[ 68 ] in 1867 and was sworn in the High Cuurt as a barrister. But owing to improvidence and want of application he could not succeed at the bar and ran heavily into debts. After a period of untold misery, during vrhich some of his friends dosorU'tMum, he died in a charitable hospital on 20th June, 1873. His chief ambition in life was to be a great poet, and even - when at college he used to write English poems. Whil^at Madras, he published an English poem, the "Qiptive LoAy," 0 which was much admired, • In 1858, while Madhusitdan was in Calcutta, a brilliant group of amateurs, composed mostly of the gentry of Calcutta, wanted to represent the Bengali drama Rutiu.tvali on the stage. The Lieutenant-Governor and other distinguishes Europeans were expected to be present on the occasion, and it wiu found necessary to translate the drama into English in order to nudce the play- intelligible to the illustrious visitors. Michael M. S. D utt took up the task, which he accomplished with singular ability and elegance. He now found out how poor was Bengali literature in dramas, and produced two dramas in Bengali, Sarmi&tim and Padmavati — which were faourably received. After this, at the request and under the patronage of Miiharaja Sir Jotindramohan Tagore, he produced an epic in blank verse called TMotlnmnsambhav. The venture was succesufnl, and led to the production of his greatest work, Meghwtdubtuih'i, an epic in blank verse. He also produced two farces, which had one peculiarity, namely that they were free from vulgarity. Later on, he wrote two pr,emB, Bir(in{jaua and Brajavgftna — th* former of which was modelled on. the 'Heroic Epistles' of Virgil. Krishna Kumari, a drama, was also produced at the same time. Most of his Bengali sopnets were written while he was a sojourner in Europe. For Mil tonic grandeur, luxuriantsimilcs, and sweetness of expression, Megknadithadha will always occupy a hading position among Bengali poems.
