190 
is however acknowledged to be posterior to the others,) con- 
tains notices of some of the sciences, and among others of 
that of medicine. As it is admitted also, that the Hindoos 
must have paid attention to astronomy as early as 945, 1180, 
and 1425 B.C. (v. p. 149) it is evident that they must then 
have been a resident and settled people. So far, therefore, 
from its being improbable, that the activity of mind which 
had been displayed in the cultivation of one science, should 
be similarly exerted in prosecuting others, it is almost a 
necessary consequence of the investigation of one set of 
phenomena, that the reflective mind should be similarly 
directed to that of others Hence supposing the correct- 
ness of the opinion of this early cultivation of astronomy 
and philosophy, as displayed in the Vedas ; we should have 
much greater difficulty in explaining the anomaly which 
would present itself in the apparent glimmerings of one 
science, in the midst of so much mental darkness respecting 
others. Instead of this, we have a full and continued 
sti'eam of light, which shows that the ancient Hindoos, 
with great acuteness and philosophical discernment, turned 
their attention successfully to almost every department of 
human knowledge, as Language and Literature, Science, and 
both the Fine and Useful arts. Our great difficulty consists 
in assigning to their authors, the dates at which they wrote ; 
from their having themselves neglected the important 
subject of chronology, or from this having been mystified 
by their short-sighted followers. 
Hence it really appears more probable, that the dates 
assigned to the principal works by the majority of Orien- 
talists, are nearer the correct ones, than the modernised 
eras which have been conjectured on such apparently 
insufficient gi-ounds.. The age of Vikramaditya, which is 
remarkable for the cultivation and patronage of both 
literature and science, may therefore be considered as 
