certainly as an echo, in rocky places, follows the voice. You will readily believe me, when I assure you, that I have few things more at heart than that you may enjoy as much as you can desire of that echo, and receive no pain or injury from the rocks; for rocks abound, my friend, in the sea of life. The Scripture speaks of nations overturning their judges in stony places; and ambitious judges ought to be overturned, but as I do not aspire, I can never fall from an eminence. The state of parties in England, still makes me rejoice, that I am not in London. My friendships would lead me naturally to wish the rise of the while my conscience, and my humble judgment oblige me to prefer. system as far as I know it. God grant he may adopt the best measures for this country, and give them effect by the best means, without without disarranging your measures, since the wheel of continual changes cannot but have a bad effect in the minds of the governed-but I sat down to write a letter, not a treatise. By the here your way, of Civil Society, and am extremely pleased with it, especially his chapter on the relaxation of national spirit. Your communications about the Lama will be truly interesting. I have read since I left Calcutta 800 pages in quarto concerning the Mythology and History, both civil and natural, of Tibet. The work was printed with every advantage of new types and curious engravings, at Rome, about ten years ago, and was compiled from the papers of an Italian father, named Orazio, who had lived thirty years in that country and Napal, where he died. On my return, I purpose, with the permission of the society, to send a treatise to the press, which ought to stand first in our collections, as it will be a key to many other papers. I have caused six or seven plates to be engraved for it. Always excepting my own imperfect essays, I may venture to foretell, that the learned in Europe will not be disappointed by our first volume. But my great object, at which I have long been labouring, is to give our country a complete digest of Hindu and Mussulman law. I have enabled myself by excessive care to read the oldest Sanscrit law books with the help of a loose Persian paraphrase; and I have begun a translation of Menu into English ; the best Arabian law-tract, I translated last year. What I can possibly perform alone, I will by God's blessing perform; • A Dissertation on the Orthography of Asiatie Words in Roman Letters. Works, vol. i. page 175. and and I would write on the subject to the Minister, Chancellor, the Board of Controul, and the Directors, if I were not apprehensive that they who know the world, but do not fully know me, would think that I expected some advantage either of fame or patronage, by purposing to be made the Justinian of India; whereas I am conscious of desiring no advantage, but the pleasure of doing general good. I shall consequently proceed in the work by my own strength, and will print my digest by degrees at my own expense, giving copies of it where I know they will be useful. One point I have already attained; I made the pundit of our court read and correct a copy of Halhed's book in the original Sanscrit, and I then obliged him to attest it as good law, so that he never A translation by N. B. Halhed, Esq. of the code compiled by pundits, by the direction of Mr. Hastings. now now can give corrupt opinions, without certain detection. May your commercial blossom arrive at maturity, with all the vigour of Indian vegetation! My soul expands, like your blossom, at the idea of improved commerce; no subject is to me more animating. I have a commercial idea for you, not a blossom, but as yet a germ only. What if Persia should now flourish! and what if the present king, Jaffier Khan, be really as great a man as represented! Persia wants many manufactures of India, and her king would be a valuable ally. I have already thanked you for your kind attentions to Emin, and I beg to repeat them. Many in England will be equally thankful. He is a fine fellow; and if active service should be |