property of the father, was given on the authority of d'Acosta, but it must be erroneous. In 1823, the Rajah of Burdwan instituted an unsuccessful suit against Rammohun Roy and another, to recover a balance said to be due from the father. The defence of Rammohun Roy was, that he inherited no part of his father's property, and consequently was not responsible for his debts. He must therefore have beeen disinherited. Nevertheless as he at that time possessed considerable property, it is reasonable to suppose that he received that of his brothers on their decease.

The views of the Asiatic Journal (p. 199) in reference to the Rajah's religious opinions, and those (p. 210) of the "gentleman who was in close and intimate communication with him", from whom the Journal derives its last three pages, differ considerably from those which I have developed in these pages: but the attentive consideration of their statements makes no change in my own convictions, based on such varied means of judgment as I possess. The latter, however, manifests, in some respects, a correct understanding of his sentiments and character; he had (he says) "a strong sentiment of natural religion, which increased with his years, and, towards the close of his life, was often expressed with all the fervour of genuine piety. He had always cherished, and the longer he lived became more confirmed in, the opinion, that religion is essentially and indispensably necessary to the welfare of mankind".

In pp. 202-206 of the Asiatic Journal are various circumstances of much interest which will furnish valuable materials to the future biographer of the Rajah. I must satisfy myself with extracting some information on two topics-widow-immolation, and monotheistical worship in Calcutta. Rammohun Roy, it appears, was long averse to the authoritative abolition of suttees. In the Minute of Lord William Bentinck of Dec. 4, 1829, his Lordship states that an opinion to this effect, with the grounds of it, was mentioned to him in conversation, " by

that enlightened native, Ram Mohun Roy, a warm advocate for the abolition of suttees, and of all other superstitions and corruptions engrafted on the Hindoo religion, which he considers originally to have been a pure deism "When the resolution, however, was taken, (says the Journal,) and a remonstrance was got up by the anti-abolitionists, Ram Mohun' Roy, in spite of threatened privation of caste, and even personal outrage, was one of the deputation who presented an address to Lord William Bentinck, expressive of native gratitude for this everlasting obligation' conferred on the Hindoo community. To the indefatigable endeavours of Ram Mohun to extinguish this and other deformities of the Brahminical system, must be partly ascribed, among other effects, the hostility of the late Rajah of Burdwan, one of his father's intimate friends, a powerful zemindar, distinguished for his bigotry as well as his immense wealth". The suit before alluded to, was expressly attributed by Ram Mohun himself personal resentment".

to "

"In conjunction (says the Journal, p. 202) with some whom he had brought over to his views, (among others that respectable and liberal-minded man, Dwarkanath Tagore,) he held meetings, and established a system of worship, which consisted of reading monotheistical writings, music, and singing hymns or songs inculcating the Unity of the Deity. The forms resembled those in our Unitarian chapels: first a hymn: then a prayer, followed by a portion of a monotheistic scripture; then another hymn; after which a sermon or lecture".

"The institution which he and his party esta

* Since the period of Paine's Age of Reason, deism and deist have been, I think, generally associated with the denial of revelation: theism and theist still remain without any such association, being merely opposed to atheism and atheist.-How could the candid and pious Bishop Heber imagine the Hindoo Reformer an atheist! Bishop Middleton, though unable to induce him to be baptized, or to receive the trinitarian doctrine, could never have so represented him.

blished, in 1828, at a house in the Chitpoor Road, is named the Bhurma Subha. The meetings are held there on Saturday evenings; the service consists in preaching from the Vedant (in the vernacular Bengalee), and singing psalms in praise of the One True God". "A regular chapel was built in 1829, on ground purchased by some wealthy Hindoos for the worship and adoration of the eternal, unsearchable, and immutable Being, who is the Author and preserver of the universe'. See the curious trust deed, Asiat. Journ. N. S. Vol. II. p. 141."

The A. J. adds (p. 203) that "the pupils of Ram Mohun's school at Calcutta are likely to swell the sect of seceders from Brahminism; and that this now comprehends a considerable number of the rising generation of baboos ".

