Afiatic words, in Roman letters, a fubject that ought to be ftrictly attended to by ftudents in Oriental literature, as the caprice fhewn by different writers in fpelling Afiatic words, has occafioned great confufion, and many mistakes.

His next differtation is on the gods of Greece, Italy, and India; wherein he enters into a most learned and ingenious inveftigation to prove the affinity between the fyftems of Polytheism that prevailed among the Greeks and Romans, and the popular worship of the Hindus; and moreover to fhew that, in fact, they refemble the ftrange religions of Egypt, China, Perfia, Phrygia, Phenicia, Syria, and, perhaps, fome of the islands and northern kingdoms of America: that as to the Gothic fyftem which prevailed in the northern regions of Europe, it was not merely fimilar to thofe of Greece and Italy, but almoft the fame in another dress, with an embroidery of images apparently Afiatic. He then draws a curious parallel between the gods of the Indian and European heathens, and infers from it, that a connection actually fubfifted between the old idolatrous nations of Egypt, India, Greece and Italy, long before they emigrated to their feveral fettlements, and confequently before the birth of Mofes; but that the truth of this propofition in no degree affects the truth and fanctity of the Mofaic hiftory, which, if confirmation were neceffary, it would rather tend to confirm."

An inquiry into the chronology of the Hindus comes next; and our author fathoms the fubject with great depth of learning as well as with fingular ability. He leaves

no part of it unexplored: and he difplays a very extenfive and accurate knowledge of aftronomical science.

A moft learned and fcientific differtation on the antiquity of the Indian zodiac follows the above inquiry; and he has demonftrated, in the moft fatisfactory manner, in confutation of the opinion maintained by the ingenious M. Montúcla, "that the Indian divifion of the zodiac was not borrowed from the Greeks or Arabs, but has been known by the Hindûs from time. immemorial, and was probably invented by the firft progenitors of that race, before difperfion."

His next tract is on the literature of the Hindûs, in which he' gives a fuccin& account of the principal books extant among them, taken from a Sanfcreet book, inti-' tuled, a view of learning, communicated to him by a learned Pandit. To this account he has fubjoined an interefting commentary, thewing the progrefs which the Brahmans have made both in practical and fpeculative knowledge. Among a variety of very curious facts, he informs us, Mohfani Fáni, the author of the Dabiftàn, defcribes in his first chapter a race of old Perfian fages, who appear, from the whole of his account, to have been Hindûs; and we cannot doubt that the book of Mahábád or Menu, which was written," he fays, "in a celeftial dialect, means the Véda; so that as Zoroafter was only a reformer, we find in India the true fource of the ancient Perfian religion. From the Védas," continues fir William, "are immediately deduced the practical arts of chirurgery and medicine,

"

mufic, dancing, and archery, which comprize the whole art of war and architecture, under which the system of mechanical arts is included.' "Infinite advantage may be derived by Europeans, from the various medical books in Sanfcreet, which contain the names and defcriptions of Indian plants and minerals, with their fes, difcovered by experience, in curing diforders." Of the Sanfcreet language he obferves," that its profody contains almost all the measures of the Greek; and that it is remarkable, that the language of the Brahmans runs very naturally into Sapphicks, Alcaicks, and Iambicks." Aftronomical works in this language are exceedingly numerous : feventy nine of them are specified in one lift; and if they contain the names of the principal ftars visible in India, with obfervations on their pofitions in different ages, what difcoveries may be made in fcience, and what certainty attained in ancient chronology!"

The other tracts in the first volume confift of fome remarks on the Second Claffical Book of the Chinele; of a Scientific Differtation on the Lunar Year of the Hindus; of a Treatife on the Mufical Modes of the Hindus; of a Philological Account of the myftical Poetry of the Perfians and Hindus; ofthe Inland of Hinzuan; of a Conversation with an Abyffinian concerning the City of Gwender and the Source of the Nile; and fome Remarks on the Course of the Nile, of a Treatife on the Indian Game of Chefs; and of five or fix fhort Mifcellaneous Effays on Oriental Subjects. Ofthefe tracts, that on the mufical modes of the Hindûs, is the most interesting, and by far

the moft elegant; but all of them contain much curious information, and manifeft the univerfal learning and ftrenuous diligence of their author.

The fecond volume of thefe works contains feveral valuable botanical eflays, comprifing obfervations on Indian plants, together with a catalogue of them, giving their Sanferêet, and as many of their Linnæan names, as could with any degree of precifion be afcertained. After thefe effays, follows his celebrated grammar of the Perfian language, the univerfally acknowledged merits of which render it altogether ufelefs to praife. The preface to the grammar is one of the moft mafterly, fpirited, and elegant of all fir William Jones's philological compofitions.

To the Grammar, the editor of thefe works has added, a history of the Perfian language, which it was fir William's original intention to have annexed to it in the year1771, when the grammar was first printed. In this treatise, he takes a comprehensive view of his fubject, traces the progrefs of the Perfian language through a period of two thousand years, and relieves the drynefs of the narrative by interfperfing it with pleasing citations from the poets and moral writers of Perfia.

The last tract in this volume is a Commentary on Afiatic Poetry, written in the Latin language, and it is no lefs diftinguifhed for various and extenfive learning, than for pure tafte, and correct and elegant compofition. Qur only material objection to this treatife, is, the language in which it is written. Surely the English tongue is fufficiently copious to express our

and Literature, of Afia. Vol. V. Printed verbatim from the Calcutta Edition. 8vo.

WHILE

HILE we look with fatisfaction to the progress of this useful fociety, we cannot avoid repeating our concern for the lofs of the amiable and excellent inftitutor of fo liberal a plan, which has been productive of fo much information. The investigations of this fociety are bound only by the geographical limits of Afia. The field of their researches is not only immenfe, but fertile in every topic that can excite curiofity or furnish entertainment. The members are not confined to Hindoftan, but extend to China, to Japan, to Tartary, to Tibett, to the fterile deferts of Arabia, and to the beautiful provinces of Perfia.

A space fo unbounded has engaged the attention and care of the Afiatic fociety fince its firft inftitution, and the topics of their inquiry have been vaft and without measure. They have examined whatever is performed by men, or produced by nature, within the limits they have prefcribed to themselves. They have exhibited accounts of natural productions; have examined the records of empires and ftates; they have difentangled the perplexities of pure and mixed mathematics;

have fpeculated on ethics and laws and, to unbend, in the fofter amusements of literature, have difplayed the beauties of imagery and the charms of invention.

Objects so interesting cannot but excite a defire for a farther acquaintance with them; four volumes have been already publifhed, and the fifth now makes its appearance; but the lucubrations of the Afiatic fociety have not been fo widely diffufed as their merit deferved. Nearly the whole of the impreffion is diftributed in the Eaft Indies, therefore very few copies reach Europe; and this, amongst other reasons, has given rife to the prefent re-publication, which contains the whole of the tranfactions of the fociety, without abridgement or mutilation.

We cannot difmifs this article without obferving that in the five volumes of this work may be found nearly all the truly valuable articles which compofe the pompous and expenfive work we have just reviewed, that is to fay, all those publications of fir William Jones, on fubjects connected with Oriental Literature, Natural Hiftory, or Antiquities, which received his last corrections, and were prefented by him in a finished state to the society, of which he was fo diftinguished a member.

CONTENTS.