the life of william carey-第24章

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them　much　help。。。The　day　I　received　your　letter　I　set　about　composing　a　grammar　and　dictionary　of　the　Bengal　language　to　send　to　you。　　The　best　account　of　Hindu　mythology　extant；　and　which　is　pretty　exact；　is　Sonnerat's　Voyage；　undertaken　by　order　of　the　king　of　France。〃

Without　Sanskrit　Carey　found　that　he　could　neither　master　its　Bengali　offshoot　nor　enrich　that　vernacular　with　the　words　and　combinations　necessary　for　his　translations　of　Scripture。　Accordingly；　with　his　usual　rapidity　and　industry；　we　find　that　he　had　by　April　1796　so　worked　his　way　through　the　intricate　difficulties　of　the　mother　language　of　the　Aryans　that　he　could　thus　write　to　Ryland；　with　more　than　a　mere　scholar's　enthusiasm；　of　one　of　the　two　great　Vedic　epics：〃I　have　read　a　considerable　part　of　the　Mahabarata；　an　epic　poem　written　in　most　beautiful　language；　and　much　upon　a　par　with　Homer；　and　it　was；　like　his　Iliad；　only　considered　as　a　great　effort　of　human　genius；　I　should　think　it　one　of　the　first　productions　in　the　world；　but　alas！　it　is　the　ground　of　faith　to　millions　of　the　simple　sons　of　men；　and　as　such　must　be　held　in　the　utmost　abhorrence。〃　　At　the　beginning　of　1798　he　wrote　to　Sutcliff：〃I　am　learning　the　Sanskrit　language；　which；　with　only　the　helps　to　be　procured　here；　is　perhaps　the　hardest　language　in　the　world。　　To　accomplish　this；　I　have　nearly　translated　the　Sanskrit　grammar　and　dictionary　into　English；　and　have　made　considerable　progress　in　compiling　a　dictionary；　Sanskrit；　including　Bengali　and　English。〃

By　this　year　he　had　completed　his　first　translation　of　the　Bible　except　the　historical　books　from　Joshua　to　Job；　and　had　gone　to　Calcutta　to　obtain　estimates　for　printing　the　New　Testament；　of　which　he　had　reported　to　Mr。　Fuller：〃It　has　undergone　one　correction；　but　must　undergo　several　more。　　I　employ　a　pundit　merely　for　this　purpose；　with　whom　I　go　through　the　whole　in　as　exact　a　manner　as　I　can。　　He　judges　of　the　style　and　syntax；　and　I　of　the　faithfulness　of　the　translation。　　I　have；　however；　translated　several　chapters　together；　which　have　not　required　any　alteration　in　the　syntax　whatever：　yet　I　always　submit　this　article　entirely　to　his　judgment。　　I　can　also；　by　hearing　him　read；　judge　whether　he　understands　his　subject　by　his　accenting　his　reading　properly　and　laying　the　emphasis　on　the　right　words。　　If　he　fails　in　this；　I　immediately　suspect　the　translation；　though　it　is　not　an　easy　matter　for　an　ordinary　reader　to　lay　the　emphasis　properly　in　reading　Bengali；　in　which　there　is　no　pointing　at　all。　　The　mode　of　printing；　i。e。　whether　a　printing…press；　etc。；　shall　be　sent　from　England；　or　whether　it　shall　be　printed　here；　or　whether　it　shall　be　printed　at　all；　now　rests　with　the　Society。〃

Fuller　was　willing；　but　the　ardent　scholar　anticipated　him。　　Seeing　a　wooden　printing…press　advertised　in　Calcutta　for　？0；　Carey　at　once　ordered　it。　　On　its　arrival　in　1798；　〃after　worship〃　he　〃retired　and　thanked　God　for　furnishing　us　with　a　press。〃　　When　set　up　in　the　Mudnabati　house　its　working　was　explained　to　the　natives；　on　whom　the　delighted　missionary's　enthusiasm　produced　only　the　impression　that　it　must　be　the　idol　of　the　English。

But　Carey's　missionary　organisation　would　not　have　been　complete　without　schools；　and　in　planning　these　from　the　very　first　he　gives　us　the　germs　which　blossomed　into　the　Serampore　College　of　1818　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　primary　school　circles　under　native　Christian　inspectors　on　the　other；　a　system　carried　out　since　the　Mutiny　of　1857　by　the　Christian　Literature　Society；　and　adopted　by　the　state　departments　of　public　instruction。

