with some Támal tracts which were read to him, that he began to learn the Támal characters, in order to study those books for himself, as he has an active and inquisitive mind; but having little leisure, he was forced, by the difficulty of learning a new set of characters, to relinquish his Támal studies again. And there are doubtless many such persons in public employments, who would gladly read Christian books written in a cognate dialect not existing in his own; but want of leisure prevents them from learning the alphabet. As so many of them know the English, but not the Devanagari, the more general introduction of the romanizing system would be a powerful means of making good books written in one dialect, the common property of individuals of the other dialects too, and sound knowledge would be rapidly diffused in the Indian community. The case is the same with the numerous energetic and respectable public servants of the Muhammadan creed :-they would never be prevailed upon to learn the Devanagari alphabet, in addition to the Persian; but English they know already, and would gladly read romanized books written in that Hindu dialect with which they are conversant, as well as romanized Christian or scientific books written in the Hindustání. Muhammadans come to my house for Romanized Hindustání books, which I lately received from Bengal. To obtain the important ends mentioned in this and the preceding paragraphs, a periodical will probably be soon commenced, containing selections of the best English pieces of a religious and scientific nature, with a translation on the opposite column, in one of the Indian dialects romanized. 4. Many pious ladies and gentlemen take a lively interest in schools, particularly in female schools. Many pious ladies would gladly learn one and another of the Hindu languages, in order themselves to examine the pupils in their books, and talk with them on religion, if the school books were but printed in Roman characters. I know of an excellent lady, of sterling piety, who had resolved to learn one of the Hindu dialects, in order to be useful in schools; but when the sheet of pages with the formidable army of letters, with the different horns and spears on and over their heads, and the various kinds of daggers and tails on their sides and below their bodies, (misnomered "flowers," p'húlas,) was unfolded before her, she got so completely frightened, that she gave up the attempt at once, and would not even look again at the letters when a friend wished to explain to her, that the difficulty lay rather in the appearance than in the reality. I myself, who began some time ago to learn a new Hindu dialect, have been obliged, after months of attentive study, to look again and again at the table of the compound consonants, in order to make out the meaning of the embryos of letters annexed to the body of the principal consonant. The romanizing system would have saved me much precious time. A friend of mine had the habit of writing his Támal sermons in the Támal character-but when he changed his plan and adopted the romanizing system, he found immediately that he could finish his task in a much shorter time than before. And saving of time is of much greater importance than saving of money and pages in printing Devanágarí*. I have lately become acquainted with a gentleman who was about publishing a little book of easy English sentences, with literal and idiomatic interlinear versions, in a Hindu dialect, in order to facili tate to Europeans the study of that dialect, and chose the English letters for the Hindu dialect, although unacquainted with Sir W. Jones' system, and with the romanizing endeavours of our Calcutta friends. On my showing him the work under review, he adopted the Calcutta scheme in most particulars. It will be seen hereafter, that even in printing the Roman character has a de. cided advantage.-A ROMAN. Suffice it to add only one consideration more, which appears to me to be of great importance; viz. If in all our Indian female schools the Roman characters were introduced, the girls would be able to read only such books which we thought useful, and resolved to romanize for them; and they would thereby be most effectually prevented from reading those horribly polluting and immoral Hindu stories, which could not but fall into their hands, if conversant with a Hindu alphabet: and this, again, would probably remove the prejudices which many heathens entertain against our female schools, which, in their apprehension, assimilate their daughter to the dancing girls. And, if thus the number of those who can read only the Roman character is so much increased, doubtless ladies and gentlemen will not be wanting, who, stirred up by Mr. Trevelyan's noble example, will furnish their pupils, by their own private means, with romanized parts of the Bible, and with other romanized good books, and a Hindu generation would arise comparatively free from the pollutions of heathen books. On conversing lately with a gentleman, whose attention has been long directed to the subject, and who has had much experience in printing, he expressed his opinion, that there was another great advantage of the Roman system, which, although casually mentioned, had not received that marked notice from its friends to which it was entitled; he referred to the economy of the plan in printing. As an instance of this, he mentioned the excellent Dictionary of the English, Hindustání and Bengálí languages, of which the first part has been recently published by Mr. P. S. D'Rozario. Of this work it is said by the Editors of the "Friend of India," that "it is printed in a neat and clear, though small type, quite legible to all men under forty-five without glasses; and the charge for the work is very low." Now it is a