Page:Convocation Addresses of the Universities of Bombay and Madras.djvu/591

 cally and vigorously in your own language, and of interpreting through it your new knowledge and your new ideas. 1 am not one of those who think that much can be done at present in the way of imparting scientific thoughts and facts to the people through the Vernaculars, because I believe you must educate the people first on Western methods through their own Vernaculars before you can rouse sufficient interest in what you have to tell to insure intelligent listeners,

" Charm you never so wisely ."

But the number of those whose interest has been roused is increasing, perhaps rapidly, and such as these you must be prepared to address in the vulgar tongue. We may yet see an awakening similar to that which recast the whole social and ideal life of Europe, when the thoughts of men of "light and leading" of the ages past and of the then present were communicated to its people "in their own tongue wherein they were born." No one can feel more strongly than I do that, if the peoples of India with their numerous Vernaculars are ever to rise to a nobler life and to greater wealth, the proportion of those who know English must be ten, nay, twenty-fold of what it is, and be equally distributed amongst men and women; but no one more strongly believes that the great mass of people can never be truly regenerated until each Vernacular is made a fitting vehicle for carrying on that knowledge. Only those who have had to do with the translating of little works of a scientific character into one of these Vernaculars can appreciate how difficult the task of interpretation now is. But this interpretation must be done. For it is folly to imagine that the rapidly increasing millions of South India can ever be English-speaking or depend mainly on English literature. The growing circulation of Vernacular Journals and Leaflets show how rapidly this demand for something to read is spreading especially among the Tamil population. Gentlemen, to whatever Faculty you may belong, if you would spread abroad some rays from your own lamp of knowledge do not fail to gain such a command over your Vernacular that what you write may be read and understood.

So far I have spoken only of Language and Literature. 1 have brought these subjects into such special prominence, because I feel that in them "is hid what may be called the wisdom of life, the rich store of experience of human nature and of conduct," and that unless you acquire this wisdom of life, absorb into your nature the mental and moral conditions which have rendered progress possible, you cannot reap the full benefit