capitals in printing Latin; the common type was equally unknown to both nations, and the use of the uncouth Gothic letters, both increases the difficulty to the reader, and adds to the expense of printing, without affording any countervailing advantage. Indeed, the example might be extended even to the original languages with very great benefit; if, for instance, the Sanscrit were printed in European characters, we are convinced that a large class of persons would acquire at least its rudiments, who are now deterred from similar studies by the formidable difficulty of a new character looking them in the face at the very outset." The advantages of the proposed change are thus stated : 1. "In most of the Indian alphabets, there are about fifty letters, with innumerable compounds, which greatly perplex and retard learners. Now all these can be perfectly represented by 24 simple English letters, with the occasional use of these three simple marks, (') (.)(-). This, it is plain, must make the progress of every learner more easy and rapid." 2. "All who wish to be useful in business, renowned for learning, or exalted to high situations and responsible offices, must learn the English language. If then, all learn to read and write the English alphabet from the time of infancy, when learning their own mother tongue, much valuable time and much useless trouble must be saved in acquiring a knowledge of the English language." 3. "Besides learning English, great numbers of Hindoos are obliged to learn several Indian languages. But it is well known that much valuable time is consumed by the majority of mankind in learning the new characters of any language. And a vast deal of time is spent in acquiring the same facility and speed in reading and writing these characters, as is enjoyed in reading and writing those with which they are long familiar. Now whole months or even whole years of unprofitable labor may be saved by the universal introduction of the English characters." 4. "The Sancrit is the common root of all the Indian dialects. But at present each dialect has letters of a different figure; and this leads the Hindoos of one province to suppose that the Hindoos of another province speak a totally different language. Consequently, they are apt to regard each other as strangers and foreigners. Now, if all the Indian dialects were presented in the same English characters, it would be seen and felt that the natives are not divided into so many sections of foreigners to each other, that they have all fundamentally the same language, and that without much difficulty, a community of interest, and a beneficial reciprocation of thought might be effected to an extent at present unknown, and from the repulsive aspect of so many written characters, deemed utterly impracticable." 5. "It follows from this statement, that as almost all Indian dialects are derived from the Sancrit, when a native thoroughly masters one dialect, he is already acquainted with the meaning of numberless words in every other. If all were, therefore, represented in the same English character, instead of learning one, or two, or three languages, as at present, a Pandit, Shástrí, or Munshi, might in the course of his lifetime master all the languages of Hindustan." 6. "By the admirable contrivance of Capital and Italic letters in the English alphabet, the facility of reading with propriety, and referring to names and particular passages, is mightily increased. But from the nature and shape of the Indian letters, this contrivance cannot be imitated. If then English letters be substituted in their place, the thousands, and the tens of thousands of Hindoo youth may have the unspeakable benefit of this simple and beautiful contrivance in learning to read and write their own vernacular languages." 7. "It is a fact that, from the intricacy, the complexity of most of the Indian characters, it is utterly impossible to reduce them to so small a size as the Roman may be, without rendering them altogether indistinct, or even illegible. In this way, twice the quantity of paper, and nearly twice the quantity of binding materials and labor must be lavished for nought. In other words, books printed in the Indian characters will cost nearly double what the same books would cost if printed in the English characters." 8. "As the multiplicity of different characters creates numberless difficulties in the way of studying the native languages, the mines of learning which those are said to possess, remain unexplored from age to age. Consequently, the treasures of knowledge contained in them, continue hidden and concealed not only from Europeans, but from natives themselves." The objections are summed up in the following manner: "If it then be inquired, what is gained by the study of Oriental literature?-the answer divides itself into two parts :-first, the speculative; next, the practical. The speculative advantages are those which a person of a contemplative and inquiring turn of mind derives from that most delightful of all purely mental pleasure, an increase of knowledge. In the present case the student of the Oriental languages enlarges his views as to the structure of language, the history and antiquities of nations, the sentiments of mankind in different ages and under different circumstances. As long as human nature is what it is, these subjects will continue to be interesting; and he who attempts to blot them out from our view, so far from improving, does what he can to degrade and dishonor our species." "Besides this, though Oriental science is very inferior, I am by no means disposed to admit that it is worth nothing at all: many valuable hints may be gained from the labors of our predecessors, and many useful lessons learnt from their mistakes. The history of science is in many cases almost as useful as science itself. "There is no part of history so generally useful as that which relates to the progress of the human mind, the gradual improvement of reason, the successive advantages of science, the vicissitudes of learning and ignorance, which are light and darkness of thinking beings, the extinction and resuscitation of arts, and the revolutions of the intellectual world."