Secretary and Examiner to the College," it is not known what Eause prevented a publication of the whole. The second version was begun by the Baptist Missionaries about the month of September 1804, while the first was in the press. As early as January 1795, Messrs. Thomas and Carey had formed a plan to publish the Scriptures in this language, but various circumstances obliged them to abandon the design. When the work was undertaken by Mr. Hunter, Mr. Carey announced the event with joy, and said, "I have much desired to see the Bible printed in Bengalee and Hindostanee before I die." In September 1804, the Missionaries were waiting to see the work that was in the press, intending after that to publish a version of their own. In Sep tember 1806 they were translating into two dialects, the Hindos tanee, according to the Shanscrit for the common people, and the Hindostanee according to the Persian, (the dialect spoken at Delhi,) for Mussulmans of learning. But before they began to print they relinquished both, and made a new version leaning to the Shanscrit; and with this they have proceeded ever since; though from the difficulty of bringing into regular shape a language so unformed by grammatical rules, they have been obliged once or twice to cast away their first draughts, and pronounce less accomplished than they had thought done at a former period. End of July 1807. Part of the new version of Matthew printed. End of the year 1807. Printed to Mark v. Aug 12, 1809. Little more than half of the New Testament printed. "We have reason," say they, "to believe the version will be pretty generally understood." Nov. 9. Printed to Rom. xii. New Testament translated, and the Old from Job to Malachi. [From Job to Malachi seems to have been afterwards reject ed] March 8, 1810. Nearly the whole New Testament printed; the Old Testament, except the Pentateuch, translated. End of 1810. New Testa. ment published about this time. Oct. 4, 1811. A second edition of the Gospels printed, and Genesis in the press; the Old Testament translated to Job. [Thus from Job to Malachi was rejected.] The third version was begun in 1807 by Mr. Martyn, who was joined in his labors, the latter part of that year, by Mirza Fitrut. In December, 1809, the first draught of the New Testament had been sometime finish. ed; and before the month of February 1811, it was fit for the press. The printing soon after commenced at Serampore, at the expense of the Corresponding Committee of the Bible Society, The work was in the press in October 1811, and in January 1812. This version is in the Hyper-Arabico dialect, or ac cording to another statement, in the Persian Hindostanee, (much having been drawn both from the Persian and Arabic sources;) and it will be chiefly useful to the higher ranks of Mussulmans. The Hindostanee language, in common with the Bengalee, is derived from the Shanscrit It is supposed to have been for 34 was finished. At what place Matthew and Luke were printed does not appear; but no part of the version was in the press at Serampore so late as Jan. 15, 1812. The Bible Society, at the time of making their last Report had not heard of its being in the press. The Old Testament was about to be translated. The fourth version was undertaken by the Rev. L. Sabas tiani, an Italian priest of the Romish church, many years a resident at the court of Persia, aud a man of great learning. This version is designed for the Christians dispersed over Persia, who are represented as being very desirous of possessing the Scriptures in a plain translation. When the Bible Society made their eighth Report, in May of the present year, they had not heard that Mr. Sabastiani had proceeded further than nearly to the end of the Epistles. But Dr. Carey spoke of the version as complete in October 1811. At that time it was printing at Serampore, at the expense of the Corresponding Committee of the Bible Society. It was still in the press in January of the present year. The modern Persic is accounted by some to be "indisputably a derivative of Shanscrit, through the medium of the ancient Zend;" but Dr. Buchanan, after an intimate acquaintance with Sabat and Mirza, confidently pronounsed it to be an offspring of the Arabic. Five years before, he had numbered it among the "primary" languages of Asia. This language, which was introduced into India by the Mogul conquerors, and is understood there by "multitudes of the high 39 It is also er classes," is reputed "the "It is French of the East." spoken;" says Dr. Buchanan, "at all the Mussulman Courts in India, and is the usual language of judicial proceedings under the British government "the general language of Western Asia, particularly among the higher classes," "being generally understood from Calcuttato Damascus." "Spoken over nearly one quarter of the globe," and being "the proper tongue of a great kingdom," in which "there are at a low computation two hundred thousand Christians," besides multitudes of Jews, it stands next in importance to the Chinese and Arabic.