them, it would at least be rapidly extended-that already excited spirit of inquiry, which now loses itself in infidelity, would lay hold of truth, were it taught the true principles by which to discern and prove the same. The Mooselmauns, as argued Sir W. Jones, are already a sort of heterodox Christians;-they believe much that we do; they have much of our Scripture, and, in their ignorance, sincerely think that we have corrupted the rest. Now, the Korân can no more bear an impartial comparison with the Jewish Testament than the licentious tenets that it inculcates can stand before the purity and charity of the Gospel precepts; and our endeavours should be to impart to these people the doctrines of sound reason and logic, and lead them to the comparison; but to convert the natives of Persia by our Scripture, we should give them every incitement to read it, and not only translate from the original, so as to preserve the similarity of idiom which runs through all eastern languages, but not insist upon a strictly literal translation, when, fully preserving the sense, we can express a sentence more beautifully. Except the Arabs, no people are more susceptible of the beauties of language than are the Persians, and they will not read what is written in a hard style. I humbly conceive that, to obtain a correct translation of the Old Testament, we should get the assistance of a Persian Jew. The descendants of Israel, who live in Irân, retain their own language, and some of their moollâs not only acquire a classical knowledge of Persian, but become skilled in Arabic; and one of these would have a heart in the work, which no Mohummudan assistant well can. I think, also, that we might look to the theological writings of the Mohummudans for a style of translation. During the Mohurrum at Meshed, the lecturers read from an Arabic work passages which appeared greatly to affect the multitude. The book was composed by Hossein's son, Allee Awsut, Zein-ul Aubideen; it is entitled "Sahifa Sajjadea,"—"The Book of the Adorer," a name by which Allee Awsut was designated, or "Sahifa Kâmila," "The Full or Perfect Book." It is written very much in the style of the Psalms of David, consisting of lamentation for sins, adoration of God, and entreaties for his mercy; and doubtless many idioms and expressions. might be borrowed from it to suit a translation of our Psalmist's verses.' -vol. i. pp. 334-336.

We recommend the following spirited sketch to the notice of the reader. It is full of truth, and describes with singular aptness the style in which our countrymen and their manners are discussed by Orientals in conversation with each other.

Twenty-five miles to Sultanpore. Three miles before the latter place was the small walled town of Nohshehera, where, halting to rest a little under the shade of a tree, we fell into conversation with a Persian stranger, who, according to what we could discover of his condition, was a gentleman of the Zand family, travelling pour se distraire. In two minutes Keraumut Allee and the stranger became as old friends, cracking their jokes, and complimenting each other on their wit: a little persuasion induced the traveller to turn his pony's

head,

head, and go back with us one stage, and I do not remember many pleasanter evenings than this which we passed in his society.

'Khoosroo, as the stranger styled himself, was a tall, very handsome, and good-humoured looking man, with a beard worthy of one who claimed descent from a late royal family. He was the very figure of a true Persian, yet I think that I should recognize him again in any part of his own country. He had travelled through Toorkestaun, part of Affghaunistaun, and the Punjaub, and was full of very entertaining anecdote relating to his travels. From the little he had seen of English society at the outposts of Loodeeana, he undertook to describe the ways and means of the Feringees who ruled over India, and if his remarks were severe, they were very amusingly made.

"The Feringees," he commenced, "are, I beg leave to represent, by no means a pleasant people to be among; for they have nothing to say for themselves, and considering that they are unbelievers, have more damaugh" [pride, or self-sufficiency] "than enough. One of their sirdars, learning that I was a great traveller, sent to invite me to visit him; so I went, and saw a grave little man, who was very civil, but as khooshk" [dry, stiff]" as a stick: he seated me on a chair near him, and gave me tea, which, I beg leave to state, they make deliciously; he then asked me whether I had not visited this and that place, and when I answered bulli" [yes]"he rejoined, 'Ha!' We sat thus for some time; first came in one captân, and then another captân; they looked at me and at each other, and every now and then delivered themselves of a syllable or two; while one man was pacing up and down the room as if he was possessed. At last some of them gave their hand to the master of the house, and went away; so I thought I might as well take leave also.

