Page:Convocation Addresses of the Universities of Bombay and Madras.djvu/43

 of law to a good general education. I trust the time is not far distant when Government and those who have the task of testing the claims of candidates for admission to the native Bar, and of selecting Judges to sit on the native Bench, will be able to substitute the University stamp of merit and qualification for the present imperfect departmental tests and examinations.

I am also glad to see the Bhugwandass Purshotumdass Sanskrit scholarship awarded to a worthy candidate. I trust the day is not far distant when we shall find the Parsees of this University devoting to the study of their ancient and sacred languages some such attention as their learned Hindu brethren devote to Sanskrit. The two fields of study have much in common, and though we may not hope to recover from the lost treasures of ancient Persian and Assyrian literature anything approaching in quantity or value to the stores of Sanskrit learning, yet there is enough to be done^ to fire the ambition of scholars who trace the history of their race and faith back to the early days of Persia and Assyria.

In speaking of the year's progress I used advisedly the words "moderate and satisfactory;" but I would not have it supposed because I use no stronger terms that I doubted the progress being quite as great and rapid as is consistent with permanence and healthy growth. Whatever doubt may formerly have been felt on the subject, it is now beyond question that this University has taken deep root among the institutions of Western India, that the rising generation of educated natives is deeply impressed with an enthusiastic desire to obtain the benefits of University education and the honours which the University can bestow ; and our danger is now, not that the University should languish as an exotic unfitted for this soil and climate, but that its too luxuriant growth should make too rapid a display of flowers and leaves while it fails to bring much valuable fruit to perfection. I believe that for some time to come, our main difficulty will be to maintain the high standard of University learning, and to discourage all attempts, by lowering that general standard, to increase immediate and apparent results without corresponding security for the completeness of the work done. And this brings me to notice a discussion in which we have all lately taken an interest regarding the University standards as applied to Oriental learning. It was maintained with great ability by one of our most valued Fellows, of whose claim for respect on account of his great and varied learning