, 1872-10-22
ORIENTAL LITERATURE.

CoLsrouH.
ORIENTAL LITERATURE.
ORIENTAL AND LINGUISTIC STUDIES. TIE
VEDA, The AyEsTA, The SCIENCE OF LANGUAGE
By William Dwight Whitney, Professor OF sanslrit
and Comparative Phi1ology in Yale College. New
York: seribner, Armstrong Z CO. vol, 12mo.
III pages.
The published work Of so scholarly an author
as the Professor Of Comparative Philology in
Yale College could not fail to attract the atten-
tion of educated readers but especially would it
do so in view OF the increased interest with
which thoughtful people are beginning to regard
Oriental religion and languages, capable OF
throwing new light on modern religious ideas
and modern speech.
It is scarcely seventy years since the Vedas,
the sacred Scriptures of the Brahmans, were in
troduced to the knowledge Of eTen the scholars
OF Europe, and but little over century since
the very existence Of these most ancient writ
ings, and also Of the Vedio and Brahmanical
literature that has accumulated around them,
wes doubted by the learned men Of Christen-
dom.
The study Of Oriental history and Languages
is the study Of Oriental religion, for the three
are, in fact, one hence, Professors OF the new
science Of Comparative Philology naturally be-
come e1pounders OF the ancient religious
ideas. The impress which these studies
have made upon modern thought is ap-
parent in the fact that Buddhist citizens OF
London actually maintain the reasonab1eneBs,
and even the divine nature, Of the principles Of
their religion, in controversial correspon dence
in the Times newspaper. In America, also, we
have instances of one we1l-known literary man
delivering, in the form Of q lecture, an eulogy On
the character OF Buddha, and one Of the fore
most Unitarian preachers-Orvlle Dewey-ex-
planning that the Buddhist doctrine Of annihila-
ton after death is only the same as the Chris
tian idea Of unselfshness carried to the extreme
Of self-oblivion.
The last half OF Professor Whitney's book is
devoted to the origin Of language,-a question
involved in as much doubt, but invested with the
same interest, as the question OF the origin Of
the human species. "The grand conclusion" !"
says the Professor, sat which historical study
has surely and in ncontroyertibly arrived, is that
all grammatical apparatus Of language is Of
secondary growth; that the endings Of declen-
sion and conjugation, the prefres and sufi1es Of
derivation, we're originally independent words,
which we're first collated with other Words but
then combined and thoroughly fused with those
to which they we're attached" Finally, that the
traceable beginnings OF speech we're "simply
roots, not parts Of speech" These arguments
point to the gradual development of human
speech from rude, brief calculations, mere
"roots," forming vocabulary so scanty as to
be scarcely worthy Of the name OF language
The essay on Language and Education is re-
p1ete with the rips observation Of one whose life
work has been to show the Importance Of Ian
guage as means Of culture. But that his views
have not been narrowed by his own profession,
is shown in the argument that man who knows
no language but his own may still have al the
essentials OF culture.
The five or sx essays on the Vedas and the
AFesta Of the Parsees can scarcely fail to inter-
est any thoughtful person who has marked the
tendency OF modern religious thought. Professor
Whitney sets forth, in q concise form, the scope
Of the discoveries Of Colebrook, Rosen, Roth,
Muir, Go1dHucker, AnquetilDuperon, Burnouf,
and, lastly, OF that foremost OF living Oriental
scholars, Professor Max Muller, in the new
mine Of literature.
Among the most interesting points made are
the intimate connection between the Vedas and
the Language and doctrines written in the
Avesta, the sacred book OF the ranians,
or ancient Persians. Brahmaniam Eas
founded On the Vedas; Buddhism Was
q popular revolt. or reaction, from
BrahmRnism. The Avesta reproduces the
Buddhist doctrine Of annihilation, but with the
modification that it is only the souls Of unbeliev
ers and eyildoers that are lost annihsted while
the souls Of the good pass away beyond the east-
e1n mountains to the home OF Indra, the God Of
all gods. Another point is, that the transmigra-
ton OF souls which s the characteristic doctrine
of Brahmanism, is not even limited ut in the
Vedas upon which Brahmanism is founded On
the contrary, that the Vedas teach the doctrine
OF future life Of happiness, at least for the
good and it ia one OF the most difficult ques-
tions in the history OF India how that
doctrine arose. But this, as well as tho Budd-
hist doctrine of annihilation, accepted still by
nearly one-third Of the human race, bear the
stamp OF an elaboration and a subtle refinement
Of thought which show that, nearly three
Thousand years ago. the Hindu mind had
traversed route Of speculative philosophy
similar to that which characterizes the
present tendency in Europe and America,
and OF which We see evidences in
the popular books on development theories
and the "to-mouow OF DEATH" Modern
study Of the Vedas and the Avesta is showing us
that, in tracing any Of the great religions back
to their starting points, We find few OF the
same fundamental ideas as the germs Of each,
viz: Belief in a God who ia the author Of all
good; in future life, mainly Of enjoyment,
except when man himself consents to the evil
that destroys either the soul or it's happiness.
Upon these foundations have grown up creeds
like Brahmanism and Buddhism, that are di-
rectly contradictory Of the ideas from which they
started.
a Curious Story.
The Middleville (Ba1ry County, hfich.) Repub
lican tells curious story as to the cause which
led J. r. Van Ve1sor, the abacouding Prosecuting
the mortgage forgeries: On the forgeries being
detected Van Vefaor, it is said, offered to make
restoration far as possible By deciding nis VIC
tins all the property lie owned, and in account
used it to help his brother, DR.. Van Velsor, Of
Hastings, out Of serious difficulty into which