the life of william carey-第17节

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hat　its　labours　〃have　been　confined　to　the　descendants　of　Europeans；　and　have　hardly　ever　embraced　a　single　heathen；　so　that　a　mission　to　the　Hindoos　and　Mohammedans　would　be　a　new　thing。〃　　The　Rev。　David　Brown；　who　had　been　sent　out　the　year　after　as　master　and　chaplain　of　the　Military　Orphan　Society；　for　the　education　of　the　children　of　officers　and　soldiers；　and　was　to　become　one　of　the　Serampore　circle　of　friends；　preached　to　Europeans　only　in　the　Mission　Church。　　Carey　could　find　no　trace　of　Kiernander's　work　among　the　natives　six　years　after　his　death。8　The　only　converted　Hindoo　known　of　in　Northern　India　up　to　that　time　was　Guneshan　Dass；　of　Delhi；　who　when　a　boy　joined　Clive's　army；　who　was　the　first　man　of　caste　to　visit　England；　and　who；　on　his　return　with　the　Calcutta　Supreme　Court　Judges　in　1774　as　Persian　interpreter　and　translator；　was　baptised　by　Kiernander；　Mr。　justice　Chambers　being　sponsor。

William　Carey　had　no　predecessor　in　India　as　the　first　ordained　Englishman　who　was　sent　to　it　as　a　missionary；　he　had　no　predecessor　in　Bengal　and　Hindostan　proper　as　the　first　missionary　from　any　land　to　the　people。　　Even　the　Moravians；　who　in　1777　had　sent　two　brethren　to　Serampore；　Calcutta；　and　Patna；　had　soon　withdrawn　them；　and　one　of　them　became　the　Company's　botanist　in　MadrasDr。　Heyne。　Carey　practically　stood　alone　at　the　first；　while　he　unconsciously　set　in　motion　the　double　revolution；　which　was　to　convert　the　Anglo…Indian　influence　on　England　from　corrupting　heathenism　to　aggressive　missionary　zeal；　and　to　change　the　Bengal　of　Cornwallis　into　the　India　of　Bentinck；　with　all　the　possibilities　that　have　made　it　grow；　thus　far；　into　the　India　of　the　Lawrences。





CHAPTER　IV

SIX　YEARS　IN　NORTH　BENGALMISSIONARY　AND　INDIGO　PLANTER

1794…1799

Carey's　two　missionary　principlesDestitute　in　CalcuttaBandel　and　NuddeaApplies　in　vain　to　be　under…superintendent　of　the　Botanic　GardenHoused　by　a　native　usurerTranslation　and　preaching　work　in　CalcuttaSecures　a　grant　of　waste　land　at　HasnabadEstimate　of　the　Bengali　language；　and　appeal　to　the　Society　to　work　in　Asia　and　Africa　rather　than　in　AmericaThe　Udny　familyCarey's　summary　of　his　first　year's　experienceSuperintends　the　indigo　factory　of　MudnabatiIndigo　and　the　East　India　Company's　monopoliesCarey's　first　nearly　fatal　sicknessDeath　of　his　child　and　chronic　madness　of　his　wifeFormation　of　first　Baptist　church　in　IndiaEarly　progress　of　Bible　translationSanskrit　studies；　the　MahabarataThe　wooden　printing…press　set　up　at　MudnabatiHis　educational　ideal；　school…workThe　medical　missionLord　WellesleyCarey　seeks　a　mission　centre　among　the　BhooteasDescribes　his　first　sight　of　a　SatiProjects　a　mission　settlement　at　Kidderpore。

