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Rh to purchase its copyright. But he kindly made it over to me gratuitously. Accordingly, I issue a reprint of the book.

'I am well aware, that the compilation is not as perfect as it ought to be, considering the importance of the subject discussed. In fact, out of the vast number of Sanskrit Literary works, only the names of a few have been mentioned. But it must be borne in mind, that only one hour's time is allowed by the Bethune Society for the reading of an essay. Consequently, keeping in view the shortness of the time allowed, the briefest method possible has been adopted.'

Vidyasagar had a great mind to discuss the subject at great length, and present it to the public, but, to the misfortune of Bengal, he could not carry out the project for want of time. The language of the short treatise, however, is very plain and elegant.

On the 9th December 1854, appeared his Sakuntala, a Bengali version of the Sanskrit "Abhijnan-Sakuntalam." It is not written in a dramatic form, though the original is one of the best dramas in Sanskrit. Some portions of the original text has been translated literally; while of others, the purport only has been taken. It is superfluous to say that, in excellence and beauty, it surpassed all its predecessors.