THE WORKS OF SIR WILLIAM JONES. A DISCOURSE ON THE INSTITUTION OF A SOCIETY, FOR INQUIRING INTO THE HISTORY, CIVIL AND NATURAL, THE ANTIQUITIES, ARTS, SCIENCES, AND LITERATURE, OF ASIA. BY THE PRESIDENT. GENTLEMEN, WHEN I was at fea laft Auguft, on my voyage to this country, which I had long and ardently defired to vifit, I found one evening, on inspecting the observations of the day, that India lay before us, and Perfia on our left, whilst a breeze from Arabia blew nearly on our stern. A fituation so pleasing in itself, and to me fo new, could not fail to awaken a train of reflections in a mind, which had early been accustomed to contemplate with delight the eventful hiftories and agreeable fictions of this eaftern world. It gave me inexpreffible pleasure to find myself in the midst of so noble an amphitheatre, almost encircled by the vast regions of Asia, which has ever been esteemed the nurse of sciences, the inventress of delightful and useful arts, the scene of glorious actions, fertile in the productions of human genius, abounding in natural wonders, and infinitely diversified in the forms of religion and government, in the laws, manners, cuftoms, and languages, as well as in the features and complexions, of men. I could not help remarking, how important and extenfive a field was yet unexplored, and how many folid advantages unimproved; and when I confidered, with pain, that, in this fluctuating, imperfect, and limited condition of life, fuch inquiries and improvements could only be made by the united efforts of many, who are not easily brought, without fome preffing inducement or ftrong impulfe, to converge in a common point, I confoled myself with a hope, founded on opinions which it might have the appearance of flattery to mention, that, if in any country or community, fuch an union could be effected, it was among my countrymen in Bengal, with some of whom I already had, and with most was defirous of having, the pleasure of being intimately acquainted. You have realized that hope, gentlemen, and even anticipated a declaration of my wishes, by your alacrity in laying the foundation of a fociety for inquiring into the history and antiquities, the natural productions, arts, sciences, and literature of Afia. Imay confidently foretel, that an inftitution fo likely to afford entertainment, and convey knowledge, to mankind, will advance to maturity by flow, yet certain, degrees; as the Royal Society, which at first was only a meeting of a few literary friends at Oxford, rofe gradually to that splendid zenith, at which a Halley was their fecretary, and a Newton their prefident, Although it is my humble opinion, that, in order to enfure our fuccefs and permanence, we must keep a middle course between a languid remiffness, and an over zealous activity, and that the tree, which you have aufpiciously planted, will produce fairer blossoms, and more exquisite fruit, if it be not at first exposed to too great a glare of sunshine, yet I take the liberty of fubmitting to your confideration a few general ideas on the plan of our fociety; affuring you, that, whether you reject or approve them, your correction will give me both pleasure and inftruction, as your flattering attentions have already conferred on me the highest honour. It is your design, I conceive, to take an ample your fpace for learned investigations, bounding them only by the geographical limits of Afia; so that, confidering Hindustan as a centre, and turning your eyes in idea to the North, you have on your right, many important kingdoms in the Eastern peninfula, the ancient and wonderful empire of China with all her Tartarian dependencies, and that of Japan, with the cluster of precious islands, in which many fingular curiofities have too long been concealed: before you lies that prodigious chain of mountains, which formerly perhaps were a barrier against the violence of the fea, and beyond them the very interesting country of Tibet, and the vast regions of Tartary, from which, as from the Trojan horse of the poets, have iffued fo many confummate warriors, whofe domain has extended at least from the banks of the Ilius to the mouths of the Ganges: on your left are the beautiful and celebrated provinces of Iran or Perfia, the unmeasured, and perhaps unmeafurable deferts of Arabia, and the once flourishing kingdom of Yemen, with the pleasant isles that the Arabs have fubdued or colonized; and farther weftward, the Afiatick dominions of the Turkish fultans, whofe moon feems approaching rapidly to its wane. By this great circumference, the field of your useful researches will be inclosed; but, fince Egypt had unquestionably an old con |