more successful attempt, to render the elements of any language easy and delightful. The author," to use Lord Teignmouth's words, “ has shewn the possibility of combining taste and elegance, with the precision of the grammarian." It is, therefore, not surprising that his work has passed through five editions; nor that each has been received with unabated avidity: although, as is common with subjects frequently reprinted, especially if abounding with foreign characters, the later impressions have been disgraced by gross typographical errors. The correction of these had become indispensable: and the familiarity gradually acquired with the Persian tongue, both by the learned and the commercial classes, since the first appearance of this grammar, rendered some improvement of it both practicable and desirable. We apprehend, that no person could be better qualified for this undertaking, than the present editor. He has not affixed his name to a work which evinces, in a striking manner, his learning and his judgment: but we do not hesitate to ascribe it to Mr. Charles Wilkins. "To him the public is indebted," according to Sir William's own expressions, " for more advantages in Indian literature, than Europe or India can ever sufficiently acknowledge." Asiatic Researches, vol. 1. p. 7. We may add, that the typography of India owes its existence to him; and that his profound knowledge of the Persian and the Sancreet languages, has been demonstrated by his translation of the Bhagvat Geeta (published in 4to. by Nourse, at London, 1785;) of the Heetopades (Cruttwell, Bath, 1787, in 8vo.;) and by his various and important papers in the Asiatic Researches. Sir W. Jones's grammar has so long been known, and its merit so fully acknowledged, that it is only necessary, or proper for us, to point out the advantages which the present edition possesses over those which preceded it. We shall, therefore, refer to the editor's account of each improvement, and subjoin the remarks which seem requisite, as we proceed. "The work," he observes," has been carefully revised, and many errors which had been accumulating with every former edition have been attentively corrected." Having carefully examined the volume, page by page, and collated it with former editions, especially with the fifth, we find this profession strictly verified. The work is as nearly immaeulate as could be reasonably expected; the few remaining errors being chiefly occasioned by the breaking off of the diacritic points in the course of the impression; and being, therefore, unavoidable. Most of these imperfections are noticed in a table at the close; to which we shall add a few more, that have occurred to us in the course of examination. "Great "Great improvement," says the editor, "has been made in the printing and paper; it comes forth with an elegant new type, cut after the best examples of writing in the Niski character, and of which no specimen has before been published." The paper is good, well wrought, and of a pleasing yellow hue; the typographical execution does no discredit to the reputable press of Mr. Bulmer; and the character, we believe (with the exception of the unconnected dal, which seems a little disproportionate) to be the most elegant, and the most accurately cut, of all yet used in Europe. We have compared it with the finest specimens of Niski, in the best and most correctly written MSS. and it loses little by the comparison. "This character," the editor thinks, (see Note, p. 147,)" should be preferred for printing, as being the plainest and easiest." With this opinion, in the general, we agree; yet an alphabet, together with some specimens of the Taalek, should have been introduced; as this is the hand in which almost all the persian MSS. are written; and not a few of the principal Arabic works also, especially the poetic. Without this assistance, the learner, who is unacquainted with the Taalek character, will be unable to make use of a persian Ms. From a general resemblance, he may perceive that the Niski is the basis on which the Taalek has been founded; but he will be obliged to learn another alphabet, before he can read any passage quoted in his grammar, in the original author from whom it was taken. The principal" alterations" made in this edition, relate partly to the names of the letters, (for which we must refer to the work itself) partly to what the editor terms," the regular and simple plan of spelling the persian words in roman characters." Persian letters, of a dissimilar form, but nearly alike in sound, he expresses by corresponding roman letters, distinguishing the several sounds of each by dots in various positions. Thus, (te) is represented by (to) by (se) by s (sin) by s (swa d) by (he) by hand (he) by h て (zal) by zj (ze) by z (zhe) by j_(zwa d) by z and (20) by z (kaf) by k and (caf) by k. 1 The long vowels (alif) (waw) and S (ya) he designates by roman vowels, with the long prosodial mark; thus, ā, ō or ū, and ī. Simple 1, alif, is expressed by a; but T, alif with medda, by ã. "Alif at the begin On this letter we have the following Note, p. 11. ning of a word, not being distinguished by the mark mad over it thus, is not only always short, but occasionally pronounced as the short vowels, ă, Ĭ ú. In the middle, or at the end of a word, it is generally long, by position, though it have no mark over it.” D 3 Though Though all attempts of this kind must, from the nature of the elements of these languages, be liable to several exceptions, yet, on the whole, we highly approve of this method, and think it much more simple and regular than those hitherto employed, of doubling, or simply accenting, the long vowels. The editor has supplied several curious remarks on the sounds of some of the Persian consonants; but these are so foreign to an English ear, that we pass them by, through despair of rendering them generally intelligible. In page 20, Sir W. Jones observes, " In some old compositions the particle mar, is prefixed to the accusative case; as mar ōrā dēdam, I saw him : but this is either obsolete or inelegant, and is seldom used by the moderns." How far the use of this particle may be deemed an inelegance, we shall not pretend to