-Rasselas, Chap. 30. "All this must be lost, if we be determined to blot out from the world every vestige of ancient science, and monument of ancient learning." "But the practical and great use of studying the Eastern languages is to communicate with, and to instruct the inhabitants of the East. It is not what we find, but what we are to transfuse into these languages that is valuable, and it may be regarded as axiomatical in Native education, that European knowledge cannot be extensively diffused among the natives of the East, unless it be translated into, and taught in the native tongues, and that their vernacular dialects cannot be understood thoroughly, nor used with propriety, without a knowledge of their learned languages. That instances may be given of a few particularly clever individuals, such as the late lamented Rammohun Roy, who, with good opportunities, have acquired a considerable, or even a very perfect knowledge of English, and used it as a means of acquiring information, is not to be denied; but such rare exceptions take away nothing from the truth of the general rule." 9.-The Manual of Peace, Embracing 1. The Evils and Remedies of War. 2. Suggestions on the Law of Na3. Considerations of a Congress of Nations. By Thomas C. Upham, Prof. of Mental and Moral Philosophy in Bowdoin College. New York: Leavitt, Lord & Co. 1836, pp. 408. This is an important work, methodically, and we have no doubt ably executed. It treats of subjects, which are, in the highest degree, interesting to individuals, and to nations. The publication of the volume is opportune, as the attention of the country is now called to the question of a war with France, to the subject of capital punishment, etc. Prof. Upham argues the unlawfulness of every kind of war. ground that capital punishments ought not to be inflicted. Many persons, who will agree with him on most points, will hardly be convinced, by the arguments which he adduces for abandon ing, in all cases whatever, the punishment by death.* refer to this volume again. He also takes the We may * See the last Report of the Prison Discipline Society, particularly VOL. VII. No. 21. 30 ARTICLE IX. SELECT LITERARY AND MISCELLANEOUS INtelligence. UNITED STATES. Works in Press. 1. Two Greek Tragedies, under the care of Prof. Woolsey are in press. The two already published, the Alcestis and the Antigone, we hope to review in our next No. They are adopted into the course of study at Harvard and Yale. 2. The Poems of Catulus. A small school edition is in the press at Boston. 3. Bush's Commentary on the Psalms. This work is to appear entire, in a single volume, instead of numbers, as at first proposed. This we think a good arrangement. The same author is revising his notes on Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus, for republication in the form of a commentary. 4. The Hebrew Lexicon of Gesenius, translated by Prof. Robinson, will be published in the course of the ensuing Spring, by Crocker & Brewster. This volume is greatly needed. 5. Eichhorn on the Apocalypse. This work, translated by Mr. Kaufman, will be published by Gould & Newman, Eichhorn was born in 1752, and died in 1831. He was professor, first at Jena, and afterwards at Göttingen. He was an eminent scholar in Oriental Literature. 6. A new Latin Grammar is in the press of Crocker & Brewster, and will be published early in the season. A new Grammar of this language has long been needed. We have no doubt but that the grammar forthcoming will fully satisfy the public demand. It is the work of two sound scholars. 7. Works of the late President Appleton, embracing the whole course of his Theological Lectures, his Baccalaureate addresses, and a selection from his sermons, with a view of his life and character. It will be edited by an officer of Bowdoin College, and published by Gould & Newman. It will doubtless become a standard work in theology. The old edition of his Lectures and Addresses is wretchedly printed. 8. Companion to the Comprehensive Commentary. This work, to be published by Fessenden & Co., will consist of illustrations of the Bible, from the manners, customs, etc. of the Orientals, as detailed by modern travellers, and by such writers as Harmer, Burder, Harris, Calmet, Wilkinson, Roberts, Paxton, Newton, Keith, etc. It will be edited by Prof. Bush, and will be published in the course of the present year, in one volume of 800 pages. It will contain a large number of engravings of p. 49. A very strong case of the necessity of capital punishment is there stated. scenery, etc. > 4. Works in Preparation. 1. A new volume on Hermeneutics is in the course of preparation by Prof. Stuart. 2. A history of Slavery and of the Abolition of slavery in ancient and modern times. 3. Life of Mr. Evarts, late Secretary of the American Board of Missions. Entire Works of Dr. Franklin, with a new Life, by Mr. Sparks. 5. Reprint of the Early Vernacular versions of the New Testament. The publishers are anxious to procure a copy, either of the version of Tindal, of Coverdale, or of Rogers. Republications. Among the most valuable are Rev. Mr. Harris's Great Teacher; Life of Sir James Mackintosh, somewhat abridged; and The Man of Faith, a practical religious treatise by John Abercrombie, M. D. of Edinburgh. EUROPE. The following statement of the Libraries and Newspapers in Europe is from Schoen's Statistics. The public libraries in Europe contain upwards of 20 millions of books, of which there are 6,400,000 in France, 5,000,000 in Germany, and 3,000,000 in Italy. In 1805, the number of new works published annually in Europe was about 7000, but the number has since more than doubled. Germany has already been pre-eminent in this respect, and next in order is France.-The number of authors in Germany is 1 in 5,000 of the population; France, 1 in 6,000; Denmark, 1 in 7,000; the Netherlands, 1 in 8,000; Great Britain, 1 in 10,000; and in Russia, 1 in 60,000. 1 |