Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (1884).djvu/24

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own better nature, individual Englishmen might now and then advocate the policy of repression; but, thank God, force has long ago ceased to be regarded as an efficacious instrument in the Government of two hundred million of human beings. In her gracious Proclamation, constituting the Charter of our liberties, the Queen-Empress of India enunciates the noblest principles of government, and confesses to her determination of founding her rule upon the love and gratitude of the people. Occasional lapses on the part of those in authority under her might produce temporary irritation, but the two races are daily approaching each other with fraternal feelings as best befit the children of the same mother. Instead of looking upon the conquered people as outer barbarians, those in authority over them always manifest a sincere desire to enter into their feelings and understand their aspirations by personal converse and, what is certainly more efficacious in this line, by a study of their national literature. Professor Monier Williams in his preface to Dr. H. H. Milman's metrical translation of Nalo-pakhyana remarks, "Now that our Indian Empire has passed its first great climacteric, and vast changes are being effected in its constitution, the value of Sanskrit to all preparing for the Civil Service * * * cannot be insisted on too forcibly. Its relations to the spoken languages is not its only attraction. The study of Latin bears closely on Italian, and yet if the empire of Italy belonged to this country, we should not attach more importance to proficiency in Latin than we do at present, because, in fact, the people who now speak Italian have little community of character with the Romans who once spoke Latin. Their tastes, customs, habits of thought, laws, institutions, religion, and literature are all different. But in India the lapse of centuries causes little disturbance in the habit and character of the people, however numerous and violent the political revolutions." And again, "How is it, then, that knowing all this, Englishmen, with [two hundred million of] Indian fellow-subjects, have hitherto paid less attention to the study of this language, than other nations who have no material interests in the East?"

Since the time, however, that the Professor wrote, some-