often be subject to an uncertain and erroneous expofition, or wilful mifinterpretation of their laws.

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

During the courfe 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 holieft of legislatures; and finding them to comprize a system of religious and civil duties, and of law in all its branches, fo comprehenfive and minutely exact, that it might be confidered as the Inftitutes of Hindu law, he

presented a translation of them to the Govern ment 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 SIR AJIYAH, or Mahommedan Law of Inheritance, with a Commentary. He had already published in England, a tranflation of a Tract on the fame fubject, by another Mahommedan Lawyer, containing, as his own words exprefs, "a lively and elegant epitome of the law of Inheritance, according to ZAID."

To thefe learned and important works, fo far out of the road of amusement, 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 shall 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 fatire, and elegant compofition. A regard for the literary reputation of his country, induced him to translate, 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 person 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 tafte, 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 seven 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 Sanfcrit 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 amufements of his leifure hours, comprehending hymns on the Hindu mythology, poems

confifting chiefly of translations from the Afiatick languages, and the version 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 taste. Nor shall I particularly dwell on the difcourfes addreffed 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 Refearches ; 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 pass 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 moft curious, important, and attainable in the sciences and hiftories of India, Arabia, China, and Tartary; fubjects, which he had already most amply difcuffed in the difquifitions which he laid before the Society.

DESIDERATA.

INDIA.

1.—The Ancient Geography of India, &c. from the Puranas.

2.-A Botanical Defcription of Indian Plants, from the Cofhas, &c.

3.-A Grammar of the Sanfcrit Language, from Panini, &c.

4.—A Dictionary of the Sanscrit Language, from thirty-two original Vocabularies and Niructi.

5.-On the Ancient Mufic of the Indians.

6. On the Medical Subftances of India, and the Indian Art of Medicine.

7. On the Philofophy of the Ancient Indians.

8.-ATranflation of the Veda.

9.-On Ancient Indian Geometry, Astronomy, and Algebra.

10.-A Translation of the Puranas.

11.-A Translation of the Mahabbarat and Ramayan.

12. On the Indian Theatre, &c. &c. &c. 13.-On the Indian Conftellations, with their Mythology, from the Puranas.

14. The History of India before the Mahommedan conquest, from the Sanfcrit-Cashmit Histories.