Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/314

Rh the lectures. It was also anonymous, but the rumour was that Vidyasagar was its author. It was also an attack against such Pandits as Braja Nath aud Bhuvan Mohan Vidyaratnas of Navadvip. Its language is as scurrilous as that of the two former pamphlets, and it is hardly possible that Vidyasagar could have been its author.

The Hindu Society was at this time, as at present, divided into three sections. The first section was the orthodox community, guided by the Sastric pundits, who were declared opponents of the remarriage of Hindu widows. The second was the English-educated old class, who, in their hearts, were in favour of the innovation, but had not the courage to advocate its cause openly. The third section was the English-educated young community, who were inspirited with European ideas, manners, and civilisation. The last named section were real advocates of widow-marriage, but their number was infinitesimal in comparison with the orthodox community, and they had not sufficient influence to be able to induce the other sections to their side. As a matter of consequence, Vidyasagar's movement found no favour with the general Hindus, though he succeeded in persuading the rulers of the soil to pass a Law on the subject, of which hereafter.

It must be said here, in passing, that Vidyasagar's exertion to introduce re-marriage of