I. CHAP. object; for it exhibited, and tended to confirm, the improvement already effected in the European community. Any man who should have contended for the introduction of such a clause only a few years before, on the ground of religious or moral propriety, would have become the jest of the whole service: and it was well remarked at the time-"He must be an entire stranger to what is passing in Bengal, who does not perceive that the College of Fort William is sensibly promoting a melioration of the European character, as well as the civilization of India."1 Activity of the College Press. Prejudices against the transla Scrip tures. 19. Besides advancing the knowledge, the love, and the practice of Christianity among the Europeans, the College was engaged in the production of important works, whose tendency was to enlighten and convert the Natives. In the course of four years it had published no less than one hundred original volumes in the oriental languages and literature; no inconsiderable proof of its flourishing state as a literary institution. This, however, was one of its subordinate objects. 20. The Directors of the College, desirous to promote the circulation of religious as well as tion of the scientific knowledge, proposed the following subject for discussion by the students at the disputations held in 1894-"The advantage which the Natives of this country might derive from translations, in the vernacular tongues, of the books containing the principles of their respective religions, and those of the Christian faith." The proposal of this thesis excited a host of "Mussulman and Hindoo prejudices against translations of the Scriptures. Their clamour assailed the Government," and "the old (1) Buchanan's Memoirs. Vol. i. pp. 300-302. It is mentioned as a remarkable fact, that during the period of four years there had been but one duel, and but one death, among the students. Ibid. p. 326. Rev. D. Brown's Memorial Sketches, p. 11. Note. Lushington's History of Calcutta Institutions, pp. 280 et seq. civil servants fanned the flame." A memorial was addressed to the Governor-General on the part of the Mahomedan moonshees, and other Mussulman inhabitants of Calcutta, remonstrating against this supposed infringement of the toleration afforded to them by the British Government. Nothing was farther from the wish of Marquis Wellesley than to do violence to the feelings or prejudices of the people; and in his reply to their remonstrance he signified, that although he perceived no principle of an objectionable tendency in the foregoing thesis, yet, with a view to prevent all apprehension on the part of the Natives, he had prohibited the intended disputation upon that subject.2 transla from the Press. 21. But the good effect of this commotion could First not be so easily suppressed. Public attention was tions of aroused to the cause of all this combustion, and it Scripture continued awake after the flames had spent their College force. The translation of the Scriptures into the languages of India was a design which the Provost and Vice-Provost had much at heart; and the work was carried on at the College by Natives and Europeans. At this time there was a band of able Missionaries also at Serampore, devoted to the same work; and they met with every encouragement from the Provost and his colleague, who used the influence of their station in aid of these translations, and exerted themselves to excite the public interest in their favour. So great was the jealousy of " the old civilians" on this subject, that there existed a kind of compromise between the friends and opponents of this salutary measure, that if the Bible were printed for Christians, the Korân should be printed for Mahomedans. It was not long before (2) Lushington's History of Calcutta Institutions, pp. 297, 298. (3) Of the Baptist Missionary Society, the particulars of whose exertions in this department of their work will be given in the next Chapter. CHAP. Chinese Class, and translation of Scripture. a commencement was made in the translation of the Sacred Scriptures into several languages. The first versions of any of the Gospels in Persian and Hindostanee which were printed in India issued from the College press. The Persian was superintended by Lieutenant-Colonel Colebrooke, and the Hindostanee by Mr. William Hunter. The Gospels were translated into the Malay by Mr. Thomas Jarrett, of the Madras Civil Service. Of these and other translations of the Scriptures then projected and undertaken, the Gospel of St. Matthew in Persian and Hindostanee formed the only part which was executed at the College expense. With this exception, the extensive Biblical works successively announced from this Institution were carried on at the private expense of the leading members of the College, who deemed it to be of the highest importance to promote the diffusion of sacred literature in Asia.1 22. The Superintendents of the College had long desired to obtain a version of the Scriptures in the Chinese language. After many fruitless inquiries for a suitable person to undertake the work, in 1805 they succeeded in procuring the services of Mr. Lassar, a Native of China, and an Armenian Christian. Mr. Lassar arrived at Calcutta in a commercial capacity; and having met with some pecuniary difficulties, he became known to Mr. Buchanan, who, appreciating his talents, generously liberated him from his embarrassments. He then engaged him, at a stipend of three hundred rupees a month, to devote himself to the translation of the Scriptures into Chinese, and also to the instruction of a class in that language, formed of one of the senior and three of the junior Missionaries at Serampore. The (') Buchanan's Memoirs, pp. 299, 300. Christian Researches. Introduction, p. 2. expected reduction of the College rendering it inexpedient that a Chinese Professor should be added to the establishment, the stipend of Mr. Lassar was afforded for about three years at the sole expense of the Vice-Provost. To his liberality, therefore, must be chiefly ascribed the commencement of this vast undertaking, which, in a short time, said Lord Minto, "by the zealous and persevering labours of Mr. Lassar, and of those learned and pious persons associated with him," produced a translation of "the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke; throwing open that precious mine, with all its religious and moral treasures, to the largest associated population in the world."3 Barlow's benefit College. 23. At the annual disputation, held on the 3d of Sir George March 1806, Sir George Barlow, then Governor- testimony General, presided as Visitor. In his speech on the to the occasion he spoke in flattering terms of the dili- of the gence of the Professors and Officers of the College, and of the proficiency of the students; and he repeated the conviction which he had expressed at a very early period of the beneficial consequences of the establishment;-a conviction, he added, the correctness of which had been confirmed by the experience of every successive year. He made no allusion to the translation and printing of the Sacred Scriptures, probably out of regard for the feelings of those who had so strongly expressed their objection to this undertaking; but he had no such scruples to withhold him from declaring his conviction of the benefits which might justly be expected to be derived, both by the Natives of India and by the British Government, from the literary branch of the College.* (2) Buchanan's Memoirs. Vol. i. pp. 314, 315. searches, p. 11. Dr. Marshman's Clavis Sinica, p. ii. Christian Re (3) Vide Lord Minto's Speech at the eighth College Disputa tion. Christian Observer, 1809, pp. 601 &c. (*) Sir George remarked, at the conclusion of his address, "The CHAP. I. Orders for the reduction of the College. 24. This was the public evidence of one who had watched the progress of the College from its commencement, who had heard all the objections raised against it, and who, holding at the time he spake the most responsible post in India, was specially interested in every thing affecting the British empire in the East. One would have expected such testimony to the efficiency of the Institution to have secured for it, not merely protection against its assailants, but further measures for its improvement. But such anticipations were soon to be disappointed. While the College was in the full tide of its usefulness, producing the most important benefits, both to the service of the East-India Company, to Oriental learning, and to religion, a despatch arrived from the Court of Directors, in December 1806, ordering the College to be considerably reduced on the first of the following month. The offices of Provost and Vice-Provost were to be abolished, and the Professorships reduced to three, viz. the Hindostanee, Bengalee, and Perso-Arabic; it being intended that the students should only be attached to it, on an average, for a single year. The Court had from the first, as we have seen, objected to the expense of the Institution, and its reduction had long been "The numerous works which have been published under the |