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DECEMBER, 1880.]
BOOK NOTICES.
317
of powerful unseen beings." The "Sacred Edict" ments, and to fuller discussions on points of cites the judgment pronounced by Chu Hi, the interest which there was not room to do more than philosopher and critic of the Sung dynasty, refer to in so small a volume. saying, "that the Buddhists care nothing for The volume of Trübner's Oriental Series on the heaven or earth, or anything that goes on around Modern Languages has already been some time them, but attend exclusively each to his single before the public. It is a much more ambitious mind. They are then condemned for fabricating performance, but like tho other its value is much groundless tales of future happiness and misery. less than it might have been from the want of reThey are charged with doing this only for gain, ferences. The subject is much too large to be and encouraging for the same object the large ga- discussed satisfactorily in a volume of 200 pages, therings of the country population at the temples inclusive of seven appendices; and the class of stuostensibly to burn incense, but really to practise dents to which a book on the languages of India the worst forms of mischief" (p. 152).
would be really useful, want not merely a brief Such being the Chinese opinion of Buddhism, general outline of the various families of languages we can easily understand that the intellectual and their branches and subordinate dialects such vigour once connected with it is now dead, past all
as could be compressed into a volume like this, but hope of resurrection.
also full details of the literature of the subject as The work of Dr. Edkins will be found replete
connected with each branch and dialect. This is all with information respecting the history and tenets
the more needed as many statements in this volume of Buddhism in its northern form of development. seem much in want of verification or correction. It is somewhat defective in parts, from the incom- We can only afford a short specimen of Mr. pleteness of the author's knowledge of Southern Cust's style and mode of denling with the separate Buddhism : but this will hardly mislead the reader. languages. After giving the boundaries of the
Marathi language, according to the late Dr. John LES RELIGIONS et LES LANGUES de l'INDE ANGLAISE, par Robert Cast (Bibliothèque Orientale Elzevirienne;
Wilson, he says (p. 58) :-" of this language there Paris: F. Leroux, 1890).
is a Dictionary by Molesworth and Candy with a A SKETCH of the MODERN LANGUAGES of the EAST INDIES, accompanied by two language-maps. By Robert
Preface by Wilson. Of ordinary Primers there N. Cust. (London: Trübner & Co. 1878.)
are many, and in 1868, a Student's Manual has Mr. Cust is an old Indian of superabundant been published by a native of India anonymously. energy if not of accurate scholarship. The first of based on scientific principles, and with a Preface the works before us is a tersely written little of importance. ... Although it possesses 20,000 volume, not very learned, but pleasant reading for words, it has admitted a great many loan-words any spare hour. The author's long residence in from Arabic, Persian, as well as Sanskrit. No India has given him opportunities, of which he inscriptions are found in it. The Orthography is has availed himself, to become acquainted with unfixed. It is described as copious without order, the present popular religious beliefs of the coun- energetic without rule, and with no fixed standard try, and the first part of the volume contains of classical purity. . . The dialects of the table. many remarks and suggestions founded on per- land are opposed to those of the coast below the sonal observation that thoroughly deserve the Ghâts or the Konkan. I have tried in vain to get attention even of advanced students of the his- precision. . . The tableland round Poona is the tory of the development of the roligious sects centre of the Desi, and to the South is the in India, while the book as a whole will supply Dakhini. The Dialect of Nagpuri is separate." a good deal of information in a popular form. It The Konkani of the Goa territory, he adds, is not, however, in all cases so accurate as refer- "known as Goadesi or Gomantaki, is illustrated ences to the latest authorities might have enabled by a large Literature formed by the Jesuits, conthe author to make it.
sisting of a Grammar in Portuguese, and a ChrisThe chapter or section on the languages is oftian religious book called Purun, the work of a the most popular character, and reads like a Jesuit named Estava, said to have been Stephens, magazine article. There is no index, and the only an Englishman." two foot-notes in the book, one at the beginning Now this might all be retailed table-talk: the of each part, give an undigested list of books and high character of Molesworth and Candy's Dic. authors on the subject of each ; had these liste tionaries ought to have been indicated; some of been given in more detail they would have been the best of the many Marathi Grammars in Tiseful to the student in looking for what he might English, and Kțishna Sastri Godbole's excellent want. Among the authorities on page 2 is "Tree scientific one in Marathi, might at least have been and Serpent Worship, by John Fergusson :"-we named; some of the statements following are indo not know "John." References might also correct and others sadly want“precision," while the have been given either as foot-notes, or at the end vagueness of the information about Father Thomas of each part to the authorities for important state. Estevao (+1619)" is hardly creditable to the author.
See Ind. Ant. vol. VII, p. 117.
