profound and philosophic dissertations in literature, or the just, discriminating, and enlightened disquisitions of his parliamentary oratory. Before his departure to India he had laid his country under obligation for his services in behalf of constitutional liberty, and of the reputation of puritanic patriots. English letters had been enriched by his research and eloquence in critical essays, and the lessons inculcated in our national history had been developed by his senatorial labours. He had held deep converse with the sages of ancient days, and had drunk copious draughts of English freedom from their pure and generous fountains. Therefore was he able to appreciate the enjoyment derived from well-selected literary stores, and to speak of the happy oblivion into which distressing events are often cast by the ministrations of knowledge. "I feel this more strongly than perhaps others may," he confessed on a recent occasion, "arising from peculiar circumstances in the history of my own mind. For I can say that, as far back as I can remember, books have been to me dear friends; they have been my comfort in grief, and my companions in solitude; in poverty they have been to me more than sufficient riches; in exile they have been my consolation for the want of my country; in the midst of vexations and distresses of political life, in the midst of political contention and strife, of calumny and invective, they have contributed to keep my mind serene and unclouded. There is, I may well say, no wealth, there is no power, there is no rank, which I would accept, if, in exchange, I were to be deprived of my books of the privilege of conversing with the greatest minds of all past ages; of searching after the truth; of contemplating the beautiful; of living with the distant, the unreal, the past, and the future. Knowing, as I do, what it is to enjoy these pleasures myself, I do not grudge them to the labouring men, who, by their honourable, independent, and gallant efforts, have advanced themselves within their reach; and, owing all that I owe to the soothing influences of literature, I should be ashamed of myself if I grudged the same advantages to them."

True learning is generous, and the wisely learned hate monopoly. Literature, like "charity, is twice blessed; it blesses him that gives, and him that receives. It stands at the corners of the streets, and calls to the sons of men; it addresses the simple ones, and tells them that wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things which may be desired are not to be compared to it." Such also is the principle of Mr. Macaulay. He was, therefore, one of the ablest and most strenuous coadjutors of Lord William Bentinck in promoting the extension of English and European literature among the people of Hindostan. He reasoned cogently, and, with singular felicity, established the claims of Anglican learning. The following paragraphs are ascribed to his pen.

"How then stands the case? We have to educate a people who cannot at present be educated

by means of their mother-tongue; we must teach them some foreign language. The claims of our own language it is hardly necessary to recapitulate; it stands preeminent even among the languages of the West; it abounds with works of imagination not inferior to the noblest which Greece has bequeathed to us; with models of every species of eloquence; with historical compositions, which, considered merely as narratives, have seldom been surpassed, and which, considered as vehicles of ethical and political instruction, have never been equalled; with just and lively representations of human life and human nature; with the most profound speculations on metaphysics, morals, government, jurisprudence, trade; with full and correct information respecting every experimental science which tends to preserve the health, to increase the comfort, or to expand the intellect of man. Whoever knows that language has ready access to all the vast intellectual wealth which all the wisest nations of the earth have created and hoarded in the course of ninety generations. It may safely be said, that the literature now extant in that language is of far greater value than all the literature which, three hundred years ago, was extant in all the languages of the world together. Nor is this all: in India, English is the language spoken by the ruling class; it is spoken by the higher class of natives at the seats of government; it is likely to become the language of commerce throughout the seas of the East; it is the language of two

great European communities which are rising, the one in the south of Africa, the other in Australasia : communities which are every year becoming more important, and more closely connected with our Indian empire. Whether we look at the intrinsic value of our literature, or at the particular situation of this country, we shall see the strongest reason to think that, of all foreign tongues, the English tongue is that which would be the most useful to our native subjects."

It has been a corroboration of the wisdom and policy of this measure, that other eminently qualified judges have advocated the same opinions. Sir Charles Metcalf knows India well, and his judgment is entitled to the highest respect. It was auspicious for the interests of European literature that he immediately succeeded Lord W. Bentinck. His opinion of Sanscrit and Arabic lore will be gathered from his reply to the Asiatic Society, who had solicited government assistance, in the publication of certain works in these languages. "The government," he observed, "having resolved to discontinue, with some exceptions, the printing of the projected editions of oriental works, a great portion of the limited education fund having hitherto been expended on similar publications to little purpose but to accumulate stores of waste paper, cannot furnish pecuniary aid to the Society for the further printing of those works; but will gladly make over the parts already printed, either to the Asiatic Society, or to any society or indi

viduals who may be disposed to complete the publication at their own expense." Lord Auckland carries his views into farther operation, and gives the best of all assurances that he approves of the measure. He has built at his own expense a handsome school-house in the government park at Barrackpore, and has established in it a large English school, which he often visits to watch the improvement and direct the studies of the pupils. As another sign of the times, I feel sincere pleasure in noticing the work of C. E. Trevelyan, Esq. Bengal Civil Service, on the education of the people of India. Had I sooner seen that valuable volume it would have facilitated my own inquiries. It will gratify every enlightened friend of education by its generous, expansive, and philosophical principles and illustrations.

The patronage by government of the English language has already produced the most surprising results among the Hindoos, from the lines of the sepoy battalion to the palace and courts of princes. Schools have been established, and libraries provided for native regiments: it is a new figure in military tactics; but these soldier seminaries may become the nurseries of knowledge, and prove extensively advantageous to many others. Two hundred thousand sepoys, with their wives and children and camp followers may be instrumental in diffusing a literary leaven through the whole mass. I believe, in many instances, these schools for the troops will be found efficiently conducted.