These will bring him to Gibbon, who will take him in charge and convey him with abundant entertainment down with notice of all remarkable objects on the way-through fourteen hundred years of time. He cannot spare Gibbon, with his vast reading, with such wit and continuity of mind, that, though never profound, his book is one of the conveniences of civilization, like the new railroad from ocean to ocean, and I think, will be sure to send the reader to his "Memoirs of Himself," and the "Extracts from my Journal," and "Abstracts from my Readings," which will spur the laziest scholar to emulation of his prodigious performance. EMERSON, RALPH WALDO, 1870-83, Books; Works, Riverside ed., vol. VII, p. 195. He possessed in the largest measure the author's first great requisites a full command of words, and the power of striking out fresh combinations. His chief mechanical peculiarities are an excessive use of the abstract noun, and an unusually abundant employment of descriptive and suggestive epithets. This last peculiarity is the main secret of what is often described as the "pregnancy" of his style; it forms one of the principal arts of condensation, brevity, compression. He conveys incidentally, by a passing adjective, information that Macaulay would have set forth in a special sentence: from its form, the expression seems to take for granted that the reader is already acquainted with the facts referred to, but substantially in an allusive way it adds to the knowledge of the most uninitiated.-MINTO, WIL LIAM, 1872-80, Manual of English Prose Literature, p. 480. His English the worst ever written by an educated Englishman.-RUSKIN, JOHN, 1886, Pall Mall Magazine. He is retrogressive in the matter of sentence-length. Only 10 per cent. of his sentences fall below the 15-mark. His stately and sonorous periods have a harmony of their own, but it is not paragraph harmony. His sentences have much proportion, his paragraphs little. We admire the comprehensive analysis of the discourse into chapters and paragraphs, but we do not quite feel that the paragraph is an organism. It is a welldefined cage in which the splendid sentence is confined. His movement is not rapid, but the sequence is in general sure. Demonstratives are numerous. When an introductory pronoun would be ambiguous he adds a noun, seldom a repeated one, but rather a synonym. Inversions, so frequent in Burke, are infrequent here. Conjunctions the author utterly despises, depending on the sheer inertia of his rolling sentences to carry the thought ahead. No other writer examined shows so small a list of sentence-connectives. The abandonment of them is Gibbon's only contribution to the development; and it may be questioned if the contribution is a real or a permanent one, depending as it does on balance in the sentence.-LEWIS, EDWIN HERBERT, 1894, The History of the English Paragraph, p. 124. Just in so far as Gibbon was not so great a man as Johnson, does his style fall below Johnson's level. The strain of affectation, the undue elaboration, the tone of artificial irony are always unduly marked in that style. But the massiveness of Gibbon's intellect, the largeness of his grasp, his unfailing sense of literary proportion, the fearless vigour of his historical conception, all these are too great to be buried beneath the affectation. He towers above all competitors as a giant amongst the pigmies.-CRAIK, HENRY, 1895, ed., English Prose, Introduction, vol. IV, p. 10. To those who insist upon extreme ornamentation, or extreme simplicity of style, Gibbon's, of course, must be distasteful. But to those who judge a thing by its possession of its own excellences, and not by its lack of the excellences of others, it must always be the subject of an immense admiration. In the first place it is perfectly clear, and for all its stateliness. so little fatiguing to the reader that true Gibbonians read it, by snatches or in long draughts, as others read a newspaper or a novel for mere pastime. Although full of irony and epigram it is never uneasily charged with either; and the narrative is never broken, the composition never interrupted for the sake of a flourish or a "point." ish or a "point." It may be thought by some to abuse antithesis of sense and balance of cadence; but I should say myself that there is fully sufficient variety in the sentences and in the paragraph arrangement to prevent this. -SAINTSBURY, GEORGE, 1895, English Prose, ed. Craik, vol. IV, p. 458. 