* VI. HINDOSTANEE. The book of Psalms in this language was formerly published at Tranquebar by the Danish Missionaries; which probably was the volume of Scripture in the library of the Elector of Wurtemburg in 1804. In the present age three Hindostanee translations have been commenced. The first was begun before the end of 1802, by William Hunter, Esq. of the College of Fort William, and by the month of March 1805, the four Gospels were translated, and a part of them printed at the College press. They were in the press in September 1804, and by February 1805, Matthew and a part of Mark were struck off. How much has since been printed we are not told, not however the whole of the Gospels. As Dr. Hunter is still living, and is the Secretary and Examiner to the College," it is not known what cause prevented a publication of the whole. The second version was begun by the Baptist Missionaries about the month of September 1804, while the first was in the press. As early as January 1795, Messrs. Thomas and Carey had formed a plan to publish the Scriptures in this language, but various circumstances obliged them to abandon the design. When the work was undertaken by Mr. Hunter, Mr. Carey announced the event with joy, and said, "I have much desired to see the Bible printed in Bengalee and Hindostanee before I die." In September 1804, the Missionaries were waiting to see the work that was in the press, intending after that to publish a version of their own. In Sep tember 1806 they were translating into two dialects, the Hindostanee, according to the Shanscrit for the common people, and the Hindostanee according to the Persian, (the dialect spoken at Delhi,) for Mussulmans of learning. But before they began to print they relinquished both, and made a new version leaning to the Shanscrit; and with this they have proceeded ever since; though from the difficulty of bringing into regular shape a language so unformed by grammatical rules, they have been obliged once or twice to cast away their first draughts, and pronounce less ac complished than they had thought done at a former period. End of July 1807. Part of the new version of Matthew printed. End of the year 1807. Printed to Mark v. Aug 12, 1809. Little more than half of the New Testament printed. "We have reason," say they, "to believe the version will be pretty generally understood." Nov. 9. Printed to Rom. xii. New Testament translated, and the Old from Job to Malachi. [From Job to Malachi seems to have been afterwards rejected.] March 8, 1810. Nearly the whole New Testament printed; the Old Testament, except the Pentateuch, translated. End of 1810. New Testa ment published about this time. Oct. 4, 1811. A second edition of the Gospels printed, and Genesis in the press; the Old Testament translated to Job. [Thus from Job to Malachi was rejected.] The third version was begun in 1807 by Mr. Martyn, who was joined in his labors, the latter part of that year, by Mirza Fitrut. In December, 1809, the first draught of the New Testament had been sometime finish. ed; and before the month of February 1811, it was fit for the press. The printing soon after commenced at Serampore, at the expense of the Corresponding Committee of the Bible Society The work was in the press in October 1811, and in January 1812. This version is in the Hyper-Arabico dialect, or ac cording to another statement, in the Persian Hindostanee, (much having been drawn both from the Persian and Arabic sources;) and it will be chiefly useful to the higher ranks of Mussulmans. The Hindostanee language, in common with the Bengalee, is derived from the Shanscrit It is supposed to have been for 34 much of the Hindee or Hindos tanee, as to converse in it, and preach for some time intelligibly. [It was therefore the vulgar tongue.] This is," he adds "but a jargon indeed, yet it is the current language of all the West from Rajamahl to Delhi, [that is, from the border of Bengal to the western extremity of the English dominions,] and perhaps further, though more and more mixed with the Persian as it advances towards that country. With this I can be understood nearly all over Hindostan," [evidently meaning Hindostan in the largest sense.] The dialect spoken at Delhi is called the Persian Hindostanee. merly spoken over all Hindostan proper, including Bengal and all the northern parts of India on this side of the Ganges. But since the intrusion of the Mogul conquerors and other nations, it has become mixed with the Persian and other languages; and being spoken over extensive regions, differs much in its dialects. It became the more easily corrupted with foreign mixtures, as it was used only for colloquial purposes, no prose compositions or grammars being found in the language, except those which have been published in modern times by Europeans at Tran quebar and in Bengal. In Bengal it