He

I now proceed to consider some charges against the Rajah, in which the authority of the Asiatic Journal may have an injurious influence. One series of them comes from the correspondent before referred to (p. 124); whose communication, though displaying somewhat of an unreasonable and captious spirit, also manifests a degree of talent and personal knowledge, which gives pungency if not power to his censures. speaks of his recent bitterness of opposition to the present ministry-insinuating paltry personal motives in it; of great change of manners; and of decay of intellectual power; and says that "he thought more of the empty title of Rajah, than of the results of the East India bill"; and that "for any thing he attempted, publicly or privately", in reference to the Company's Charter, "he might as well have been seated all the while, with Hindoo quiescence, under a banyan tree on the banks of the Ganges".

As to the title of Rajah, I do not think he cared more for the acknowledgment of it, than as being connected with the claims which he came to make. His efforts respecting the Charter were continued to the last: I witnessed myself his

earnest anxiety lest the Lords should not pass the East India bill; and he made unremitting efforts to have some things rectified which he thought evils in it. As to his preceding exertions, the Asiatic Journal says (p. 206) all that the Rajah's friends can desire; and speaks most highly of his "admirable replies" on the revenue and judicial systems. It is the fact that the Rajah was (more I think than reasonably) influenced by the representations of the press and the opinions of some of his friends, against the Government, particularly in relation to the Irish Coercion Bill; but this was merely on public grounds.

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As to his supposed change of manners, and decay of intellectual power, we who saw him in his last weeks, can allow nothing of the kind. Controversy" did not throw his mind off its balance"; he did not "substitute invective for reasoning"; nor did he manifest any disposition to "attribute bad motives to all who differed from him in opinion". In the conversation at Stapleton Grove (see p. 82) were men fully competent to judge of intellectual power: and one and all admired and were delighted by the clearness, the closeness, and the acuteness of his arguments, and the beautiful tone of his mind. In the second of the two conversations at which Mr. Foster was present (see p. 84), the Rajah continued for three hours, standing the whole time, replying to all the inquiries and observations that were made by a number of gentlemen who surrounded him, "on the moral and political state and prospects of India, and on an elucidation at great length of certain dogmas of the Indian philosophers". Admiring respect was, I may say, the sentiment of all present.

It was the next morning that I saw him for the last time during his life. He came down late to breakfast. I perceived that he was much exhausted with the excitement and fatigue of the preceding evening; and I felt anxious that he should that day have rest. His complete rest was nearer

than any heart, but his own perhaps, forboded: yet he showed no indications of loss of mental power; and in the evening of that day, he conversed for several hours with his friends of Stapleton Grove, and the intelligent mother of Mr. Estlin, who regards it as a great privilege to have shared in this last most interesting interview.-Nevertheless, on considering the post mortem appearances on the brain, and reflecting on the constant and wearing strain which there had been on his powers for the last two years, some causes of harrassing vexation which had recently occurred and which affected him too painfully, and the long course of bitter hostility and arduous exertion which he had passed through, before he came to England, I am of opinion that a period of complete rest and quiet had become necessary; and that, without it. there is reasonable ground for the belief, that either his bodily or his mental health, or both, would have sunk. If, however, the interruption of the fatal disorder had not prevented, I doubt not that he might, after such quiet and tranquil rest, have continued to manifest, for years to come, that energy, acuteness, and elevation of intellectual power which so much characterized him.-It may be added that the lurking disorder on the integuments of the brain, aiding the excitability of his system, and aided by the constant excitement in which he lived, was likely to cause, and that he did sometimes manifest, an irritability of feeling which was not natural to him; but if it ever conquered him, the gentleness of his soul was soon restored, and all was kindness and contrition.

The last topic I have to consider is a derogatory statement as to aid received by the Rajah in the composition of his works; in itself more definite than the foregoing respecting his intellectual powers, more imposing and extensive in its influence, and, apparently, less tangible for refutation; which, nevertheless, is without any just foundation. "It has been said" (are the words of the Asiatic Journal, p. 209) "that he wrote English