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Poetry.

WEEP! A LIGHT IS DIM!

"Beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."-Isaiah lxi. 3.

Weep! a light is dim,

A Christian's soul is fled;

But not a tear for him,

The bless'd, the risen dead!

Weep for her, whose soul is heavy
Nigh to death, in yonder bower,
Smitten like the summer lily
By the thunder shower.

Fled the love, that shower'd its glory
O'er her heart, and fed her life;
The freshness from her soul has faded,
The brightness of her brow is shaded,
Lone, bereaved, of all unaided,
Weep for the forsaken wife!

Deep horror will be with her in the night—
Too deep for prayer!

Come, Mother Earth, bring all thy gay and bright
To wile away her care;

Or bid thy wise ones, in their pride of might,
Give peace unto the desolate, and light

The blackness of despair!

They are not thine, the three that conquer Death,
Hope, Love, and Faith!

Lo! all motionless she lies,

With pale cold lips, and closed eyes,

Statue-like, but for that brow

With its crushing weight of woe,—

Weep, oh weep!

Soon will pass her soul's wild hour
Of unnatural sleep;

Soon the storm in all its power

O'er her head will sweep!
Who shall raise the flower again,

From its bed of dust and rain?

Who shall comfort the forsaken?

Who shall say to Hope, Awaken ?'
HE! 'tis HE! The Lord of Life,

Will be with her ere the morrow,

Helping in the fearful strife

That must be 'twixt Faith and Sorrow;

He, who binds the bruised reed,

Will be with her in her need!

Oft in thunder-storm, and cloud,
Comes the genial rain;

Oft from Darkness, ebon-brow'd,
Leaps the Sun again;

Oft when human hearts are riven,
There is joy in heaven!

M.

REVIEW.

I.-Interlinear Works, English and Bengál.

1.-Picture Alphabet, English and Bengáli.

2.-The English Instructor, No. I. in English and Bengáli, containing English Sentences, with a literal and free interlinear version in the Bengálí character.

3. The English Instructor, No. II. in English and Bengálí, containing English Sentences, with a literal interlinear version in the Bengálí character, and a free version in the Roman character.

4.-Esop's Fables, in Bengáli and English.

It is with the greatest pleasure that we introduce the above works to the notice of our readers. Among all the means of acquiring a foreign language, the Hamiltonian or interlinear system, especially when combined with a free version in both languages on the same page, is perhaps the best adapted to effect the object. Strange however to relate, although every other means of giving to the natives of this country a knowledge of the English language has been tried by those who have sought their improvement, none had published any work whatever on this plan till the appearance of the little volumes at the head of this article; and even when a respected member of the Civil Service, (Mr. Shaw of Chittagong), about two years since, made a generous offer to secure from loss any one who would compile such a work, by the purchase of a large portion of the impression, no one was found disposed to embrace it.

We rejoice that circumstances have now altered, and that the appearance of the works before us gives us reason to conclude, that the deficiency in this department will be soon supplied in Bengálí; and that the friends of education will in due time furnish us in other dialects with similar works.

The works before us were published in the following order: the First Instructor; Æsop's Fables; the Second Instructor, and the Picture Alphabet: but in our present notice we shall preserve the order most suited to the perusal of the scholar.

In the Picture Alphabet the letters are arranged in the native order in classes; but the English letters, both capitals and others, are exhibited very large and prominent in comparison with the Bengálí ones; the latter, however, are given, that those, who know the Bengálí only, may acquire the words, as expressed in the English characters, without a teacher. By their arrangement and their large size, the ear and the eye of the native student will soon render them familiar.

The English Instructor, Nos. I. and II. are both translations of works under those names published by the Committee of the Gene

ral Assembly, and used in their flourishing native school in the Chitpur-road. The first few pages, comprising English words of one and two letters, contain sentences which from their peculiar construction admit but of a lengthy translation, and are indeed sometimes incapable of a complete sense. With the exception of this part, which on these accounts appears not so well adapted for translation, we think the work admirably suited to the purpose of instructing natives in the knowledge of the English language. To No. I. is prefixed Mr. Trevelyan's Address to the little Boys and Girls of Bengál, which contains a spirited exhortstion to all natives to prosecute the study of the English language. Were it not so well known as it undoubtedly is to our readers, we would insert some extracts from it for their benefit. We recommend all who are, with ourselves, convinced of the great importance of the spread of English among the higher and middle classes of Native society, to promote the intellectual and moral improvement of India, to secure the reading of this work in its English or Bengálí dress in all the schools in which they have influence, and among all respectable natives with whom they associate. Nothing can be better adapted to induce them to commence this study, so richly fraught with advantage to themselves and their country

men.

Both Instructors consist of two parts, the first entertaining, and the second religious. The way of using the work recommended to teachers, is to let the pupils read a lesson out of both parts every day. This judiciously combines amusement with instruction, and common with sacred truths. The following extract will exhibit the nature and plan of this little work.

Oh, Oh, there goes a young ass.
বাঃ, বাঃ, সেখানে যাইতেছে এক যবা গদভ
বাঃ, বাঃ, সেখানে দিয়া একটা যুবা গাব। যাইতেছে,
he

seems

with his longears. সে বোধ হইতেছে সঙ্গে তাহার লম্বা কাণ, কাণদ্বারা তাহাকে কেমন জ্ঞানী বেবি হইতেছে. a grave face. Can he read? এক গম্ভীর মুখ, পারে সে পড়িতে? বড় গম্ভীর,

এক বহৎ

মুখ

বৃহৎ মুখ আছে।

সে কি পড়িতে পারে ?