197 Sir William Jones Born, in Westminster, 28 Sept. 1746. At Harrow School, 1753-64. Matric., Univ. Coll., Oxford, 15 March 1764; Scholar, 31 Oct. 1764; Fellow, 1766; B. A., 1768; M. A., 1773. Private tutor to Lord Althorp, 1765-70. F. R. S., 1772. Mem. of Literary Club, 1773. Called to Bar at Middle Temple, 1774. Commissioner of Bankruptcy, 1776. Judge of High Court at Calcutta, 1783-94. Knighted, 19 March 1783. Married Anna Maria Shipley, April 1783. Arrived at Calcutta, Dec. 1783. Founded Bengal Asiatic Soc., Jan. 1784. Edited "The Asiatic Miscellany," 1787. Wife returned to Europe, owing to ill-health, Dec. 1793. He died, at Calcutta, 27 April, 1794. Buried there. Works: "Traité sur la Poésie Orientale," 1770; "Dissertation sur la littérature Orientale," (anon.), 1771; "Grammar of the Persian Language, 1771; "Lettre à Monsieur A *** du P. ***" (anon.), 1771; "Poems, consisting chiefly of translations from the Asiatick Languages" (anon.), 1772; "Poeseos Asiatica Commentariorum libri sex," 1774; "A Dialogue between a Country Farmer and a Gentleman" (anon.), 1778; “A Speech," 1780; "An Inquiry into the Legal Mode of Suppressing Riots" (anon.), 1780; "An Essay on the Law of Bailments," 1781; "The Muse Recalled," 1781; "An Ode in imitation of Alcæus" (anon.), (1782); "The Principles of Government" (anon.), 1782; "A Letter to a Patriot Senator" (anon.), 1783; "On the Orthography of Asiatick Words," 1784. "On the Gods of Greece, Italy and India," 1785; "On the Hindus," 1786; "On the Arabs," 1787; "On the Tartars, 1788; "On the Persians," 1789; "On the Chinese," 1790; "On the Borderers, Mountaineers and Islanders of Asia," 1791; "On the Origin and Families of Nations," 1792; "On Asiatick History," 1793; "On the Philosophy of the Asiaticks," 1794. He translated: "Life of Nader Shah" (into French), 1770 (English version, 1773); "The Moallakat," 1782; "The Mahomedan Law of Succession," 1782; "Sacontalá," 1789; 'Al-Sirájiyyah, or Mahomedan Law of Inheritance," 1792; Manu's "Institutes," 1796. Collected Works: "Works," ed. by A. M. Jones (6 vols.), 1799; two supplemental vols., 1801; "Poetical Works," 1810; "Discourses, etc.," 1821. Life: "Memoirs, by Lord Teignmouth, 1804.-SHARP, R. FARQUHARSON, 1897, A Dictionary of English Authors, p. 151. PERSONAL I knew him from the early age of eight or nine, and he was always an uncommon boy. Great abilities, great particularity of thinking, fondness for writing verses and plays of various kinds, and a degree of integrity and manly courage, of which I remember many instances, distinguished him even at that period. I loved him and revered him, and, though one or two years older than he was, was always instructed by him from my earliest age. In a word, In a word, I can only say of this amiable and wonderful man, that he had more virtues, and less faults, than I ever yet saw in any human being; and that the goodness of his head, admirable as it was, was exceeded by that of his heart. I have never ceased to admire him from the moment I first saw him; and my esteem for his great qualities, and regret for his loss, will only end with my life. - BENNET, WILLIAM (BISHOP CLOYNE), 1795, Letter to the Dean of St. Asaph, November. OF His intercourse with the Indian natives Under of character and abilities was extensive: The name of Sir William Jones is associated, not only with the splendour of a great reputation, but with almost all the amiable and exemplary virtues; and the gentler affections, which were a little. a little chilled by the aspect of his vast literary attainments, are won sweetly back, and rest with delight upon the view, which is here exhibited, of the purity, the integrity, and the mildness, of his private manners. His life, indeed, seems, from his earliest youth, not only to have been undefiled by those coarser blemishes of excess and debauchery, which are generally excluded by an addiction to letters, but to have been distinguished for all that manly exertion, and varied activity, which so rarely escapes unimpaired from the languor of an academical retirement; while it was adorned by the polished manners and elegant accomplishments which are still more frequently neglected by the man of business and the scholar. The most remarkable features in his character, indeed, seem to have resulted from the union of this gentleness and modesty of disposition, with a very lofty conception of his own capability and destination. Without ever appearing to presume upon the force of his genius or the vigour of his understanding, he seems to have thought nothing beyond the reach of his industry and perseverance.-JEFFREY, FRANCIS LORD, 1805, Lord Teignmouth's Life of Sir W. Jones, Edinburgh Firm, when exalted, in demeanour grave, Review, vol. 5, p. 329. and profound. As a linguist, he has scarcely, if ever, been surpassed; he had made himself acquainted with no fewer than twenty-eight different languages, and was studying the grammars of several of the Oriental dialects up to within a week of his lamented death. In accordance with a determination to which we have already referred, he perfected himself in Greek, Latin, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, German and English; made himself master of Sanscrit, and less completely of Hindostanee and Bengalee, and also of the dialects called the Tibetian, the Pâli, the Phalavi, and the Deri. The other languages which he studied more or less completely were the Chinese, Russian, Runic, Syriac, Ethiopic, Coptic, Dutch, Swedish, and Welsh.