Carey　was　in　his　thirty…third　year　when　he　landed　in　Bengal。　　Two　principles　regulated　the　conception；　the　foundation；　and　the　whole　course　of　the　mission　which　he　now　began。　　He　had　been　led　to　these　by　the　very　genius　of　Christianity　itself；　by　the　example　and　teaching　of　Christ　and　of　Paul；　and　by　the　experience　of　the　Moravian　brethren。　　He　had　laid　them　down　in　his　Enquiry；　and　every　month's　residence　during　forty　years　in　India　confirmed　him　in　his　adhesion　to　them。　　These　principles　are　that　（1）　a　missionary　must　be　one　of　the　companions　and　equals　of　the　people　to　whom　he　is　sent；　and　（2）　a　missionary　must　as　soon　as　possible　become　indigenous；　self…supporting；　self…propagating；　alike　by　the　labours　of　the　mission　and　of　the　converts。　　Himself　a　man　of　the　people　yet　a　scholar；　a　shoemaker　and　a　schoolmaster　yet　a　preacher　and　pastor　to　whom　the　great　Robert　Hall　gloried　in　being　a　successor；　Carey　had　led　the　two　lives　as　Paul　had　done。　　Now　that　he　was　fairly　in　Calcutta　he　resumed　the　divine　toil；　and　ceased　it　not　till　he　entered　on　the　eternal　rest。　　He　prepared　to　go　up　country　to　Malda　to　till　the　ground　among　the　natives　of　the　rich　district　around　the　ruined　capital　of　Gour。　He　engaged　as　his　pundit　and　interpreter　Ram　Basu；　one　of　the　professing　inquirers　whom　Thomas　had　attracted　in　former　days。　　Experience　soon　taught　him　that；　however　correct　his　principle；　Malda　is　not　a　land　where　the　white　man　can　be　a　farmer。　So　he　became；　in　the　different　stages　of　his　career；　a　captain　of　labour　as　an　indigo　planter；　a　teacher　of　Bengali；　and　professor　of　Sanskrit　and　Marathi；　and　the　Government　translator　of　Bengali。　　Nor　did　he　or　his　associates　ever　make　the　mistakeor　commit　the　fraudof　the　Jesuit　missionaries；　whose　idea　of　equality　with　the　people　was　not　that　of　brotherhood　in　Christ；　but　that　of　dragging　down　Christian　doctrine；　worship　and　civilisation；　to　the　level　of　idolatrous　heathenism；　and　deluding　the　ignorant　into　accepting　the　blasphemous　compromise。

Alas！　Carey　could　not　manage　to　get　out　of　Calcutta　and　its　neighbourhood　for　five　months。　　As　he　thought　to　live　by　farming；　Thomas　was　to　practise　his　profession；　and　their　first　year's　income　of　？50　had；　in　those　days　when　the　foreign　exchanges　were　unknown；　to　be　realised　by　the　sale　of　the　goods　in　which　it　had　been　invested。　　As　usual；　Thomas　had　again　blundered；　so　that　even　his　gentle　colleague　himself　half…condemned；　half…apologised　for　him　by　the　shrewd　reflection　that　he　was　only　fit　to　live　at　sea；　where　his　daily　business　would　be　before　him；　and　daily　provision　would　be　made　for　him。　　Carey　found　himself　penniless。　　Even　had　he　received　the　whole　of　his　？5；　as　he　really　did　in　one　way　or　other；　what　was　that　for　such　a　family　as　his　at　the　beginning　of　their　undertaking？　The　expense　of　living　at　all　in　Calcutta　drove　the　whole　party　thirty　miles　up　the　river　to　Bandel；　an　old　Portuguese　suburb　of　the　Hoogli　factory。　　There　they　rented　a　small　house　from　the　German　hotel…keeper；　beside　the　Augustinian　priory　and　oldest　church　in　North　India；　which　dates　from　1599　and　is　still　in　good　order。　There　they　met　Kiernander；　then　at　the　great　age　of　eighty…four。　Daily　they　preached　or　talked　to　the　people。　　They　purchased　a　boat　for　regular　visitation　of　the　hamlets；　markets；　and　towns　which　line　both　banks　of　the　river。　　With　sure　instinct　Carey　soon　fixed　on　Nuddea；　as　the　centre　of　Brahmanical　superstition　and　Sanskrit　learning；　where　〃to　build　me　a　hut　and　live　like　the　natives；〃　language　recalled　to　us　by　the　words　of　the　dying　Livingstone　in　the　swamps　of　Central　Africa。　　There；　in　the　capital　of　the　last　of　the　Hindoo　kings；　beside　the　leafy　tols　or　colleges　of　a　river　port　which　rivals　Benares；　Poona；　and　Conjeeveram　in　sanctity；　where　Chaitanya　the　Vaishnaiva　reformer　was　born；　Carey　might　have　attacked　Brahmanism　in　its　stronghold。　　A　passage　in　his　journal　shows　how　he　realised　the　position。　　Thomas；　the　pundit；　and　he　〃sought　the　Lord　by　prayer　for　direction；〃　and　this　much　was　the　result〃Several　of　the　most　learned　Pundits　and　Brahmans　wished　us　to　settle　there；　and；　as　that　is　the　great　place　for　Eastern　learning；　we　seemed　inclined；　especially　as　it　is　the　bulwark　of　heathenism；　which；　if　once　carried；　all　the　rest　of　the　country　must　be　laid　open　to　us。〃　　But　there　was　no　available　land　there　for　an　Englishman's　cultivation。　　From　Bandel　he　wrote　home　these　impressions　of　Anglo…Indian　life　and　missionary　duty：

