6 OPINIONS. has pined in the cold shade of official disdain. He who seeks to illustrate them receives neither recognition nor praise; and he cannot look forward to the worldly success which attends a very moderate expertness in the English tongue. * * * Wishing you a speedy recovery and patronage of an enlightened Government, etc.’’ Later on, Mr. Skrine wrote to Dr. Martin. “Tt is an epoch-making book. Babu Dinesh Chandra Sen has entirely broken down by the severe labour entailed by this colossal task. Extract from a letter from Dr. Martin, Director of Public Instruction, dated the 29th November 1897. ‘“‘T have the honour to request that you will be so good as to send 7o copies of it (History of Bengali language and literature ) to this office, with a bill of cost. You may also circulate a copy of Pandit Hara Prosad Sastri’s review of your book to aided colleges and schools of Bengal, with the intimation that in the opinion of this office, the book is deserving of a place in their libraries.” Extract froma letter from Mr. A. Pedler, F.R. S., Director of Public Instruction, dated the 2nd March, 1899. ‘‘T have the honour to state that I am willing to subscribe to 70 copies of this edition. ‘Tl amto add that [ fully appreciate the value of the work otherwise I should not be subscribing to the 2nd as well as to the rst edition.” Luzac’s Oriental List says ;— Babu Dines Chunder Sen’s ‘“ Banga Bhasa and Sahitya”’ or “Language and Literature of Bengal,” divides, as its title indicates, into two parts. The first is a courageous and learned attempt to shew that, as under Buddhistic influence,
