་ The feelings which will naturally be excited in those who were once the objects of Mr. Howard's benevolence, are finely defcribed. After lamenting what all must indeed lament, he confoles himself with the idea, that it was the will of heaven the spirit should at length ceafe from its illuftrious task, and having converfed fo long with all the various fcenes of human mifery, should pass to those regions where it is never more experienced. The place of Mr. Howard's death fuggefts to the writer's fancy many claffical images, mixed with fome ftriking fentiments concerning the effect which may be produced on the favage inhabitants of those countries. The Tartar and the Coffack, the native of the mountains of Thrace, of the Don and the Volga, and the boundless forefts of the North, will view his grave, and be taught from hence the lesson of humanity and benevolence. The impreflion of awe on the minds of the Turks, when their fleet fhall approach the fhore, is well imagined, and the feelings of the Briton whole wanderings fhall lead him to the fpot, are defcribed in a manner that fhews the author's fenfibility and enthusiasm. • When o'er the founding Euxine's ftormy tides, In hoftile pomp the Turks proud navy rides, Bent on the frontiers of the imperial Czar, To pour the tempest of vindictive war: If onward to those fhores they haply steer, Where, Howard, thy cold duft repofes near: Whilft o'er the wave the filken pennants ftream, And feen far off the golden crefcents gleam Amid the pomp of war, the fwelling breaft Shall feel a ftill unwonted awe imprefied, And the relenting Pagan turn afide To think on yonder fhore the Christian died.' If we have any thing to blame it is fometimes a negligence in refpect of harmony, fometimes a little profaicfalling off." It matters not' is an expression much beneath the dignity of the fubject, 'O'er Howard's grave thou shalt impaffion'd bend,' would be improved by reading impaffion'd before thou shalt ; and the concluding line in the four following is weakened. by the introduction of a circumftance prior in point of time to what goes before, and by recurring to general imagery after having defcribed particulars. • The cold unpitying Coffack thirfts no more, U 3 The The inaccuracies, however, are much less numerous than the merits of the poem. It is the production of genius occafionally hafty, and of attention fometimes intermitted. We perceive many marks of tafte and judgment, and may venture to predict the future reputation, which must attend the more mature productions of this author. The New Afiatic Mifcellany. Printed at Calcutta. 4to.. No. L July 1789; No. II. December 1789. THE HE works of English literature, lately printed in the East Indies, are extremely interefting, from the view of the progrefs of English typography and research into these distant regions, and from the novelty and curiofity of the fubjects laid open to discussion. As far as the memory of human affairs extends, the Bramins, the philofophy, the religion of India have excited the attention of the wife and of the learned. Greece and Rome have paid distant adoration to the fuppofed parental region of philofophy and mythology. For England it was referved to examine and to publifh the myfteries upon the spot of their celebration. At the fame time it must be observed, by every man accuftomed to accuracy in literary research, that in the numerous English and French works, published of late upon the religion and philofophy of India, there is one perpetual and radical defect. In Perfia, which adjoins to India, and which was also famous for ancient philofophy, it is granted that there is no literary work whatever extant more ancient than the tenth century after Chrift: and that Hyde, in his celebrated work De Religione Perfarum, mistook a modern forgery for the work of Zoroafter. Such being the cafe, and India having been the fcene of many conquefts and revolutions, it is difficult to conceive how works, pretended to have been written many ages before the Chriftian æra, have been preserved. The idea of the incarnation of a deity, fo common in Indian mythology, appears to many to have been borrowed from the Chriftian faith; and it feems doubtful if the Indian mythologies and -philosophy, fuppofed the fame with the ancient, be not of mo. dern invention. In fhort, before more is published in this way, we wish to fee a formal and large work upon the antiquity of letters in India; upon the progress of the language, and the difference between the ancient and the modern; upon the effects which conquefts and revolutions have had upon Indian literature; upon the manner of its prefervation; upon the materials used in writing; and the antiquity to which manufcripts may attain in that climate and fuch other articles as may be regarded regarded as fundamentally neceffary to be confidered, before good judges will lend their affent to the modern accounts of Indian affairs. In the firft fteps of antiquarian enquiry, far more antiquity is generally afcribed to manufcripts, &c. than is afterwards discovered to be due to them: and the first, and most important object, is to authenticate the grounds upon which we are to proceed. The works, hitherto published by authors who have refided in India, upon fuch fubjects, are not only deficient in this respect, but in acumen; fo that a fufpicion might even arife, that the heat of the climate is unpropitious to the reasoning powers. But if authors proceed in the fame track of belief, without examination, we can only fay that, perhaps two centuries will elapfe before we know any thing certain concerning Indian mythology and philofophy.. These obfervations, though not universally applicable to the Numbers of the Afiatic Mifcellany before us, have arifen from the perufal of feveral late works concerning India; and are here given, because the subject deserves attention. The prefent Numbers bear more relation to the Perfian literature than to the Indian, as the reader may perceive from the contents, which follow. 