Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 2.djvu/33

 OF JATA» 19 All Kccwi compositian is in verse, and this verse formed on the principle of Sanskrit prosody, that is to say, not rhyming measures, such as belong to all languages simple in their grammatical form, but such as js found to belong to original languages of complex structure. This will appear to the European reader something like the attempt to impose the fetters of Latin prosody upon the mo- dern language of Europe, in the shape of blank verse* The only compositions in the Kawi which it is worth while adverting to in this place, are epitomes of the Mahabar at and RamaT/ana ; the lat- ter preserving its name unaltered, and the forming recognized under that of the Brata-i/uda, or war of Bai'at* These works, which in India are not only the first of literary compositions, but have al- so the authority of scripture, are the sources of the principal mythological knowledge of the Indian islanders, as connected with the literature, religion, and superstitions of Hindustan. Absurd as these two works generally are, a brighter passage may now and then be selected ; and they display a comparative vigour of fancy and force of intellect, which places them, as poetical compositions, far above the utter inanity and child- ishness of more modern works. Javanese poetry, contrary to Kawi verse, is in a peculiar rhyming stanza, of which there are a great many varieties. No language, I believe, affords a