INTRODUCTORY RETROSPECT 45 theme was too narrow and limited to afford the fullest scope for development and_ progress. Conservative taste. One of the remarkable tendencies of later Hindu culture generally and 91 all ancient vernacular literature in particular was, that they carried the suppression of individuality too far : and that the consequence has been to exalt authority and dis- courage originality. Of course, nothing can be more ob- jectionable than the obtrusive self-assertiveness of modern times, yet it must be admitted that it nevertheless furthers intellectual progress by relaxing the severity of effete conventionalities and allowing ambition freer scope and wider soaring-region. But this limitation of subject and this conservative taste were Monotony of form. coupled with a further limitation of ancient poetry in its form, its staple of stereotyped verses, beyond which it could never stray but which was apt to become dull, monotonous, and sing- song, especially because of its sectional pauses. But the greatest drawback, whieh would of itself indicate the poverty of the literature in its certain aspects, was the complete absence of prose as a vehicle Absence of prose. of literary expression. It is tiue that in all literature, as the immortal jest of Moliére implies, prose always comes after poetry; yet in ancient Bengali literature we have practically very little good prose at all, however late. ! In critically examining the literary history of Bengal in the pre-British era, it is impossible to mistake the significance of these facts : namely, that its poetry, though vigorously started under the best auspices and though
- Some acconnt of the giowth and development of old Bengali
prose is given in App. I at the end of this volume,