1. A Hymn to Lachomi., No. I. 2. An Introduction to the History of the Perfian Poets. By Capt. William Kirkpatrick, 3. Pancha Retnani, or the Five Gems, tranflated from the Sanfcrit. 4. A Letter from the Emperor Akbar to Abdullah Khan, the Ufbeck Ruler of Turan. Compofed by Abul Fuzul. Tranflated by John Stonehoufe, Efq.. 5. Of the Religion of the Perfees. Written in Perfian by Sheikh Mahommed Mohsin. Tranflated by Frances Glad win, Efq, No. II. 1. A Continuation of the Dabistan, or School of Manners, giving an Account of the Religion of the Parfees. Written in Perfian by Sheikh Mohammed Mohfin. Tranflated by Francis Gladwin, Efq. 2. The Death of Mohammed. From the Deh Mujlio. 4. The Inftitutes of Ghazan Khan, Emperor of the Moghuls. By Capt. William Kirkpatrick, 5. Defeription of an Oriental Banquet. Paraphrafed from the Arabic of a Native of Damafcus: 6. A Hindivi Ode. From Wulli.. U4 U 4 7. Doctor 7. Doctor Franklin's celebrated Parable against Perfecution, compared with a Paffage in the Boftan of Sadi. 8. The Preface to the Boftan of Sadi. In an advertisement prefixed, we are informed, that the late proprietors of the Afiatic Mifcellany having difcontinued the publication, Mr. Gladwin has been encouraged by his literary friends to refume the fuperintendance of it: and this new work is to be published in quarterly numbers, four to form a volume. Each number contains about 120 pages. The Hymn to Lachomi, the Ceres of India, is an original pcem in English, very well written, and probably by fir William Jones. The Introduction to the History of the Persian Poets gives a curious account of Rodoki and Dukiki, two Perfian poets of the tenth century, and preceding Ferdufi, commonly esteemed the father of Perfian poetry. The Five Gems are five ftanzas, compofed by five poets, who attended the court of Adifura, king of Bengal. The letter of Abkar is long and curious, but admits not of any extract. The Dabiftan contains, in twelve large chapters, an account of twelve religions. Mr. Gladwin tranflates the first chapter, concerning the religion of the Parices. The learned prefident of the Afiatic Society has, in his laft anniversary difcourfe, declared, that it has thrown fuch light on the ancient history of Iran, and of the human race, as he had defpaired of ever obtaining.' From this remark we should conclude that the Dabistan was at least as ancient as the writings of Mofes. But what is our aftonishment when we are told that the author died in the year of the Hegira 1081; that is in the year of our Lord 1670, and in the reign of Charles II. of glorious and most ancient memory! The account of the temples and images among the Parfees, given in the Dabistan, teftifies at once how little fuch modern accounts can be relied on; the want of temples and of images being the chief features of the ancient Persian religion. If fir William Jones founds any point of antiquity upon fuch evidence, he will act like Mr. Richardson, who has attempted to afcertain the Greek accounts of Persian history from Perhian manufcripts; though he confeffes that none of the latter are written by authors preceding the eleventh century; and Herodotus wrote, as all know, 450 years before Chrift. To estimate antiquities rightly, great vigour of mind is requir ed; and even great acrimony: for falfhoods pleafe the fancy moft; and if a writer holds not the rein very tight, the fancy will run away with the judgment. The The Inftitutes of Ghazan Khan form the most important article of this publication. This emperor of the Moghuls reigned from the year of Chrift 1259 to 1304. The laws are wife; but an extract would require many explanations, and be little interefting to the common reader, while the learned will have recourfe to the work. We shall content ourfelves with giving the reader the paffage from the Boftan of Sadi, which is evidently the prototype of Dr. Franklin's well known parable against perfecution. I have heard that once, during a whole week, no fon of the road came to the hofpitabie dwelling of the friend of God, whose amiable nature led him to observe it as a rule not to eat in the morning, unlefs fome needy perfon arrived from a journey. He went out, and turned his eyes towards every place; he viewed the valley on all fides, and beheld in the defert a folitary man, refembling the willow, whofe head and beard were whitened with the fnow of age. To encourage him he called him friend; and, agreeable to the manners of the munificent, gave him an invitation, faying, "Oh! apple of mine eye, perform an act of courtely by becoming my gueft." He afsented, arose, and stepped forward readily; for he knew the difpofition of his hoft, on whom be peace! The affociates of Abraham's hofpitable dwelling feated the old man with respect. The table § was ordered to be spread, and the company placed themselves around. When the affembly began to utter IN THE NAME OF GOD! (or to fay grace), and not a word was heard to proceed from the old man, Abraham addreffed him in fuch terms as thefe, "Oh! elder ftricken in years, thou appearest not to me in faith and zeal like other aged ones; for is it not an obligatory law to invoke, at the time of eating your daily bread, that divine Providence from whence it is derived?" He replied, I practife no rite | which I have not heard from my priest, who worshippeth fire." The good-omened prophet difcovered this vitiated old man to be a Gueber¶; and finding him an alien to the faith, drove him away in miferable plight; the polluted being rejected by thofe who are pure. The angel Gabriel defcended from the glorious and omnipotent God *with this fevere reprehenfion, O! friend, I have fupported him through a life of an hundred years, and thou haft conceived an abhorrence for him all at once. If a man pay adoration to fire, fhouldest thou therefore withold the hand of liberality?" It is felf-apparent that Dr. Franklin borrowed his parable ་་ Literally-in bread and falt-i. e, partaking of my bread and salt. •Literally—I take in hand no path or custom,' :. b. Or, worshipper of fire, 1 from |