INTERREGNUM IN POETRY 299 its influence in moulding the literary characteristics of the age. The historical importance, therefore, of this inferior but not insignificant band of writers The historical im- belonging to the old school lies portance of these in- oa eee 7 digenous writers. mainly as we have seen, in the fact that whatever may be the intrinsic value of their writings they examplify and hand down in their own way the failing inspiration of earlier days and thus maintain the continuity of literary history during the period of interregnum between the death of Bharat Chandra and the emergence of the new school. Although some of them lived far into the first half of the 19th century they do not reflect the growing literary tendencies of the new era but they keep up the old manner of thought, the old fashion of imagination, and the old form of expression and thus secure the inheritance of ancient literature for the . advantage of the new generation. Standing as they do, on the the gateway of modern literature they give little or no presentiment of things to come, they do not announce the future; but they represent the past and stoutly, if unconsciously, make their stand for a fast disappearing form of art and expression which drew its inspiration from the past life of the nation itself and which was not without its significance to the new life the nation was entering upon. There was a time, however, when the value of these writings was totally forgotten or ignored. They appeared contemptible in the eyes of the so- Value of this litera- ঢা ; ৪ ealled Young Bengal of the last or forgotten. century who had been tutored rigidly in western ideas and western literature to the exclusion of everything national. Even to-day
