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APRIL, 1873.]
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most importance, or in greatest danger of deface- the Editor of the Indian Antiquary. The followment by the hand of time. A similar registering stones, with inscriptions of a similar character, is stated to have been made in the reign of have recently been discovered in the Nandidurg Chikka Deva Raja (1672–1704); but the collec- Division,--two stones at Betmangala, which have tion was unfortunately either lost or destroyed been converted into village deities; two large when the Province came under Muhammadan slabs on the site of the ancient city of Aralkotu. rule.
near Srinivaspura, probably intermediate between At Sravana Bellagola, famous for its colossal the Śråvana Bellagola and Begūru inscriptions ; statue of the Jain god Gômatesvara, there are and a large slab of a more recent date on the site several inscriptions cut in the rock, on the top of old Bidaláru, near Gôribidantru. of the smaller of the two hills. The character is Some burrows of considerable dimensions have a very ancient form of Kanarese, fac-similes of also been discovered in the Hassan District, but which have been submitted to Pandits through 1 none have yet been opened.
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THE PROSODY OF THE PERSIANS according to Saif, agree, as Professor Blochmann has hirself had Jámi, and other writers. By H. Bloohmann, M.A.- Occasion to observe and point out: although, after Calcutta, 1872.
all, Persian poetry, like English, is scanned accord. Professor Blochmann has given a new proof of ing to sound rather than orthography; hence his acurate scholarship, not merely by editing the ear is in reality the best guide. Sir W. Jones Saifi's Prosody and Jámi's Qáfiyah, but by correct- expressly states (Works, Vol. VI. p. 437, ed. 1799) ly translating and enriching them with his own that the measure of the Leila wa Majnun of notes. "The Prosody of the Persians" is no Hatefy, which enabled him to correct a number of doubt intended for a school book, to be explained lines in it, was embodied in the words in mi. by competent teachers. The Hints and Exercises bus imperare debét. (pp. 94-101) are most excellent, but it is to be feared It is not merely interesting, but proper and insufficient for any, except very bright students, if very necessary, that students should know accuread without a master. The solutions are merely rately to what metre & piece of poetry belongs references to the various metres according to 1 and it may be presumed that the minute way of which the examples given are to be scanned, but marking out the feet with their constituent parts if each example of these metres had itself been hinted at above would materially aid correct fully explained, the scansion of the exercises from scansion, without which the whole science of prothe Gulistan would have been easy to the dullest. sody is nothing. It would not give much
A metre, if it is to serve as a model, ought to be trouble to present some idea to Orientals of the mantreated nearly in this way --The feet of which it ner of scanning by means of long and short marks, consists are to be written as usual, and also the and to show them that numerous as their feet are, line or lines to be scanned. Beneath this the feet they have all their equivalents in Latin and Greek are to be written with their constituent parts 8a. prosody. Perhaps it would be sufficient to give bab, watad, fácilah, properly marked as moved or those only which correspond to the eight original quiescent, and the line to be written under them feet of the Arabs, thus:--Bacchius, iambo-sponexpressly for the purpose of scansion; dislocating deus, iambo-anapæstus, trochæo-spondeus, amthe words to suit the feet, omitting the letters phimacrus, spondeo-iambus, anapæsto-iambus, and elided, and writing those which must be pro- Bpondeo-trochæus. nounced and scanned. Something of this kind is As far as Europeans are concerned, Professor done only in one instance (on p. 6). This manner Blochmann has supplied a real want, since the will perhaps not be considered too pedantis if it few works which have been written on this subbe remembered how intricate scanning appears to ject are now mostly out of print, and he has done beginners, and that writers on scansion are on a very great service to all the lovers of the sweet some points themselves like doctors who dis- tongue of Eran.-E.R.
