50 



Essay on Telugu Literature. 



[July 



the initial : so in looking for" Vaitaliya" we must turn to letter Y, un- 

 der which are the successive classes containing words of one, two, three, 

 and four syllables. This last being traced, the rest of the arrangement 

 is alphabetical ; on the European mode. 



56. The latest philological work compiled in Telugu was the unfi- 

 nished treatise written by Patahbi Ramaya Sastri : an account of which 

 is given in the Introduction to Mr. Campbell's grammar. It evidently ia 

 a work of curiosity and of value to those who take an interest in etymo- 

 logy and the affiliation of languages ; but is of no utility to the foreigner. 



57. Before proceeding to speak of the poets it is requisite to consider 

 some other imbecilities in the modern style of " fine writing," which 

 are conspicuous in many Telugu publications particularly in translations 

 from English books, and in the Telugu newspapers. The ancient gram- 

 marians having defined the principles of elision and permutation, which 

 of course were intended for poetical usage alone, these laws have been 

 transferred into the colloquial style of business, and of education . If we 

 can imagine a common newspaper, printed in modern vulgar Greek using 

 the ampullas et sesquipedalia verba the oratorical elegancies of Pindar, 

 or JEschylus it will convey some idea of an absurdity which it is hard to 

 describe intelligibly to the English reader. 



58. Indeed this folly has gone to an extent hardly credible; a ver- 

 sion of part of the Bible itself has been prepared by a learned Bramiu in 

 a stilted style, spelt in a manner unintelligible to the common reader, 

 and justly condemned by good scholars. Happily it has not as yet been 

 printed ; and as it possesses real merit, it should be prepared for publi- 

 cation by being transcribed into the intelligible dialect. This can be 

 done by any sensible copyist, who will transmute its whimsical spelling 

 into the plain Telugu used in business or in common correspondence. 

 Unless this precaution is taken the version may indeed be published but 

 will never be read. 



59. The remedy for such delusions happily is within the reach of 

 every one. Let the foreigner study the language in common criminal 

 trials (civil trials being more intricate) and ordinary letters : he will 

 soon be able to detect and shun the nonsensical refinements which are 

 now so popular. 



60. Let it not be imagined that I am peculiar in my view of these ca- 

 prices. That distinguished scholar, the late Head Telugu Examiner in 

 the College, Gurumurti Sastri, who died about three years ago, fully 

 concurred in the opinions given in the present essay, I mention his 

 name because his talents, learning and good sense always entitled his 

 judgment to respect: but I could easily name other sound authorities 



