Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/1086

 10 OPINIONS. the enquiry was being made with the object ‘of imposing a tax on the owners of books. Others were unwilling to part with manuscripts that had been in their families for several genéra- tions. Babu D. C. Sen, however, persevered in his enquiries — in spite of all obstacles and the results of his six years’ labours are now incorporated in his History now published. The cost of publishing the work which would have been beyond the author's means has been borne by the Maharaja of Tippera who deserves the thanks of all students of the Bengali lan- 71 * The thanks of all students of Bengali literature are due to Babu Dinesh Chandra Sen for the labours he has patiently carried on for six years, in the face of many difficulties.” Extract from alengthy review by Mahamahopadhyaya Pundit Hara Prasad Sastri M.A., Principal, Sanskrit College, Calcutta, in the Calcutta University Magazine, May 1897. “The graduates of the Calcutta University are often re- proached with renouncing the study of literature as soon as they enter into the world. In many instances the reproach is well deserved. It is, therefore, with the greatest pleasure that we introduce Babu Dinesh Chandra Sen, B. A., to the notice of our educated countrymen as a gentleman who has done a good deal of original research in the field of Bengali literature. The result of his researches and labours has been embodied in a handy volume entitled ‘ Bangabhasa O Sahitya he gives a history of Bengali literature which has cast into the shade all previous works on the subject. Indeed, this is the first work on the history of Bengali literature which deserves the name. Many hundreds of volumes of manuscripts, hither- to unknown to the educated public, have not only been brought to light, but classified, arranged and criticised. Different schools of poetry taking their rise at different periods of national existence, have been traced to their natural historical causes, and the 11৮65 01 nearly a hundred
 * in which