"I have learned, that formerly these men were a small tribe of merchants, servants to the kings of this country, but now, maledictions on their fathers! they have it all their own way. The secret of their tale is this: They have information of everything that passes everywhere, and they make the most of the news. If two men quarrel about a country, they step in to adjust the dispute, and turn both out. It is a pity we had not the land! Ullah! how rich some of those fat Lahore idolaters are!

"Soldiers, I request permission to observe, the Inglis are not; though no doubt they are great merchants and shrewd people. For a long time they paid us some crores a year, to keep the Oroos off them; but old Suleiman there has enough to do to keep them off himself, and the Feringees having been acute enough to see this, no longer waste their money. They say, Abbas Mirza has married the Imperatoor's daughter! Is it true? These are wonderful times! we were kings the other day, and now I am-let me remember-ay, Khoosroo Sha, sometimes compelled to hide my religion, and beg civility from a set of dogs like what is the happy name of your friend the peer there asleep? Muheen Shah, Moobârik bâsh, Muheen Shah, (aside,) if you hear me, and a curse be upon you if you are asleep!"

'We

We parted the next morning. Keraumut Allee was as sorrowful as if he was about to separate from a brother, for it was long since his heart had been gladdened with so much khoosoobut, [pleasant converse,] and when we had marched on some distance, he broke a long silence by exclaiming, "Hei Irân! Irân! your people may be rogues and liars; but I swear you are such pleasant companions that one would live among you on any terms!"-vol. ii. pp. 278-282.

We think the whole of Lieut. Conolly's remarks included in the section headed Overland Invasion of India,' well worthy of attention. It is clear that India can never be taken by a coup de main and that it will require a succession of years before Russia could sufficiently advance into the bowels of the land' to master any secure position from which to direct ultimate operations, and upon which her forces, if any disaster befel them, might retire. To organise such an invasion would require the talents of a chief, such as perhaps has never yet been known in Russian military history; and to lead it on to success, amidst all the wiles of the numerous tribes through which it would have to pass, checked by the great difficulties of procuring food, assailed by the vicissitudes of climate, and after all, with the certainty of meeting troops just as well disciplined, better accustomed to the climate, and with gigantic resources of all sorts about and behind them, would require the head of a Cæsar, a Buonaparte, or a Wellington. On the whole, we strongly recommend this book, as containing much amusement and information.

ART. III.-History of Roman Literature, from the earliest Period to the Augustan Age, in 2 vols. 8vo. 2d Edition, 1824; and during the Augustan Age, in 1 vol. 8vo. By John Dunlop, Esq., Author of the History of Fiction.'

WRI

WRITERS on the History of Roman Literature' have added greatly to their own labours, and to the fatigue of their readers, by endeavouring to trace the language of the Romans up to its remotest origin. Now Rome, it is confessed, was formed of the colluvies of savage tribes. What, then, could be its earliest language but a barbarous jargon? But these tribes, it is said, were either a part of the Tuscan nation, or had been united, by conquest, under its dominion. And of what was the Tuscan population composed?-of all that the ocean, from the east and south, had vomited on their shores, and that the mountains had poured down in torrents from the north; for, concerning the numerous sources to which different theories have exclusively re

ferred

1

ferred the whole of the Tuscan nation, only enough has been adduced to prove that each has contributed a portion,-and that a Tuscan was

'A man akin to all the universe.'