〃26th　Dec。　1793。A　missionary　must　be　one　of　the　companions　and　equals　of　the　people　to　whom　he　is　sent；　and　many　dangers　and　temptations　will　be　in　his　way。　　One　or　two　pieces　of　advice　I　may　venture　to　give。　　The　first　is　to　be　exceedingly　cautious　lest　the　voyage　prove　a　great　snare。　　All　the　discourse　is　about　high　life；　and　every　circumstance　will　contribute　to　unfit　the　mind　for　the　work　and　prejudice　the　soul　against　the　people　to　whom　he　goes；　and　in　a　country　like　this；　settled　by　Europeans；　the　grandeur；　the　customs；　and　prejudices　of　the　Europeans　are　exceeding　dangerous。　They　are　very　kind　and　hospitable；　but　even　to　visit　them；　if　a　man　keeps　no　table　of　his　own；　would　more　than　ten　times　exceed　the　allowance　of　a　mission；　and　all　their　discourse　is　about　the　vices　of　the　natives；　so　that　a　missionary　must　see　thousands　of　people　treating　him　with　the　greatest　kindness；　but　whom　he　must　be　entirely　different　from　in　his　life；　his　appearance　in　everything；　or　it　is　impossible　for　him　to　stand　their　profuse　way　of　living；　being　so　contrary　to　his　character　and　so　much　above　his　ability。　This　is　a　snare　to　dear　Mr。　Thomas；　which　will　be　felt　by　us　both　in　some　measure。　　It　will　be　very　important　to　missionaries　to　be　men　of　calmness　and　evenness　of　temper；　and　rather　inclined　to　suffer　hardships　than　to　court　the　favour　of　men；　and　such　who　will　be　indefatigably　employed　in　the　work　set　before　them；　an　inconstancy　of　mind　being　quite　injurious　to　it。〃

He　had　need　of　such　faith　and　patience。　　Hearing　of　waste　land　in　Calcutta；　he　returned　there　only　to　be　disappointed。　　The　Danish　captain；　knowing　that　he　had　written　a　botanical　work；　advised　him　to　take　it　to　the　doctor　in　charge　of　the　Company's　Botanic　Garden；　and　offer　himself　for　a　vacant　appointment　to　superintend　part　of　it。　　The　doctor；　who　and　whose　successors　were　soon　to　be　proud　of　his　assistance　on　equal　terms；　had　to　tell　him　that　the　office　had　been　filled　up；　but　invited　the　weary　man　to　dine　with　him。　Houseless；　with　his　maddened　wife；　and　her　sister　and　two　of　his　four