The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-10-24

guase, and could write it with a cafe and flu-
ency that encouraged him to adfrefs fpiritcd
letter to Anquetil du Perron, Containing fevere
but jut Rri6tures on that gcntleman's tranllaton
of the books faliely attributed tuZoroafter, to-
gether with fomc remarks on THE lhberal fate.
men. ofthe Orienta.ifts of Oxfoh.
About this time he publifhed his commenta-
ries on Aiiatic poetry, which he had written a
few years before, but which he had DELAYED
giving to the world, until mort enlarged ac-
quantance with Oriental literature had fully
confirmed him in his opinions on this fubiect.
He bad determined on attaching to the pro-
FELTON, of the law, at the age oftkenty-two, and
although his ftudies, both in general iurifpru-
dence and in the common law of England had
been purified with the mott indefatigabIe dill
gence, he neglected not, at the fame time, to
give his attention to the phy6cal licences and to
carry on with amazing rapidity, his refearches
into the literature Of Ala. Between the years
l776 and l7s4~ he publiihed an ingenious and
learned efay on the law OF bailments--a tranlla-
ton of the fpeeches of focus, with predatory
difcourfe, and commentary equally admirable
tor clafiical elegance and criticil determination
la grammar of the Perlian language, which
cannot DC Efficiently praifed, and volume of
poems, dedicated to the countefs of Spencer
chiefly conliitins oftran0ations from the Arabic
Periian and Turllii poets, and including a COM
plete veriion from the Moallabat, or feven &C.
lebrated Arabic poems that are fufpended in the
Temple of Mecca. Befidcs thefe well known
performances, he wrote fevera Mort tracts on
various fubieets, for his prolific pen was never
mement idle.
| Among his latter productions, his character
OF MIR. John Dunning, Uord Aihburton) and
ms poem of Caiiia, merit our particular prafe-
| the former is drawn with the fervor of a friend
and the correctness of fcholar and it is as
| much adorned with beautiful and appropriate
colouring, as it is dignficd with the fobriety of
truth, and chaftened with the delicacies of tate
The latter is by far the mott highly finiied, fpi-
rlted and pleafing of all his poctical PRODUCT
ons.
| The reputation of his genius and great learn
ing had now fDread abroad, and his acuuaiut-
ance was fought afterb by people of the firlt emil
hence IN the republic of letters. He confeuuent-
ly loon became known to DIR. Johnfon and Sir
Joihna Reynolds, who introduced him to the
celebrated literary club, of which he was admit
ted member
Some time, we believe i'll 1882, he made the
tour or France, after which he refided for few
months in Paris, where he was introduced at
Court. The French monarch was much pleaf.
cd with his conversation, and made many enqui-
ries Teipectng fome of the provinces he had ira
yelled through, to all of which he anfwered in
Sir William had withdrawn, the King, turning
to one of his courtiers, faid, !" He is a mott ey-
traordinary mamie understands, the language
OF my people better than / do myfelf."-ss Yes,
pleate your majefty," replied the courter, {: he
is a more extraordinary man than you are aware
of, for he understands almoft every language in
the world BIT bis oapn--ss Mon Dieu,'' ex-
claimed.th King, "then of what country is
he r" He is, pleafe your Majefy, WeJA-
man."
In April, 1888, Sir William Jones married
Miis Shipley, daughter of the late Bfhop of ST.
Ataph, aud filter to the Rev. W. D. Shipley,
Dean of that diocefe.
| The year following, the Dean of ST. Afaph
was profecuted for FULFILLING pamphlet enti-
tied, The Principles of Government, in Di-
alogue between Gentleman and a Farmer"
4 ms tract was written by his brother-in-law,
Sir William, who was, through his whole life,
a hrm but moderate fdpporter Of the princi-
Piles of Locke and Sydney.
Upwards OF year before this trial took place,
Sir William had been appointed one Of the Judg-
es OF the Supreme Court of Judicature at Cal
cutta, and had embarked for India, on board
the Crocodile frigate, in the fummer of 1888.
In the courte of his voyage thither, the ihip
touched at Madeira-at the rugged iland of
cape de Verd, and afterwards at Hinzuan or To-
hanna, beautiful little illand fituated at the
north end of the Straits of Mozambique, and a.
bout one hundred miles diftant from the coat
OF Madagascar. This ifland has been governed
FOR theie two centuries, by colony of Arabs,
and here, therefore, Sir William for the frft time
IN his life, had an opportunity of converting ia
mlhariy IN Arabic, which he did with great cafe,
to the no iinail aftouifhment of the Mahometan
chiefs of Inzuan, of whom, and of their illand,
he has given very pleafing account in paper
which he prefented to the Aiiatic focicty, and
which is publiihed in the fecond volume of the
Refearches
he arrived at Calcutta about the beginning of
October, and after having taken his feat on the
bench of the Supreme Court, he loft no time in
making public his plan for inilituting fociety
at Calcutta, for the purpofe ofinquiring into the
hiitory, arts and licences of Alta.
The Prehdent's chair of this fociety was frft
offered to MIR. Haftings, but on his declining it,
MIR. Jones was elected perpetual PRECEDENT, and
he delivered his preliminary difcourfe in Februa-
ry, 1884.
He was now enabled to give fall fcope to the
excurlions of his mind, and to crafty every with
OF his heart. The wide and fruitful region of
Atiatic learning was open before him and the
high and independent ftuation which he filed,
gave him commanding PROJECT oft, whillt
ne practifed thofe laws which il was the pride
OF his life to cherlh and revere, and adminifer-
ed to his fellow creatures the pure maxms of
jufticc and truth.
He had long ardently deiired to fudy the
Santcrit language and this defre was conf
derably lncreafed nv the r,rn1ref, which he f,,,,