এবং তাহার

No,

How

wise

কেমন জ্ঞানী

তাহার লম্বা

Yes, he has

হাঁ, তাহার আছে

হাঁ, তাহার মুখখান

yet he has

না, তথাপি তাহার আছে

না, তথাপি তাহার এক

a great mouth. And he has ears, and eyes, and a long এবং তাহার আছে কাণ, এবং চক্ষুঃ, এবং এক লম্বা এক লম্ব। মাসে লেজ, এবং কান, এবং rough tail. But an ass can not learn to-read. Boys can. খসখসে লেজ. কিন্তু এক গাধা পারে না শিখিতে পড়িতে বালকেরা পারে, কিন্তু গাধা পড়িতে পারে না,

চক্ষু আছে.

বালকের। পারে.

No. II. is distinguished from No. I. by having the free translation expressed in the Roman character, and thus forming a valuable step to the ready perusal of works as thus represented. Should any hesitate to introduce the Roman character at once into schools under their superintendance, we would recommend this book for their adoption, especially as it contains at the commencement a scheme of the application of the Roman alphabet to the Bengáli, by which in the course of a few hours any native may make himself quite familiar with it. Our readers will judge for themselves of the propriety of our recommendation, on inspecting the following short

extract.

9.-It

is right for you also to-know, that you ইহা হয় উচিত কারণ তোমার আরো জানিতে, যে তুমি may lie by nods or signs, as well as পার মিথ্যা কহিতে দ্বারা ঘড়নাড়ার কিম্বা সঙ্কেতের যেমন ভাল যেমন by words. And you may lie, even when your দ্বারা কথাসকলের এবং তুমি পার মিথ্যা কহিতে, সমান যখন তোমার words are true, if you

use

them

in such

কথা সকল হয় সন্য, যদি তুমি ্যবহার কর তাহাদিগকে মধ্যে এমত

a way as to-make him who hears এক পথের যেমন করিতে তাহাকে যে শুনে up in a wrong sense. তাহাদিগকে উপরে মধ্যে এক অশুদ্ধ অর্থের

them

them take তাহাদিগকে লয়

9.-Tomár áro jánite uchit hay, je bákyer dwárá tumi jerup mithya kahite pára, sei rup ghár-nárá diyá, kimba kona isárá dwárá o mithya kahite pára; ebang jadi tumi erupe satya katha byabahár kara, je jáhárá táhá shune táhárá anya kathá bodh kare, tabe satya katha kahiyao mithyá kahite pára.

We understand that the Picture Alphabet, and the two Instructors, are published at the expense of Mr. Trevelyan; and from their extreme cheapness (they consist of fifty-six and eighty-two pages, at a charge of only 3 and 4 annas respectively) our readers will perceive that instructors and pupils are both laid under great obligations by the liberality which affords them at so low a rate.

Esop's Fables, Part I. is a valuable addition to our stock of Anglo-Bengálí works, and Mr. Marshman has done an acceptable service to the student of both languages in compiling so useful a manual. The original is too well known to need any notice from us. No work can be better adapted to excite the interest, and improve the intellect of the native reader. We trust the translator will soon present us with the remaining parts. We give the following as a specimen of the work, that our readers may see and judge for themselves as to its suitability for adoption in the schools they superintend.

FABLE XV.

The Man and his Goose.

মানুষ ও তাহার রাজহংস ৷

A man had а goose which laid a golden egg every এক ব্যক্তির ছিল এক রাজহংস যে পাড়াইত এক স্বর্ণ ডিম্ব প্রতি day ; but he being avaricious was-resolved to kill the দিন কিন্তু সে হইয়৷ লোভী নিশ্চয়-করিল বধ করিতে ঐ goose that he might obtain at-once the treasure which he supposed রাজহ°সকে যেন সে পায় এককালে সে ধন যে সে বুঝিল was within her. He did so but found nothing, and thus ছিল মধ্যে তাহার। সে করিল তাহা কিন্তু পাইল কিছু না এবং এইরূপে lost the golden egg which he used-to obtain every day. হারাইল ঐ স্বর্ণ ডিম্ব যে সে পাইয়া-থাকিত প্রতি দিন ।

এক ব্যক্তির এক রাজহংস ছিল সেই রাজহংস পুতি দিন এক স্বর্ণ ডিম্ব পুসব করিও কিন্তু ঐ ব্যক্তি লোভী হইয়া ঐ রাজহংসের উদরে যে ধন আছে ভাবিয়াছিল তাহা এককালে পাইবার নিমিত্তে হংসকে হত্যা করিতে নিশ্চয় করিল। পরে তাহা করিয়া কিছু পাইল না । এব, তাহাতে যে স্বর্ণ ডিম্ব প্রতিদিন পাইত তাহাও হারাইল ।

The Gentlemen engaged in the effort to introduce the Roman character as the medium of expressing all the languages of India, as intimated in our last Nos. are most vigorously pursuing their object.. We had proposed to notice the various works they have published during the last few weeks in the Roman character only, but they have followed in such rapid succession that we despair of doing justice to them this month, and must therefore defer our observations till the next No.

II.-A Polyglot Interlinear. By Rau Krishna Rau-with a Memoir of the Compiler.

[From a correspondent. ]

In a former number of our Journal (No. 11,) we noticed the arrival at the presidency of a native Mahratta youth, named Krishna Rau, who, smitten with the love of knowledge, and intent upon its acquirement from the fountains of English literature, had formed the laudable purpose of communicating it to his countrymen.

It is the great characteristic of truth, when it has once entered the heart of man, to expand under the genial influences which its own presence has awakened. It is one of the attributes of Truth himself, “ his pride and his glory, to impart;" and thanks be to God, it is the peculiar privilege and pleasure, as it is the duty of all who have themselves become acquainted with the "power of God and the wisdom of God," to seek to communicate to all within their

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