Page:The Message and Ministrations of Dewan Bahadur R. Venkata Ratnam, volume 2.djvu/414

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numerous.*[1] Several of them are models of patient research, keen comprehension, striking originality, marked independence, lucid exposition and a masterly style. While his wonderful command of the English language wrung out praise from even the bitterest banterers on what is unjustly termed "Babu English," the results of his investigations were valued as a rare achievement by the scholars of the West. He was an honored member of numerous learned Societies and Academies all over the world, and was elected some years ago the President of the Asiatic Society in Bengal, thus rising — and very deservedly, too — to a position analogous to the one held, a century ago, by that linguistic prodigy and large-hearted scholar, Sir W. Jones. The Government conferred upon him the titles of Rajah and C. I. E.; and the Calcutta University, of which he was nominated a Fellow — rather an ambiguous honor in India — conferred upon him the highly-

  1. * According to a contemporary, he wrote 50 works, extending over 128 volumes, consisting of 33,089 pages There was a giant of "the mammoth brood"!