any acquaintance with the sources of Hindu history. So largely do the stories of ancient writers contribute that the fact has originated a proverb universal among the people of Bengal.
What is there after Bhárata?
A glance at a few pages of this volume will suffice to show that the people among whom such proverbs are current cannot be ignorant of the laws of God.
Vox Populi, vox Dei,
may be applied to this aspect of many of the Dravidian proverbs:
"The people’s voice, the voice of God we call;
And what are Proverbs, but the people’s voice?
Coined first and common made, by common choice;
Then sure they must have weight, and truth withal."
I may be permitted to say a few words on the utility of a volume like that now offered to the public. A foreigner destined to spend the best part of his life among the Tamil people will find their proverbs of inestimable value. In these pithy and instructive sayings a vast fund of information will be found, not to be obtained from ordinary books, and not at all from books designed for Western minds;—practical maxims, resulting from the experience of many generations, maxims that will be sought in vain in books of modern origin.
The translation will, I hope, be generally approved. In some instances I have found it difficult to ascertain the meaning; and in many the application has equally puzzled both myself and others to whom I have applied for information. In some cases I may have been misled by those who might be more disposed to hazard a conjecture than to acknowledge ignorance. For the benefit of foreigners the occasional notes might have been
