But the judgement of Sir William Jones was too difcerning to confider language in any other light than as the key of science, and he would have defpifed the reputation of a mere linguift. Knowledge and truth, were the object of all his ftudies, and his ambition was to be useful to mankind; with these views, he extended his researches to all languages, nations, and times.

Such were the motives that induced him to propofe to the Government of this country, what he justly denominated a work of national utility and importance, the compilation of a copious digeft of Hindu and Mahommedan Law, from Sanferit and Arabick originals, with an offer of his fervices to fuperintend the compilation, and with a promise to translate it. He had foreseen, previous to his departure from Europe, that without the aid of fuch a work, the wife and benevolent intentions of the legislature of Great Britain, in leaving, to a certain extent, the natives of these provinces in poffeffion of their own laws, could not be completely fulfilled; and his experience, after a fhort refidence in India, confirmed what his fagacity had anticipated, that without principles to refer to, in a language familiar to the judges of the courts, adjudications amongst the natives must too

often be fubject to an uncertain and erroneous exposition, or wilful mifinterpretation of their laws.

To the fuperintendance of this work, which was immediately undertaken at his fuggeftion, he affiduously devoted thofe hours which he could fpare from his profeffional duties. After tracing the plan of the digeft, he prescribed its arrangement and mode of execution, and felected from the moft learned Hindus and Mahommedans fit perfons for the task of compiling it; flattered by his attention, and encouraged by his applause, the Pandits profecuted their labours with cheerful zeal, to a fatisfactory conclufion. The Molavees have also nearly finished their portion of the work, but we must ever regret, that the promised tranflation, as well as the meditated preliminary differtation, have been frustrated by that decree, which fo often intercepts the performance of human purposes.

During the course of this compilation, and as auxiliary to it, he was led to study the works of MENU, reputed by the Hindus to be the oldeft, and holiest of legislatures; and finding them to comprize a system of religious and civil duties, and of law in all its branches, fo comprehensive and minutely exact, that it might be confidered as the Inftitutes of Hindu law, he

presented a tranflation of them to the Government of Bengal. During the fame period, deeming no labour exceffive or fuperfluous that tended, in any respect, to promote the welfare or happiness of mankind, he gave the public an English verfion of the Arabick text of the SIRAJIYAH, or Mahommedan Law of Inheritance, with a Commentary. He had already published in England, a translation of a Tract on the fame fubject, by another Mahommedan Lawyer, containing, as his own words express, "a lively and elegant epitome of the law of Inheritance, according to ZAID."

To these learned and important works, fo far out of the road of amufement, nothing could have engaged his application, but that defire which he ever profeffed, of rendering his knowledge useful to his nation, and beneficial to the inhabitants of these provinces.

Without attending to the chronological order of their publication, I fhall briefly recapitulate his other performances in Afiatick Literature, as far as my knowledge and recollection of them extend.

The vanity and petulance of ANQUETIL DU PERRON, with his illiberal reflections on fome of the learned members of the University of Oxford, extorted from him a letter, in the French language, which has been admired for accurate

criticism, just satire, and elegant compofition. A regard for the literary reputation of his country, induced him to tranflate, from a Perfian original into French, the life of NADIR SHAH, that it might not be carried out of England, with a reflection, that no perfon had been found in the British dominions capable of tranflating it. The ftudents of Perfian literature must ever be grateful to him, for a grammar of that language, in which he has fhown the poffibility of combining taste, and elegance, with the precifion of a grammarian; and every admirer of Arabick poetry, must acknowledge his obligations to him, for an English verfion of the feven celebrated poems, fo well known by the name of Moallakat, from the diftinction to which their excellence had entitled them, of being fufpended in the temple of Mecca: I should scarcely think it of importance to mention, that he did not difdain the office of Editor of a Sanferit and Perfian work, if it did not afford me an opportunity of adding, that the latter was published at his own expence, and was fold for the benefit of infolvent debtors. A fimilar application was made of the produce of the SIRAJIYAH.

Of his lighter productions, the elegant amusements of his leisure hours, comprehending hymns on the Hindu mythology, poems

confifting chiefly of tranflations from the Afiatick languages, and the verfion of SACONTALA, an ancient Indian drama, it would be unbecoming to speak in a style of importance which he did not himself annex to them. They show the activity of a vigorous mind, its fertility, its genius, and its tafte. Nor fhall I particularly dwell on the difcourfes addressed to this Society, which we have all perused or heard, or on the other learned and interesting differtations, which form fo large, and valuable a portion of the records of our Researches ; let us lament, that the fpirit which dictated them is to us extinct, and that the voice to which we listened with improvement, and rapture, will be heard by us no more.

But I cannot pafs over a paper, which has fallen into my poffeffion fince his demife, in the hand-writing of Sir William Jones himfelf, entitled DESIDERATA, as more explanatory than any thing I can fay, of the comprehensive views of his enlightened mind. It contains, as a perufal of it will show, whatever is most curious, important, and attainable in the sciences and hiftories of India, Arabia, China, and Tartary; fubjects, which he had already moft amply difcuffed in the difquifitions which he laid before the Society.