But even admitting the Tuscan to be traceable to one pure source, and that the court language, at least, of Romulus was pure Tuscan, of what possible avail could the knowledge of that be in elucidating the history of Roman literature, which had no existence for centuries afterwards, while, in the interval, the language had been so perpetually changing, and so completely changed, that a treaty, made about the middle of the third century of Rome, was unintelligible, as Polybius tells us,* at the beginning of the seventh and the language of the Twelve Tables, promulged in the beginning of the fourth century, had not only become obsolete at the commencement of the eighth, but Cicero at that time cites, on a particular case, old commentators (veteres interpretes) as declaring their inability to understand, and offering conjectures only on the meaning of the law. † If such could be the obscurity of this important record, of which Livy says 'fons omnis publici privatique est juris ;' and of which Cicero relates, that in his youth all law-students were required to get it by heart, § what must have been the mutability of language in common intercourse, where accuracy was little required, and among a nation which for centuries naturalized every conquered people, and where neither victors nor vanquished had any standard of taste to curb the caprices of colloquial phraseology? Accordingly, we find from inscriptions, and the other few remaining scattered documents of which the dates can be ascertained, that for the first five hundred years the language of Rome was in a constant fluctuation -not of orthography, nor of neologies and archaisms merely, but of the most important parts of grammatical construction.

About the commencement of the fifth century, two causes conspired to give birth to Roman literature. Rome, in its incessant wars with all the closely neighbouring states, had been perpetually environed with the most imminent dangers, and leisure was known to no one that was able to carry arms; even extreme youth was occupied in learning warlike practice, and extreme age in instructing youth, and in consulting for the immediate safety of the state but when, by successive conquests, war was removed from the vicinity of the city, and the allies-as the subjugated nations were called-formed half of the armies of the republic, Rome was left in peace, and its inhabitants in comparative leisure. At this period was effected the conquest of Magna Græcia, which intro*Lib. iii. c. 22. + De Leg. ii. 23. ‡ L. iii. c. 34. § De Leg. ii. 23; but he adds-'quas jam nemo discit.'

duced

duced an intimate knowledge of the arts and refinements of Greece, and letting in the light of literature just when Rome was prepared to imbibe, she soon became fitted also to reflect it.

The drama, as most calculated to attract attention, became the subject of imitation; and the first regular literary compositions that are recorded to have existed in the Latin language are the dramatic pieces of Livius Andronicus. Nor was he a native of Rome, but of Magna Græcia. And this, perhaps, was fortunate : he would bring with him a just partiality for the noble Greek hexameter, with a thorough knowledge of its construction; and though its sonorous grandeur could not find an echo in the Latin tongue, yet its varied cadences, its majestic march, and flexible strength, were all capable of being communicated to the Roman language, but might never have been so, had the excellence of a native poet given previous reputation, as well as currency, to any inferior measure, such as the Saturnian, in which Andronicus (probably to conciliate his new countrymen) had translated the Odyssey. This consideration may explain the finished structure of the only four consecutive lines which remain among the fragments of this poet, and which, from their polish, have been suspected not to be his; yet, even in this short passage, there is a trace of the Grecian,-for when he says,

'Dirige odorisequos ad coeca cubilia canes,'

he seems forcing the Latin upon compounds, and 'sesquipedalia verba,' into which the Greek glides with such spontaneous facility. Another consequence of his foreign origin was the adoption of Greek stories for his dramas, which in most instances were probably mere translations, as were those of all (so far as we have any knowledge) of his successors on the stage of republican Rome. Such regular compositions, however, were a great improvement on the buffoonery, and extemporaneous ribaldry, and personality of the old Fescennine verses, whose authors, Horace tells us, were not reclaimed 'formidine fustis.'

Of the real merits of these ancient dramatists,-Andronicus, Ennius (who was also an epic poet), Nævius, Pacuvius, Attius, &c., we can form but a very imperfect judgment, the fragments that remain being mere scraps. Nor can any certain inference be drawn from the estimation in which they were held by many persons in the most refined period of Roman literature, to whom probably was applicable the observation of Andronicus himself, Mirum videtur quod sit factum jam diu ;'

at least we know Cicero said of Andronicus, that his works were not worthy of a second perusal (Brut. 18); and Horace (Epist. 21.) complains grievously of the ancient poets being preferred to the modern, merely because they were ancient. Suetonius, too,

speaks