book III. among which may be 

 named v. 249, 256, 258, 261 and 270, will probably be of 

 opinion that some of the verses which have been retained 

 might, with advantage, have been omitted. Of the number 

 of such passages in Vemana, some idea may be formed from 

 the following notice which is extracted from Mr. Taylor' 8 

 Catalogue Raisonne of Oriental Manuscripts V. II p, 719, 



" 6. No. 31, Vemana in four volumes, and a fifth, as a sup- 

 plement." 



" These volumes seem to be the early copies from which the 

 first edition of Vemana's ethics were printed at the College, 

 Madras, in 1829 ; a thin 8vo. volume, with half pages Telugu, 

 and English translation at the foot of each page. In these 

 MS. volumes, the Telugu is on the left hand page, and the 

 English version is on the right hand. The 5th volume or 

 supplement appears to contain obscene matter, which un- 

 happily mingles with all native ethics ; and, as such, was 

 considered to be unfit to meet the public eye." 



Dr. Pope observes that the writings of Vemana are 

 extremely popular among the Telugu people. His popularity 

 is, I believe, entirely confined to the Sudras, and even among 

 them, every true believer in Hindooism regards him with 

 much the same feelings as an evangelical curate looks on 

 Colenso. This feeling was very apparent when Vemana 

 was first made a text book in Government Schools. Both 

 teachers and pupils did all they could to evade the order. 

 In some instances the introduction of it into the classes, for 

 which it was prescribed, was postponed under various pre- 

 tences. In others, the teachers took on themselves to omit 



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