fact, that had the Hindustání or Urdú words been printed in the Nágarí or Arabic character, they must, in the smallest type yet cast, have occupied more than double the space they now do in this legible Roman type; and had they been printed in the Persian character, (which alone is universally read by those who speak the language,) and for this purpose had the smallest sized type ever cast in Europe or Asia been adopted, the work must have occupied three times the number of pages. My friend has kindly offered to get prepared some comparative estimates, with specimens, in proof of his vast superiority of the Roman alphabet, should you wish it for insertion in your widely read periodical. I feel persuaded that on this point they will convince the most incredulous*. If any one imagines that the native types may in time be gradually reduced in size, so as to occupy less space, it may be replied that, in the Nágarí type referred to, the compound letters are already so small as to be indistinct; and that if ever the size We shall be very happy to publish such a paper, affording data, as it must do, for the practical solution of a question of so much importance in the education of India.-ED. should be reduced, the friend of the Romanizing system has no less than four sizes, (called technically Nonpareil, Ruby, Pearl, and Diamond,) smaller than the type used by Mr. D'Rozario, already prepared to his hands, and in constant use in books of all kinds, on which he can fall back to maintain the decided superiority of the Roman character. Judge for yourselves, then, Mr. Editors, what an amazing saving of paper and other materials for books will be effected by the adoption of a character so infinitely superior to the native ones now in use, when the former is applied to the education of the youth of a city-a province-a country; to the myriads of Calcutta of Bengal-of Hindustán : and then decide, whether the introduction of the system is not well worth the public aid of Government, as well as the strenuous support of individual friends of education. For myself, Gentlemen, I say with Mr. Schmid, "Up, then, Christian friends, in the three Presidencies; let us soon come to an agreement to leave the Devanagarí to the Bráhmans; let us make one great effort to give to our numerous pupils the Roman character, the key to Christian knowledge and to European science, as well as to the numerous influential and intelligent adults, who know English already, an abundance of solid books romanized, to feed their souls, and to rouse them to mental activity, and the search after sanctifying truth.” A ROMAN. Poetry, For the Calcutta Christian Observer. TO RELIGION. "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." SWEET child of Heaven! celestial maid! I hail thee, and invoke thine aid; Not often hath the voice of song Some few indeed, some happy few, And own'd, in strains of sweetest glow, Ah! what were LIFE without thine aid? And what were DEATH's last awful hour, Yet, let it look beyond, and see, But what is LIFE, when thou art near? And with thee is not DEATH a gain? With thee that word ETERNITY, They who have washed their robes can tell. Till we ourselves see face to face. Fair child of Heaven! to thee 'tis given ANNE. REVIEW. Christianity and Hinduism Contrasted; or a Comparative View of the Evidence by which the respective claims to Divine Authority of the Bible and Hindu Shastras are supported. By G. Mundy. Second Edition, enlarged. In two volumes. Serampore, 1834. Every traveller perceives, or supposes he perceives, new beauties in scenes which have been oft visited, and as oft pourtrayed by the most graphic pens. Each one considers it his duty to convey to others his impressions, as he gazes upon the rich varieties which nature and art in the new and old world present to his observant mind. There is wisdom in the arrangement. Every age has its modes of thinking, and of expressing its theme. For, however much we may be disposed to admire the ponderous tomes of past days, and to bow with reverence to the masculine talent which they display, we prefer to read the same subject written in the spirit of our own age, in our more refined idiom and improved language. In fact, every age must and will have its own heroes, philanthropists, and authors. Every generation admires the genius of the past; but it is an admiration mixed with a jealous emulation, to outstrip those who have contended for the goal of fame-but now rest from their labors. Every Englishman praises the vivid genius of Spenser, but how few peruse his stirring lines compared with Byron's lighter labors! Milton's prose works are the theme of every advocate of liberty; but how much more eagerly are the fleeting pamphlets of the day read than his poetic prose: nor is the judicious Hooker's masculine Vindication praised less than those by many, who would prefer to peruse the bitter and stimulating aliment which modern controversy provides; proving the truth of the wise man's saying, that "a living dog is better than a dead lion." We must not, however, indulge further in this reverie. We were drawn into it by some such question as this presenting itself to our mind, What need can there be for a new work on the Evidences of Christianity, when our shelves are crowded with treatises of all kinds and degrees of talent and piety? When we thought of such names as Butler, Beattie, Paley, Jenyns, Wilson, and a host of champions, we were ready to ask, What need of more? We had our answer in the principles first laid down,-every age, country, and people need, and will have their own authors; and though the works to which we have alluded are all excellent in their matter and arrangement, it must be remembered that they are addressed to Europeans, and opposed to the infidel science |