Page:History of Bengali Literature in the Nineteenth Century.djvu/160

 136 BENGALI LITERATURE descriptions of indeclinable verbs,adverbs, prepositions, ete., and closes with syntax and with an appendix of numerals and tables of weights and measures. ‘he rules are com- prehensive, though expressed with brevity and simplicity ; and the examples, though derived from only a few of the standard works, are sufficiently numerous and well-chosen. There are many defects and inevitable errors but they are sufficiently obvious and exeusable to require any comment and do not materially affect the value of the book. The syntax, however, is the least satisfactorily illustrated part but this defect was fully remedied by a separate publica- tion, originally forming a supplement, printed also in 1801, of Kathopakathan or Dialogues in ere or Bengali, with a translation into Eng- lish, comprising a great variety of idioms and phrases in current Bengali. Carey’s extraordi- nary command over colloquial Bengali is nowhere better exhibited. There are, no doubt, occasional lapses and errors of idiom! which none but a man born to the language can easily realise, yet the extent and variety of Fe? wid Sabattus topics, the different situations, and of urna forms and the different classes of men dealt with 1a10ms. in these dialogues show not only a minute and svmpathetie observation and familiarity with 1 Carey, however, was so very careful to ensure correctness in this respect that he writes in the Preface : “That the work might be as complete as possible, I have employed some sensible natives to compose dialogues upon subjects of a domestic nature, and to give them pre- cisely in the natural style of the persons supposed to be speakers. I believe the imitation to be so exact that they will not only assist the student, but furuish a considerable idea of the domestic economy of the country”. It will be seen therefore that the authorship of the entire book does not rest with him, but that the dialogues other than those of a domestic nature were his own. But even these surely reflect great credit on him as a scholar of Bengali.