the life of william carey-第44节
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to unveil much of the unexplored regions of Asia to the scholar and the missionary。
Thus far we have confined our study of William Carey to his purely missionary career； and that in its earlier half。 We have now to see him as the scholar； the Bible translator； the philanthropist； the agriculturist； and the founder of a University。
CHAPTER IX
PROFESSOR OF SANSKRIT； BENGALI； AND MARATHI
1801…1830
Carey the only Sanskrit scholar in India besides ColebrookeThe motive of the missionary scholarPlans translation of the sacred books of the EastComparative philology from Leibniz to CareyHindoo and Mohammedan codes and colleges of Warren HastingsThe Marquis WellesleyThe College of Fort William foundedCharacter of the Company's civil and military servantsCurriculum of study； professors and teachersThe vernacular languagesCarey's account of the college and his appointmentHow he studied SanskritCollege Disputation Day in the new Government HouseCarey's Sanskrit speechLord Wellesley's eulogySir James MackintoshCarey's punditsHe projects the Bibliotheca AsiaticaOn the Committee of the Bengal Asiatic SocietyEdition and translation of the Ramayana epicThe HitopadesaHis Universal DictionaryInfluence of Carey on the civil and military servicesW。 B。 Bayley； B。 H。 Hodgson； R。 Jenkins； R。 M。 and W。 Bird； John Lawrence。
When； in the opening days of the nineteenth century； William Carey was driven to settle in Danish Serampore； he was the only member of the governing race in North India who knew the language of the people so as to teach it； the only scholar； with the exception of Colebrooke； who could speak Sanskrit as fluently as the Brahmans。 The Bengali language he had made the vehicle of the teaching of Christ； of the thought of Paul； of the revelation of John。 Of the Sanskrit； hitherto concealed from alien eyes or diluted only through the Persian； he had prepared a grammar and begun a dictionary； while he had continually used its great epics in preaching to the Brahmans； as Paul had quoted the Greek poets on the Areopagus。 And all this he had done as the missionary of Christ and the scholar afterwards。 Reporting to Ryland； in August 1800； the publication of the Gospels and of 〃several small pieces〃 in Bengali； he excused his irregularity in keeping a journal； 〃for in the printing I have to look over the copy and correct the press； which is much more laborious than it would be in England； because spelling； writing； printing； etc。； in Bengali is almost a new thing； and we have in a manner to fix the orthography。〃 A little later； in a letter to Sutcliff； he used language regarding the sacred books of the Hindoos which finds a parallel more than eighty years after in Professor Max M黮ler's preface to his series of the sacred books of the East； the translation of which Carey was the first to plan and to begin from the highest of all motives。 Mr。 Max M黮ler calls attention to the 〃real mischief that has been and is still being done by the enthusiasm of those pioneers who have opened the first avenues through the bewildering forests of the sacred literature of the East。〃 He declares that 〃Eastern nations themselves would not tolerate； in any of their classical literary compositions； such violations of the simplest rules of taste as they have accustomed themselves to tolerate； if not to admire； in their sacred books。〃 And he is compelled to leave untranslated； while he apologises for them； the frequent allusions to the sexual aspects of nature； 〃particularly in religious books。〃 The revelations of the Maharaj trial in Bombay are the practical fruit of all this。
〃CALCUTTA； 17th March 1802。I have been much astonished lately at the malignity of some of the infidel opposers of the Gospel； to see how ready they are to pick every flaw they can in the inspired writings； and even to distort the meaning； that they may make it appear inconsistent； while these very persons will labour to reconcile the grossest contradictions in the writings accounted sacred by the Hindoos； and will stoop to the meanest artifices in order to apologise for the numerous glaring falsehoods and horrid violations of all decency and decorum； which abound in almost every page。 Any thing； it seems； will do with these men but the word of God。 They ridicule the figurative language of Scripture； but will run allegory…mad in support of the most worthless productions that ever were published。 I should think it time lost to translate any of them； and only a sense of duty excites me to read them。 