The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-29
THE AUGUST MAGAZINES.


Atlantic Monthly are as follows
Joseph and his Friend wild, Bayard lay
Tor; The English Governess at the Siamese
Court 1v); The Burden of the Day, Bayard
Taylor; Oldtown Fireside Stories, Harriet
Beecher Stowe; A Virginian in New England
Thirty-fve Years Ago Q), James Russell
Lowell; The French Claims, E. H. Derby;
Dorothy in tho Carrot, j. L. Trowbridge;
The Grand Traverse Region of Michigan, II.
w. s. Cleveland; Mr.. Hardhack on the Sensa-
tioual in Literature and Life; Color-Blind-
ness; Half Way %, G. S. Barrow; A Ken
tuckian's Share in the Coup d'Etat, Sydney
Hyde; A Days Pleasure (II), w. d. Howells;
Ode, G. z. Cranch; Some Memories of Charles
Dickens, James Il. Fields; Reviews and Lite
rary Notices; Dalls Alaska and its Resources;
Disraeli's Lothian; Mackenzie's Translation
of Hesekiel's Life of Bismarck; Ruggles'
Method of Shakespeare; Allibone's Critical
Dictionary; Collins Seat of Empire; Smartis
Race for q Wife.
From the t'English Governess at the STA
mese Court" we take this brief sketch of STA
mese literature:-
The fact is remarkable, that though educa-
ton in it's higher degrees is popularity
neglected in Siam, there is scarcely a man or
woman in the empire who cannot read and
write. Though q vain people, they are neither
bigoted nor shallow; and think the day is not
far of when the enlightening influences ap-
piled to them and accepted through their will
l~ingness, not only to receive instruction from
Europeans, but even to adopt in a measure
their customs and habits of thought, will
raise them to the rank of a superior nation.
Tue language of this people advances but
slowly III the direction of grammatical perfec-
4,on Tika MANY other Oriantal tonUuac IL
was at first purely monosyllabic; but as the
Pail or Sanskrit has been literally engrafted
on it, polysyllabic words have been formed.
Its propouns and particles are peculiar, it's
idioms few and simple, its metaphors very
obvious. 1t is copious to redundancy in
terms expressive of royalty, rank, dignity; in
fact, a distinct pbraseology is required in ad-
dressing personages of exalted station. Rope
titions of word and phrase are affected rather
than Stunned; ~sententious brevity and sim
plicity of expression belong to the pure spirit
of the language, and when employed impart
TO it much dignity and beauty. But there is
ostandardof photography, nor any grammar,
and but few rules of universal application.
Every Siamese writer spells to please him.
self, and the purism of one is the slang or
gibberish of another.
The Siamese write from left to right, the
words running together in a line unbroken
by spaces, points, or capitals; SO that, as in
ancient Sanskrit, an entire paragraph appears
as one protracted word,
''That, Ike a wounded snake, drags its slow length
along"
When not written with a reed on dark native
paper, the characters are engraved with q
ktile COT brass or iron, one end sharp for
y writing, the other fiat for erasing) on palm
leaves prepared for the purpose.
In all parts of the empire the boys are
taught by priests to read, write, and cipher.
Every monastery is provided with a library,
more or less standard. The more elegant
books aIe composed of tablets of ivory, or of
palmyra leaves delicately prepared; the char
acters engraved on these are gilt, the margins
and edges adorned with heavy gliding, or
with flowers in bright colors.
The literature of the Siamese deals princi-
pally with religious topics. The 'Kamma-
rakya," or Buddhist Ritual-a work for the
priesthood only, and, therefore, like others of
the Vinnaya, little known-contains the vital
elements of the Buddhist Moral Code, and,
per Sc, is perfect; on this point all writer's,
whether partial or captious, are of one mind.
Spence Hardy, a Wesleyan missionary, speak
ing of that part of the work entitled ''Dham-
ma-Padam," ~ which is freely taught in the
schools attached to the monasteries, admits
that a compilation might be made from its
precepts, (which in the purity of its ethics
could hardly be equalled from any other
heather author.
NJ. Laboulaye, one of the most distin-
euished members of the French Academy,
remarks, in the De6ats of April 4, 1858, on a
work known by the title of 'Dharmna Mai
tree or CLAW of Charity
lit is difficult to comprehend how
men, not aided by revelation, could
have scared so high and approached so near the
truth. Besides the five great commandments
not to kill, not to steal, not to commit adultery,
not to lie, not to get drunk-every shade of vice,
hypocrisy, anger, pride, suspicion, greed, Cos
sip. cruelty to animals, is guarded against by
special precepts. Among the virtues COM
nepded we find, not only reverence for parents,
care for children, submission to authority,
gratitude, moderation in time of prosperity,
resignation and fortitude in time of trial, equan,
unity OF all times, but virtues unknown TO any
heather system of morality, sach as the duty Of
forgiving insults and of rewarding evil with
good"
All virtues, we are told, spring from mditri
and this maitri can only be rendered by charity
and love.
81 do not hesitate says Burnouf, in hl
Lotus de la Bonnie Lot, ITO translate by charity
the word mditri, which does not express friend
ship, or the feeling of particular affection which
q man has for one or more of his fellow
creatures, but that universal feeling
which inspires US with goodwill towards al
men and a constant willingness to help them.
may here add the testimony of Barthele
my Saint ilaire. 81 do not hesitate to add,
he writes, ''that, save Christ alone, there il
not among the founders of religion a fgur,
more pure, more touching, than that O
Buddha. His life is without blemish; hi
constant heroism equals his conviction; ant
if the theory he extols is false, the persona
examples he affords are irreproachable. III,
is the accomplished model of all the virtue
he preanbas. his annexation. his charity hi