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INTRODUCTORY ESSAY ON BENGAL AND BENGALI NOVELISTS.
A knowledge of the vernacular is necessary for all officials, while, in the case of judicial officers, it may be regarded as a sine quâ non. The magistrate, who is thoroughly at home in the language, is able to dispose of cases with promptitude, and feels a certainty as to the correctness of his decision which cannot be felt by those who have to rely, in whole or in part, on the services of an interpreter. These facts alone constitute a sufficient incentive for acquiring a complete mastery of the language. No doubt, speaking generally, the vernacular languages of India are not worth studying for the sake of their literature; but if in this respect one vernacular is
