Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/750

 708 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. [ Chap. to the height of his power. It was a curious sight to see a European leave his trousers, coat and hat, dress himself like a Bengali with a chadar hanging down from his shoulders, and the focha of his adhoott neatly flowing in strict Bengali fashion, and singing songs in praise of the goddess Kali as follows :— worship thee. Oh Kali, be merciful to me.” This he didfor the sake of amusement; for he remained a christian all his life, though by living with his Hindu consort and in the atmos- phere of Hindu ideas, he had acquired the liberal views of the Hindus on matters of religion and was quite devoid of crude bigotry. Mr. Antony’s party soon acquired the fame of being invincible in their extempore satirical verses. Thakura Sing, the leader of another party of kaviwalas, made a charge at him in the following couplet. + “Tell me, O Antony, for I want to know, why you have, coming to this land ot ours, turned a vagabond without a coat ?” Mr. Antony was in the midst of audience consisting of common folk who would not appre- ciate any shrewd humour or clever stroke of wit. He was not only required to be coarse in his abuse, but to couch them in Bengali idioms of these rustic folk, and it must be admitted that he was যদি দয়া করে কুপা কর হে শিবে মাতঙগী॥ + *“শুনহে এন্টনি, আমি একটী কথা জান্তে চাই | এসে এদেশে, এবেশে, তোমাব গায়ে কেন কুত্তি নাই ”
 * “T ama Portuguese and don’t know howto
 * '' ভক্গন সাধন জানিনে মা, নিজেত ফিরিঙ্গি |