An idea； however； of the advantage which the friends of Christianity may obtain by having these mysterious sacred nothings （which have maintained their celebrity so long merely by being kept from the inspection of any but interested Brahmans） exposed to view； has induced me； among other things； to write the Sanskrit grammar； and to begin a dictionary of that language。 I sincerely pity the poor people； who are held by the chains of an implicit faith in the grossest of lies； and can scarcely help despising the wretched infidel who pleads in their favour and tries to vindicate them。 I have long wished to obtain a copy of the Veda； and am now in hopes I shall be able to procure all that are extant。 A Brahman this morning offered to get them for me for the sake of money。 If I succeed； I shall be strongly tempted to publish them with a translation； pro bono publico。〃
It was not surprising that the Governor…General； even if he had been less enlightened than Lord Wellesley； found in this missionary interloper； as the East India Company officially termed the class to which he belonged； the only man fit to be Professor of Bengali； Sanskrit； and Marathi in the College of Fort William； and also translator of the laws and regulations of the Government。
In a memoir read before the Berlin Academy of Sciences； which he had founded in the first year of the eighteenth century； Leibniz first sowed the seed of the twin sciences of comparative philology and ethnology； to which we owe the fruitful results of the historical and critical school。 That century was passed in the necessary collection of facts； of data。 Carey introduced the second period； so far as the learned and vernacular languages of North India are concernedof developing from the body of facts which his industry enormously extended； the principles upon which these languages were constructed； besides applying these principles； in the shape of grammars； dictionaries； and translations； to the instruction and Christian civilisation alike of the learned and of the millions of the people。 To the last； as at the first； he was undoubtedly only what he called himself； a pioneer to prepare the way for more successful civilisers and scholars。 But his pioneering was acknowledged by contemporary14 and later Orientalists； like Colebrooke and H。 H。 Wilson； to be of unexampled value in the history of scientific research and industry； while the succeeding pages will show that in its practical results the pioneering came as nearly to victory as is possible； until native India lives its own national Christian life。
When India first became a united British Empire under one Governor…General and the Regulating Act of Parliament of 1773； Warren Hastings had at once carried out the provision he himself had suggested for using the moulavies and pundits in the administration of Mussulman and Hindoo law。 Besides colleges in Calcutta and Benares to train such； he caused those codes of Mohammedan and Brahmanical law to be prepared which afterwards appeared as The Hedaya and The Code of Gentoo Laws。 The last was compiled in Sanskrit by pundits summoned from all Bengal and maintained in Calcutta at the public cost； each at a rupee a day。 It was translated through the Persian； the language of the courts； by the elder Halhed into English in 1776。 That was the first step in English Orientalism。 The second was taken by Sir William Jones； a predecessor worthy of Carey； but cut off all too soon while still a young man of thirty…four； when he founded the Bengal Asiatic Society in 1784 on the model of Boyle's Royal Society。 The code of Warren Hastings had to be arranged and supplemented into a reliable digest of the original texts； and the translation of this work； as done by pundit Jaganatha； was left； by the death of Jones； to Colebrooke； who completed it in 1797。 Charles Wilkins had made the first direct translation from the Sanskrit into English in 1785； when he published in London The Bhagavat…Geeta or Dialogue of Krishna and Arjoon； and his is the imperishable honour thus chronicled by a contemporary poetaster：
〃But he performed a yet more noble part； He gave to Asia typographic art。〃
In Bengali Halhed had printed at Hoogli in 1783； with types cut by Wilkins； the first grammar； but it had become obsolete and was imperfect。 Such had been the tentative efforts of the civilians and officials of the Company when Carey began anew the work from the only secure foundation； the level of daily sympathetic intercourse with the people and their Brahmans； with the young as well as the old。
The Marquis Wellesley was of nearly the same age as Carey； whom he soon learned to appreciate and to use for the highest good of the empire。 Of the same