〃MUDNABATI；　27th　January　1795。Mr。　Thomas　and　I　（between　whom　the　utmost　harmony　prevails）　have　formed　a　plan　for　erecting　two　colleges　（Chowparis；　Bengali）；　one　here　and　the　other　at　his　residence；　where　we　intend　to　educate　twelve　lads；　viz。　six　Mussulmans　and　six　Hindoos　at　each　place。　　A　pundit　is　to　have　the　charge　of　them；　and　they　are　to　be　taught　Sanskrit；　Bengali；　and　Persian；　the　Bible　is　to　be　introduced；　and　perhaps　a　little　philosophy　and　geography。　　The　time　of　their　education　is　to　be　seven　years；　and　we　find　them　meat；　clothing；　lodging；　etc。　　We　are　now　inquiring　for　children　proper　for　the　purpose。　　We　have　also　determined　to　require　that　the　Society　will　advance　money　for　types　to　print　the　Bengali　Bible；　and　make　us　their　debtors　for　the　sum；　which　we　hope　to　be　able　to　pay　off　in　one　year：　and　it　will　also　be　requisite　to　send　a　printing…press　from　England。　　We　will；　if　our　lives　are　spared；　repay　the　whole；　and　print　the　Bible　at　our　own　expense；　and　I　hope　the　Society　will　become　our　creditors　by　paying　for　them　when　delivered。　　Mr。　Thomas　is　now　preparing　letters　for　specimens；　which　I　hope　will　be　sent　by　this　conveyance。

〃We　are　under　great　obligation　to　Mr。　G。　Udny　for　putting　us　in　these　stations。　　He　is　a　very　friendly　man　and　a　true　Christian。　　I　have　no　spirit　for　politics　here；　for　whatever　the　East　India　Company　may　be　in　England；　their　servants　and　officers　here　are　very　different；　we　have　a　few　laws；　and　nothing　to　do　but　to　obey。〃　　Of　his　own　school　he　wrote　in　1799　that　it　consisted　of　forty　boys。　〃The　school　would　have　been　much　larger；　had　we　been　able　to　have　borne　the　expense；　but；　as　among　the　scholars　there　are　several　orphans　whom　we　wholly　maintain；　we　could　not　prudently　venture　on　any　further　expense。。。The　boys　have　hitherto　learned　to　read　and　write；　especially　parts　of　the　Scriptures；　and　to　keep　accounts。　　We　may　now　be　able　to　introduce　some　other　useful　branches　of　knowledge　among　them。。。I　trust　these　schools　may　tend　to　promote　curiosity　and　inquisitiveness　among　the　rising　generation；　qualities　which　are　seldom　found　in　the　natives　of　Bengal。〃

The　Medical　Mission　completed　the　equipment。　〃I　submit　it　to　the　consideration　of　the　Society　whether　we　should　not　be　furnished　with　medicines　gratis。　　No　medicines　will　be　sold　by　us；　yet　the　cost　of　them　enters　very　deeply　into　our　allowance。　　The　whole　supply　sent　in　the　Earl　Howe；　amounting　to　？5；　besides　charges　amounting　to　thirty　per　cent。；　falls　on　me；　but　the　whole　will　either　be　administered　to　sick　poor；　or　given　to　any　neighbour　who　is　in　want；　or　used　in　our　own　families。　　Neighbouring　gentlemen　have　often　supplied　us。　　Indeed；　considering　the　distance　we　are　from　medical　assistance；　the　great　expensiveness　of　it　far　beyond　our　ability；　and　the　number　of　wretched；　afflicted　objects　whom　we　continually　see　and　who　continually　apply　for　help；　we　ought　never　to　sell　a　pennyworth。　　Brother　Thomas　has　been　the　instrument　of　saving　numbers　of　lives。　　His　house　is　constantly　surrounded　with　the　afflicted；　and　the　cures　wrought　by　him　would　have　gained　any　physician　or　surgeon　in　Europe　the　most　extensive　reputation。　　We　ought　to　be　furnished　yearly　with　at　least　half　a　hundredweight　of　Jesuit's　bark。〃

Around　and　as　the　fruit　of　the　completely　organised　mission；　thus　conducted　by　the　ordained　preacher；　teacher；　scholar；　scientist；　printer；　and　licensed　indigo　planter　in　one　station；　and　by　his　medical　colleague　sixteen　miles　to　the　north　of　him　at　Mahipal；　there　gathered　many　native　inquirers。　　Besides　the　planters；　civil　officials；　and　military　officers；　to　whom　he　ministered　in　Malda　and　Dinapoor　stations；　there　was　added　the　most　able　and　consistent　convert；　Mr。　Cunninghame　of　Lainshaw；　the　assistant　judge；　who　afterwards　in　England　fought　the　battle　of　missions；　and　from　his　Ayrshire　estate；　where　he　built　a　church；　became　famous　as　an　expounder　of　prophecy。　　Carey　looked　upon　this　as　〃the　greatest　event　that　has　occurred　since　our　coming　to　this　country。〃　　The　appointment　of　Lord　Mornington；　soon　to　be　known　as　the　Marquis　Wellesley；　〃the　glorious　little　man；〃　as　Metcalfe　called　him；　and　hardly　second　to　his　younger　brother　Wellington；　having　led　Fuller　to　recommend　that　Carey　should　wait　upon　his　Excellency　at　Calcutta；　this　reply　was　received：〃I　would　not；　however；　have　you　suppose　that　we　are　obliged　to　conceal　ourselves；　or　our　work：　no　such　thing。　　We　preach　before　magistrates　and　judges；　and　were　I　to　be　in　the　company　with　Lord　Mornington；　I　should　not　hesitate　to　declare　myself　a　missionary　to　the　heathen；　though　I　would　not　on　any　account　return　mys