-SEYMOUR, CHARLES C. B., 1858, Self-Made Men, p. 477. "Know him, sir!" exclaimed the friend of his boyhood, Samuel Parr,-who, with all his pompous affectation, had a warm heart under his Roman mail,-"Know him, sir! Who did not know him? Who did not bend in devout respect at the variety and depth of his learning, the integrity of his principles, and the benevolence of his heart?"-BARKER, EDMUND HENRY, 182829, Parriana, p. 322. When I entered the temple [1782], Sir William Jones was in high fame as a commentator and translator of Oriental poetry, and as a classical scholar; but the lawyers, rightly or wrongly, held him in little estimation for his skill in their own profession; nor was he considered then to have the talents of an original writer. I had not the good luck to be acquainted with him, nor even to know his person.BRYDGES, SIR SAMUEL EGERTON, 1834, Autobiography, vol. I, p. 190. His acquaintance with the history, philosophy, laws, religion, science, and manners of nations, was most extensive GENERAL He too, whom Indus and the Ganges mourn, In science temp'rate, various, and sublime; The courts of Athens, or the halls of Rome, Mercy and truth were his, he lov'd to save. Coelestial brightness beaming on his breast, MATHIAS, THOMAS JAMES, 1794-98, The The death of this great man is an irreparable loss to Christianity, to science, and to literature. DRAKE, NATHAN, 1798-1820, Literary Hours, No. xxix, vol. II, p. 122, note. I close with a retrospect of the works of Sir William Jones, who, by establishing the affinity between the Indian language and the Latin, Greek, German, and Persian, first threw a light on this obscure study, and consequently on the earliest popular history which before his time was everywhere dark and confused. Yet he has extended the affinity to some other instances infinitely less important, tracing back the exhaustless abundance of language to three chief families-the Indian, Arabic, and Tartar; and, finally, after SIR WILLIAM JONES having himself so finely exhibited the total difference of the Arabic and Indian languages, seeking, from a love of unity, to derive all from one common source: I have, therefore, been unable to adhere closely in every particular to this excellent and learned man, since his arguments being directed to support an opposite theory, would unquestionably militate against my own opinions.-SCHLEGEL, FREDERICK VON, 1808, On the Indian Language, Literature and Philosophy, tr. Millington, p. 464. The doctrine of bailments (which lies. at the foundation of the law of shipments) was almost struck out at a single heat by Lord Holt who had the good sense to incorporate into the English code that system which the text and the commentaries of the civil law had already built up on the continent of Europe. What remained to give perfect symmetry and connexion to all the parts of that system, and to refer it to its principles, has been accomplished in our times by the incomparable essay of Sir William Jones, a man, of whom it is difficult to say, which is most worthy of admiration, the splendour of his genius, the rareness and extent of his acquirements, or the unspotted purity of his life. Had he never written anything but his "Essay on Bailments," he would have left a name unrivalled in the common law, for philosophical accuracy, elegant learning, and finished analysis. Even cold and cautious as is the habit, if not the structure, of a professional mind, it is impossible to suppress enthusiasm, when we contemplate such a man.-STORY, JOSEPH, 1817, Hoffman's Course of Legal Study, North American Review, vol. 6, p. 46. In the course of a short life, Sir William Jones acquired a degree of knowledge which the ordinary faculties of men, if they were blest with antediluvian longevity, could scarcely hope to surpass. His learning threw light on the laws of Greece and India, on the general literature of Asia, and on the history of the family of nations. He carried philosophy, eloquence, and philanthrophy into his character of a lawyer and a judge. Amid the driest toils of erudition, he retained a sensibility to the beauties of poetry, and a talent for transfusing them into his own language, which has seldom been united. 199 with the same degree of industry. Had "Sweet maid, if thou wouldst charm my it would alone testify the harmony of his "For all Bokhara's gold, Or all the gems of Samarcand." It is, nevertheless, impossible to avoid supposing, that the activity of his mind. spread itself in too many directions to be always employed to the best advantage. The impulse that carried him through so many pursuits, has a look of something restless, inordinate, and ostentatious. Useful as he was, he would in all probability have been still more so, had his powers been concentrated to fewer objects. His poetry is sometimes elegant; but altogether, it has too much of the florid luxury of the East.