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OCTOBER, 1886.]
BOOK NOTICES.
319
LAIHIKA THAŽURANI' AND THE BIKAUA.
has never been edited, I would draw attention to In Mithila, the men of a certain high sept of the fact that lithographed copies of this book in Brahmans are in the habit of selling their dangh- Persian may be easily obtained in Bombay, Cal. ters and sisters in marriage to Brahmans of lower cutta, Dehli, Lucknow, &c., as it is a very popular caste, and of marrying girls of lower caste on work, and is often preferred to its prototype the receipt of a consideration. This sept is called Anvdr-i-Suhaili, which, although more elegant, is from ita practices the sept of the RETOTT, on more difficult.
E. R. mercenary Brahmans. The practice is much reprobrated by Brahmañs of other septs. Lakhima
PROTAP CHANDRA ROY'S MAHABHARATA. Thakuráni once noted a marriage celebrated with
We are glad to observe that H. H. the Raja of great pomp. It was one of these Bikauds, who
Faridkot has granted Rs. 500 towards Baba Protap had sold his sister in marriage to a man of low
Chandra Roy's excellent and colossal undertaking caste. She thereupon composed the following
the translation of the Mahdbharata. We trust verse on the subject which has since been famous
that this by no means isolated instance of H. H.'s in Mithila :
munificence towards Indian literature will lead
others of his rank to give similar aid. चपलं तुरगं परिणतयतः
An appeal, however, issued with Part 24, shews पथि पौरजनान्परिमर्दयवः।
that the publisher is still hampered by an insuffiनहि ते भुजभाग्यभवोविभवो
ciency of funds, and is obliged to ask for further
pecuniary assistance in carrying on his patriotic भगिनीभगभाग्यभवो विभवः॥
and laudable undertaking. We confidently hope Freely translated, 'You may make your spiri- that his appeal will not be made in vain. ted horses prance, and with them trample on
Having finished the lengthy Vana-Parva, the the town-folk. But we all know that your wealth publisher has now issued Parts 24, 25, and 26, is not got by your own exertions but by the sale carrying us through the Virata-Parva, and as far of your sister's person. G. A. GRIERSON. as Section 7 of the Udyoga-Parva. These Parts
shew an improvement in both the style of printing THE 'IYAR-I-DANISH.
and the quality of the paper, and thus indicate SIR,-With reference to the remark in Vol. XIV. that the publisher is neglecting nothing that may p. 264 ante, that the 'Iydr-i-Danish of Abu'l-Fazl I tend to attract support to his work.
BOOK NOTICES. Tho CAXELOT CLASSIC8. (1) Malory's History of King always have to keep in mind if he uses this
Arthur, edited by ERNEST RHYB. (ii) Thoreau's Walden, odited by WILL. H. DIRCKB. London:
| edition. Walter Scott.
In accordance with the general idea of the series, The object of this series of little books, well an introduction is provided explanatory of the printed, prettily bound in red cloth, and sold at original, and though this gives us little that is new a very cheap rate, is to make not only the more it may generally be regarded as safe and useful. popular books of the higher literature," but the It is a far cry from King Arthur to the less-known works of English prose, accessible to Facubrations which Thoreau, named after the scene every purse. "It is clear," says the Editor of the of his self-chosen solitude for two years and two series," that there are many books of surpassing
months,“ on the shore of Walden Pond, in Con. interest which are hidden away from the every.
cord, Massachusetts." As a work of pure literaday reader, but which, by being brought again to ture, no doubt, the work interests those who make light by sympathetic hands, having the right that the pursuit of their lives, and the introduction word spoken to put them in touch with the time, is as sympathetic as a reader could wish, especan hardly fail to gain new popular vogue." A cially if he delight in the kind of pabulum which happy choice has fallen upon the well-known and Thoreau so liberally furnishes. most important romance of King Arthur as a On the whole, Editor and Publisher are both commencement.
to be congratulated on the first two volumes of In reproducing Sir Thomas Malory's celebrated their venture. work, the Editor has closely followed Caxton's original text, so far us is consistent with the
SALAMMBO, by GUSTAVE FLAUBERT : Englished by M.
FRENCH SHELDON. Sazon & Co.; New York and avowedly modernized form in which it is now put London. before the reader. Still this has entailed a certain This is a translation of that very celebrated amount of cutting about, which the student will antiquarian novel, Flaubert's Salammb. Though