say; but it appears to have been anciently used to strengthen the sense, and to render the sentence in which it was found, more emphatic. Jacob Toosi often employs it in his Persian version of the Pentateuch, but seldom without subjoining the demonstrative pronounan: thus, Genesis i. 1. در اول آفرید خدا سر آن آسمان و مر آن زمین "In the beginning God made that very heaven, and that very earth" or, " the substance of the heaven, and the substance of the earth;" as it probably answers to the Hebrew particle Nath and the Syriah yoth, which in this place have been supposed by some learned men to have the same power. In page 26, where a note refers to the Arabic grammars of Erpen and Meninski, we were surprised to find no mention made of that by Mr. Richardson, first published in 1786, 4to. on the model of this work. A new edition of Richardson's, from the same press, and revised by the present learned editor, would be a farther acquisition to elegant literature, and we cannot doubt that it would be favourably received by the public. In p. 28, the Editor adds to the plural pronouns, ma ya nra; and Lo (ma) we; (shuma) ye; مایان مایانرا - oma ya n which had been شمایانرا omitted by Sir W. Jones. In p. 30. to the pronoun (0) his, he adds, both forms being in use. or, Sway; In p. 29, 1. 30, the word general should have been put in italics, or inclosed in brackets, as there is no corresponding word in the original. We should have regarded it as an emendation, also, had the editor retrenched the profane expression, in the author's poetical version, p. 136, 1, 6. "And yet by heaven I love thee still:" still:" but it continues to disgrace the page, although unauthorised بدم گفتي و خرسندم عفا الله .by the original literally translated, is, "Thou hast spoken ill (or unkindly) to me, and I am contented, God preserve thee!" So Baron Revinski, Specimen Poes. Pers. p. 69. Male dixisti mihi, et ego contentus sum, Deus te servet! "The catalogue," (p. 137)" of the most valuable books in the Persian language," might have been augmented with many others, of nearly equal worth, both from the collections in the India house, and from those of private gentlemen. Four pages of persian letter-press are added: p. 155, &c. The first two contain an extract from " the Memoirs of the Emperor Jehangir," written by himself; and the latter two," A Description of the City of Agra," by the same. As these extracts are unaccompanied with a translation, and the words contained in them, are not inserted in the index, where they certainly should have been explained, they can be of no use to the mere learner. They exhibit, however, very favourable specimens of two sizes of the beautiful Niski, lately cast by W. Martin. To the Table of Errata, the following may be subjoined, which we have observed in reading over the work. Page 6. line ult. the J is broken in jo. In the Index, particularly amoug the Nūns, many of the diacritic points are broken off. The general advantage which the public would derive from a more copious transfusion of Persian compositions into our native tongue, as well as that which may accrue to our fellow subjects who are more directly interested in the literature of India, by facilitating their acquisition of the persian language, are suffi D 4 cient cient motives to excite our attention to a subject which has been defectively treated in most periodical works. Our commercial connexions with India, and the extensive territories which we have gained in that part of the world, have given rise to a variety of offices, especially in the civil department, which cannot be filled with honour to the British nation, nor even (as repeated experience has proved) with safety to our Asiatic subjects and dependencies, but by Europeans. At the same time, it may easily be conceived, that the duties imposed by these offices can be properly discharged only by persons intimately acquainted with the languages of the natives, and especially the Persian. Hence most of our countrymen, who hope for emolument in the service of the East India Company, have begun to study that tongue. The most correct and classical works of the ancient Persian poets and orators, gradually became objects of attention and research and adventurers to India, returning to their native country, brought with them valuable collections of Persian MSS. At their deaths, these have been disposed of by public auction, and distributed over the nation. Thus our literati, who had sipped from the pure streams of Sheeraz, in the elegant and appropriate quotations in Sir W. Jones's grammar, found themselves at the fountain head; and the invaluable works of Hafiz, with those of Ferdoosi, Saadi, Jelaleddeen Roomi, and Abul Fazel, required only to be as well known in Europe, as in Asia, to excite the same attention, esteem, and admiration. With these were imported also, the works of various popular and well accredited authors, who had written on the religious, civil, and natural history of the mighty empires of India, Persia, Arabia, and Tartary: which, as Sir W. Jones has observed, (Preface p, xix.) " cannot fail of delighting those who love to view the great picture of the universe, or to learn by what degrees the most obscure states have risen to glory, and the most flourishing kingdoms have sunk to decay." "The philosopher," he adds, "will consider those works as highly valuable, by which he may trace the human mind in all its various appearances, from the rudest to the most cultivated state; and the man of taste will undoubtedly be pleased to unlock the stores of native genius, and to gather the flowers of unrestrained and luxuriant fancy." We may add, that such works afford very important instruction to the Biblical critic: who will meet in every page, with forms of speech, customs and manners, similar to, and illustrative of, those which frequently occur in the sacred writings; having been common to the Jews with other Asiatic nations. To every serious and intelligent Christian also, it is of no small importance, to have fresh mines of historical, geographical, and philosophical information, opened for his research. In these, he may trace the works and the ways of God, with the peculiar in terest |