was impossible but that the language should become Although this language is mixed in the mouths of the vul probably no where spoken in its gar with the Persian, Bengalee, original purity, there is in all the Portuguese, Armenian, and En- mixtures which form its different glish, and such a confused mass dialects, a part which may be is precisely the vulgar tongue distinguished as pure Hindee. of Bengal. Yet the Hindee But in making versions into the part so far prevails in that con- language, it was no more neces** fusion as to give it still the name sary for the translators to confine of Hindostane. The vulgar themselves to pure Hindee tongue was unquestionably the words, than it is to confine an Hindostanee in which Thomas English version to pure Saxon and Carey planned to publish words. Words must be adopted the Scriptures in January 1795. that are in actual use. Mr. MarMr. Carey, in 1794, had called tyn's work, which abounds with this vulgar tongue the Hindos- Persian and Arabic terms, is still tance, and said it was "a mix- an Hindostanee version, and so ture of Bengalee and Persian," is Dr. Carey's, which is accomconfounding thus the Hindee, modated to the multitude who and Bengalee, parts, which is the use the vernacular language of Jess to be wondered at as they are Bengal. He certainly intended both derivatives from the Shan- his version for the common peo. serit. By the end of 1795 he ple of that province, and expecthad learned that one of the comed that it would be pretty genponent parts of that jargon was erally understood. And it prob distinct from the Bengalee and ably comes as near to the ver Persian, and was the pure Hin-. nacular tongue as any translation dostance. At the end of 1796, can that is governed by grambeing then at Mudnabatty, hematical rules. Otherwise the remarked, "I have acquired se proper language is not yet select ed in which to give the Scrip- is difficult to determine. But tures to the mass of the people at his own door. In producing a composition out of this chaos the purer the language, the more it would lean to the Shanscrit, the mother of the Hindostanee, and the more freely it admitted Persic terms, the more it would lean to the Arabic, the mother of the Per. sian. The style of Dr. Carey's version is the most pure, that of Mr. Martyn's the most court ly. But as the former is much the more intelligible to the multitude, it proves that the vernacular language of Bengal partakes much more largely of the Hindee than of the Persic character. This vernacular tongue at least in some one of its dialects, is that which has been called at Calcutta "the colloquial Hindostance." Probably the Dictionary of the vernacular Janguage which is printing at Serampore, contained contained terms drawn from foreign sources not admitted into Dr. Carey's ver, sion. There is a region on this side of the Ganges which by those who are now in that country is distinguishingly called Hindostan; and it does not include Bengal. The ancient Hindostan proper comprehended Bengal, together with all the Soubahs lying north of a crooked line drawn from the mouths of the Ganges to the Gulph of Cambay. Whether the writers now in India mean to include under that distinction all that used to be known by the name of Hindostan proper, except Bengal, or whether they apply the denomination to a less region west of Bengal, where the Hindostanee language is spoken, it they certainly admit into that, division Patna and Agra which lie between Bengal and Delhi. The Hindostanee, then, is the vulgar tongue of Bengal, where it leans to the Shanscrit, and is the current language from that province westward as far as Delhi, and perhaps further, where it leans to the Persian. In Surat, Guzerat, and other places on the western coast, it is still applied to purposes of commerce as the Bengalee is in Bengal. Indeed one inay be un derstood with it nearly from Cape Comorin to Thibet. It "pervades Hindostan generally," and is called "the grand popular, language" of the country, and one of "the primary and popular lan. guages of Asia." The Missionaries calculate that their translation will give light to a popu lation as great as that of France and Italy, which probably exceeds forty millions.* VII. MAHRATTA. This version wa's commenced in the College of Fort William, before Janu ary 21, 1804, "by Vydyunath, the Mahratta Pundit, under the su perintendance of Dr. Carey." Sep. 24, 1804. Printing had commenced at the College press, Feb. 5, 1805. Ten chapters of Matthew were printed. March- First draught of the New Testament nearly done. Ch. Res. p. 130. 134. 157, 208→→ 211. Mem. p, 11, 12, 69. B, PA, vol. i. 79 note, 92, 93, 178, 190, 201, 204, 22, 223, 348. vol. iii, p. 34, Nar, p. 39. M. B. M. M. vol. ii, 44, 139. vol. iii p. 98, 106. Ch. Ob. vol. xi. p. p.37, 570 with 572. vol viii. p. 44, 97, 241, $21, 326. Pan, vol, i, p, 131. vol. vi, M's. Geog. vol. ii. p 203, 204, 318, 319, 434, 435. |