the life of william carey-第45节
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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 name and original English descent as John and Charles Wesley； the Governor…General was the eldest and not the least brilliant of the Irish family which； besides him； gave to the country the Duke of Wellington and Lord Cowley。 While Carey was cobbling shoes in an unknown hamlet of the Midlands and was aspiring to convert the world； young Wellesley was at Eton and Christ Church； Oxford； acquiring the classical scholarship which； as we find its fruits in his Primiti？et Reliqui？ extorted the praise of De Quincey。 When Carey was starving in Calcutta unknown the young lord was making his mark in the House of Commons by a speech against the Jacobins of France in the style of Burke。 The friend of Pitt； he served his apprenticeship to Indian affairs in the Board of Control； where he learned to fight the directors of the East India Company； and he landed at Calcutta in 1798； just in time to save the nascent empire from ruin by the second Mysore war and the fall of Tipoo at Seringapatam。 Like that other marquis who most closely resembled him half a century after； the Scottish Dalhousie； his hands were no sooner freed from the uncongenial bonds of war than he became even more illustrious by his devotion to the progress which peace makes possible。 He created the College of Fort William； dating the foundation of what was fitted and intended to be the greatest seat of learning in the East from the first anniversary of the victory of Seringapatam。 So splendidly did he plan； so wisely did he organise； and with such lofty aims did he select the teachers of the college； that long after his death he won from De Quincey the impartial eulogy； that of his three services to his country and India this was the 〃first； to pave the way for the propagation of Christianitymighty service； stretching to the clouds； and which in the hour of death must have given him consolation。〃
When Wellesley arrived at Calcutta he had been shocked by the sensual ignorance of the Company's servants。 Sunday was universally given up to horse…racing and gambling。 Boys of sixteen were removed from the English public schools where they had hardly mastered the rudiments of education to become the magistrates； judges； revenue collectors； and governors of millions of natives recently brought under British sway。 At a time when the passions most need regulation and the conscience training； these lads found themselves in India with large incomes； flattered by native subordinates； encouraged by their superiors to lead lives of dissipation； and without the moral control even of the weakest public opinion。 The Eton boy and Oxford man was himself still young； and he knew the world； but he saw that all this meant ruin to both the civil and military services； and to the Company's system。 The directors addressed in a public letter； dated 25th May 1798； 〃an objurgation on the character and conduct〃 of their servants。 They re…echoed the words of the new Governor…General in their condemnation of a state of things； 〃highly discreditable to our Government； and totally incompatible with the religion we profess。〃 Such a service as this； preceding the creation of the college； led Pitt's other friend； Wilberforce； in the discussions on the charter of 1813； to ascribe to Lord Wellesley； when summoning him to confirm and revise it； the system of diffusing useful knowledge of all sorts as the true foe not only of ignorance but of vice and of political and social decay。
Called upon to prevent the evils he had been the first to denounce officially； Lord Wellesley wrote his magnificent state paper of 1800； which he simply termed Notes on the necessity of a special collegiate training of Civil Servants。 The Company's factories had grown into the Indian Empire of Great Britain。 The tradesmen and clerks； whom the Company still called 〃writer；〃 〃factor；〃 and 〃merchant；〃 in their several grades； had； since Clive obtained a military commission in disgust at such duties； become the judges and rulers of millions； responsible to Parliament。 They must be educated in India itself； and trained to be equal to the responsibilities and temptations of their position。 If appointed by patronage at home when still at school； they must be tested after training in India so that promotion shall depend on degrees of merit。 Lord Wellesley anticipated the modified system of competition which Macaulay offered to the Company in 1853； and the refusal of which led to the unrestricted system which has prevailed with varying results since that time。 Nor was the college only for the young civilians as they arrived。 Those already at work were to be encouraged to study。 Military officers were to he invited to take advantage of an institution which was intended to be 〃the university of Calcutta；〃 〃a light amid the darkness of Asia；〃 and that at a time when in all England there was not a military college。 Finally； the college was designed to be a centre of Western learning in an Eastern dress for the natives of India and Southern Asia； alike as students and teachers。 A noble site was marked out for it on the stately sweep of Garden Reach； where every East Indiaman first dropped its anchor； and the building was to be worthy of the founder who erected Government House。
The curriculum of study included Arabic； Persian； and Sanskrit； Bengali； Marathi； Hindostani （Hindi）； Telugoo； Tamil； and Kanarese； English； the Company's； Mohammedan and Hindoo law； civil jurisprudence； and the law of nations； ethics； political economy； history； geography； and mathematics； the Greek； Latin； and English classics； and the modern languages of Europe； the history and antiquities of India； natural history； botany； chemistry； and astronomy。 The discipline was that of the English universities as they then were； under the Governor…General himself； his colleagues； and the appellate judges。 The senior chaplain； the Rev。 David Brown； was provost in charge of the discipline； and Dr。 Claudius Buchanan was vice…provost in charge of the studies； as well as professor of Greek； Latin； and English。 Dr。 Gilchrist was professor of Hindostani； in teaching which he had already made a fortune； Lieutenant J。 Baillie of Arabic； and Mr。 H。 B。 Edmonstone of Persian。 Sir George Barlow expounded the laws or regulations of the British Government in India。 The Church of England constitution of the college at first； to which Buchanan had applied the English Test Act； and his own modesty； led Carey to accept of his appointment； which was thus gazetted：〃The Rev。 William Carey； teacher of the Bengali and Sanskrit languages。〃
The first notice of the new college which we find in Carey's correspondence is this； in a letter to Sutcliff dated 27th November 1800：〃There is a college erected at Fort William； of which the Rev。 D。 Brown is appointed provost； and C。 Buchanan classical tutor： all the Eastern languages are to be taught in it。〃 〃All〃 the languages of India were to be taught； the vernacular as well as the classical and purely official。 This was a reform not less radical and beneficial in its far…reaching influence； and not less honourable to the scholarly foresight of Lord Wellesley； than Lord William Bentinck's new era of the English language thirty…five years after。 The rulers and administrators of the new empire were to begin their career by a three years' study of the mother tongue of the people； to whom justice was administered in a language foreign alike to them and their governors； and of the Persian language of their foreign Mohammedan conquerors。 That the peoples of India； 〃every man in his own language；〃 might hear and read the story of what the one true and living God had done for us men and our salvation； Carey had nine years before given himself to acquire Bengali and the Sanskrit of which it is one of a numerous family of daughters； as the tongues of the Latin nations of Europe and South America are of the offspring of the speech of Caesar and Cicero。 Now； following the missionary pioneer； as educational； scientific； and even political progress has ever since done in the India which would have kept him out； Lord Wellesley decreed that； like the missionary； the administrator and the military officer shall master the language of the people。 The five great vernaculars of India were accordingly named； and the greatest of all； the Hindi； which was not scientifically elaborated till long after； was provided for under the mixed dialect or lingua franca known as Hindostani。
When Carey and his colleagues were congratulating themselves on a reform which has already proved as fruitful of results as the first century of the Renascence of Europe； he little thought； in his modesty； that he would be recognised as the only man who was fit to carry it out。 Having guarded the college； as they thought； by a test； Brown and Buchanan urged Carey to take charge of the Bengali and Sanskrit classes as 〃teacher〃 on Rs。 500 a month or ？00 a year。 Such an office was entirely in the line of the constitution of the missionary brotherhood。 But would the Government which had banished it to Serampore recognise the aggressi