-CAMPBELL, THOMAS, 1819, Specimens of the British Poets. To the name of poet, as it implies the possession of an inventive faculty, Sir William Jones has but little pretension. He borrows much; and what he takes he seldom makes better. Yet some portion of sweetness and elegance must be allowed him. In the hymns to the Hindu deities, the imagery which is derived chiefly from Eastern sources, is novel and attractive. -CARY, HENRY FRANCIS, 1821-45, Lives of English Poets, p. 384. Need I dwell a moment on the recommendation of the works of Sir William Jones?... A scholar, a critic, philosopher, lawyer, and poet,-where shall we find, in the work of the same man, greater demonstration of pure and correct feelings, and cultivated and classical taste, than in the volumes here noticed and recommended? The piety of Sir William Jones was not inferior to his learning. A thoroughly good and great-minded man,-his caution, humility, and diffidence were equal to his learning and multifarious attainments; and there is a vigour and raciness in his translations of Persian poetry which give them the enchanting air of original productions. DIBDIN, THOMAS FROGNALL, 1824, Library Companion, p. 413, note. The professional acquirements of Sir William Jones were undoubtedly of a very high order. He commenced the study of the law at a later period of life than is usual; and he brought with him to the task powers of mind polished to the finest brilliancy by unremitting exercise, and tempered and proved in a variety of pursuits. With these advantages, he applied himself to the study of his profession as to that of a science, resting upon principles, and to be mastered, like other sciences, by an exact and orderly method. His 'Essay on the Law of Bailments" affords an instance of the logical manner in which his mind was accustomed to deal with legal subjects; and it has been already stated that he had treated several other branches of the law upon the same model. His acquaintance with legal writers was doubtless very extensive; and his admirable memory enabled him to preserve the greater portion of whatever he pursued. As a judge his character stood stainless and unreproached.-ROSCOE, HENRY, 1830, Lives of Eminent British Lawyers, p. 327. There are few authors to whom Oriental literature is under more deep obligations than to Sir William Jones; few, who, like him, have not merely pointed out original and important sources of knowledge, but contributed in no inconsiderable degree to render them accessible. He was equally remarkable for his ardour and industry in philological pursuits, from a very early period of his life, until its premature and lamented close.-WELSFORD, HENRY, 1845, On Origin and Ramifications of the English Language. The Admirable Crichton of his day.... The poetry of Sir William Jones is very sonorous and imposing; and in his happiest efforts there is not wanting nobleness of thought, or glow of passion, as well as pomp of words. He cannot, however, be called a poet of an original genius; any peculiarity of inspiration that may seem to distinguish some of his compositions is for the most part only the Orientalism of the subject, and of the figures and images. He is a brilliant translator and imitator rather than a poet in any higher sense.CRAIK, GEORGE L., 1861, A Compendious History of English Literature, vol. II. ings, who had spent long years in India, Many Englishmen, notably Warren Hastlanguages and literature of the country; had become profoundly versed in the practical work of administration to embut they were too much occupied with the body their knowledge and researches in literary and scientific form. Jones, on imbued not only with enthusiasm for the other hand, came to India with a mind oriental studies, but with a wider knowledge of classical and other literatures than ordinarily possessed. Moreover, he could men sent to India in their early manhood express himself in writing with rapidity and elegance. No subject was too abstruse or too trifling for Jones to investigate. Hindu chronology, music, and chess were all studied and described by him. He planned an exhaustive work on the botany of India, and paid attention to the local zoology. The famous asoka tree of Indian mythology and poetry is known to botanists as Jonesia asoka and was so named by Dr. William Roxburgh (1759-1815) in honor of Sir William Jones.-STEPHENS, H. MORSE, 1892, Dictionary of National Biography," vol. XXX, p. 175. George Colman The Elder Born, in Florence, March (or April?), 1732. At Westminster School, 1746-51. To Ch. Ch., Oxford, 5 June 1751; B. A., 18 April 1755; M. A., 18 March 1758. Contributed to "The Student," 1751; to Hawkesworth's "The Adventurer," Sept. 1753; ed. "The Connoisseur," with Bonnell Thornton, Jan. 1754 to Sept. 1756. Called to Bar at Lincoln's Inn, 1755. On Oxford Circuit, 1759. Farce, "Polly Honeycombe," produced at Drury Lane, 5 Dec. 1760; "The Jealous Wife" produced, 12 Feb. 1761. Started "St. James's Chronicle," with Bonnell Thornton and Garrick, 1761. Purchased Covent Garden Theatre (with Powell, Harris, and Rutherford), and opened it, 14 Sept. 1767. Married Miss Ford, 1767 (?); she died, 29 March 1771. . . . management, 26 May 1774, and retired to Bath. Contrib. a series of papers called "The . . Resigned Gentleman" to "The London Packet," July to Dec. 1775. A version of Ben Jonson's |