to the Artillery. At present it consists of a body of officers equal to those of 10 Infantry Regiments on the scale of 1824 (when all branches were equalized in this particular) but instead of having ten Interpreterships there are only two. The Brigades and European Battalions of Artillery have no such appointment, although allowed in every other branch of the army, and consequently the chances of an Artillery Officer holding an Interpretership are as one 1 to 75, while of an Infantry Officer they are as 1 to 15.

The first step of an examination for Interpreters having been got over, this was soon followed up by insisting on an examination for adjutant, and commissariat officers in Hindustani, and at a later period (1837) all staff officers were required to pass the Interpreter's examination.

Some modifications have from time to time been made in the rules regarding the examinations. Some committees insisted on examining candidates in both the Gulistan and Anwar-i-Joheili, while others considered it optional with the candidate which book he would take up. Until a few years ago, too, the candidate had to pass in all the three languages at once, a failure in one involving a re-examination in all. This was altered and one language at a time was permitted. It was proposed too, but negatived in the Adjutant-General's Office we believe, to substitute the kayti for the Devanagari character: the former being the one in common use over nearly the whole country, while the latter is the character of printed books alone. It is also the character in use in all correspondence of the Hindu sipahis, and as any one who can read it can also read the Devanagari (though the reverse is not the case) we think the change would have been a judicious one.

The climax has lately been reached, a colloquial examination is now to be passed by every subaltern officer before he is entitled to the emoluments arising from the charge of a troop or company. The test we believe is not a very severe one, but still it will answer the purpose of ensuring a certain minimum acquaintance with the language on the part of all officers.

The symbolic marks aud letters prefixed to the passed are rather puzzling in the Bengal army list. .P, P C, P H, PCH, + are a little formidable, but when we turn to a court army list, and find C, H, M, Mm, O, P, T, Te, in all the blushing honors of red letters, and H, H, A, a, h, in the sombre majesty of black, we give up all hope of unriddling the mysterious attainments of their possessors, and contenting ourselves with simply allowing that they are certainly men of letters.

We have hastily glanced over the steps taken to ensure among government servants (and the military in particular) that most desirable and necessary knowledge, a competent acquaintance with the languages in use among the men under their command, and from the numbers who have attained to the prescribed standard, we may fairly conclude that the amount of the knowledge of the Eastern languages among the officers of the army is very considerable. These Mofussil examinations, it is true, differ very much from one another in strictness, as must be expected when it is considered that the members, however competent as to knowledge, may and are not always habituated to the

process of examining-but let the examination be as light as it can be made consistent with the tests established and the form of report laid down, it cannot be passed without a certain amount of study. It must be under a very extraordinary combination of circumstances that an utterly incompetent person passes-such indeed as we may resolve into fate, and then if it is a man's destiny to pass, why pass he must, for as Saadi says,

But this examination not being final, each Interpreter is forced to keep up and continue acquiring knowledge with a view to present himself before the examiners of the College of Fort William, either voluntarily or on his regiment arriving in tour of duty at Barrackpore. In one respect however, the Mofussil is severer than the College examination. Written urzees are always given in the former to be read, while in the latter, print only is used; and if a person can read a moderately well written urzee without much stammering, he must have a fair acquaintance with the character, and a copia verborum, which, with practice, will soon ripen into competent knowledge.

But, we must now make a few remarks on the books which form the studies of the aspirant for the P or PC before his name in the Adjutant General's army list. We have said that certain volumes of selections from the native classics were compiled by Gilchrist, and printed under the auspices of the College about 1801. This edition in the course of five and twenty years had been worn out, and when the study became fashionable, copies were only procurable with great difficulty and at a high charge. The demand however, soon produced a supply. A fresh edition was prepared and published by the Asiatic Lithographic Company in 1830, which placed the volumes within the reach of all who wished for them; and to render them more accessible, depots of them were formed at some of the principal army stations. A copy of the Gulistan was at the same time or shortly afterwards added, which completed the series of books chiefly wanted.

These volumes contain a Grammar, the Prem Sagur, and selections from the most popular Hindustani works in Hindi and Urdu, such as the Bagh-o-bahar-Groli Bukowlee Beetal-pucheelee, with dialogues, lists of festivals and castes, and popular songs.

The second volume as containing the Prem Sagur is chiefly in request, and its pages are well thumbed by the time half-a-dozen men have prepared themselves for the examination from it. Hour after hour have we seen a man reading and spelling and yawning over its pages with a pandit as sleepy as himself. We have heard of men studying for ten or twelve hours a day: though that dandling fashion of poring over a work and translating it vivâ voce into English can hardly be called study. A few hours really given to translating into

d

Hindustani is worth double the time so spent. We never hear a man speak of his reading for twelve hours a day with a munshi, without feeling tempted to quote, as applicable to his case, Saadi's tale of the "devotee who ate ten muns of food in the evening and passed the night in prayer!" and the wise man's remark on hearing it, that "had he eaten half-a-loaf and slept he would have done better."

When a certain degree of knowledge of the language and character is attained, we strongly recommend the practice of translating from English into Hindustani as one likely to give a student a far better knowledge of the idioms of the language than the usual practice of reading. The knowledge thus gained is in general far more deeply impressed on the mind. Translations of such works as the Gulistan, Bagh-o-Bahar, and Prem Sagur are very useful auxiliaries in this way. They should not be referred to as dictionaries to ascertain the meaning of each word-their value is in helping a student to understand the general drift of a passage and to form a lesson in re-translating. For the first purpose the part intended to form the day's task should be read over in the English translation, which should then be put aside; in the latter it will form the text book. The Gulistan has a translation attached in the printed edition, and we believe that the Bagh-o-bahar has been translated and published. An edition of the Prem Sagur, we observe, is now in the press by Captain Hollings, and we are sure that in giving it to the world, he is conferring a valuable boon on the young officers of the army. Indeed many people will be glad to avail themselves of its English form to become acquainted with the history of the incarnations of Krishna and the traits and traditions of the holy land of Hindu mythology. We remember, in our younger days, when deep in the mysteries of the black classics, making a rough translation, nearly literal, as we read on through the "Ocean of Love," and achieving some twenty or thirty chapters, but we never revised or put them into a readable form: and (although we write a P before our name) as we never reached the "other side of that boundless ocean of thought," we shall not be sorry to have an opportunity in the forthcoming translation of ascertaining what "its dark unfathomed caves" really do contain. While writing these pages we cast our eyes over a portfolio of old papers and stumbled on a sort of free and loose versification of the 23d Chapter, and as it may amuse our readers, although at the expense of our poetical talent, we annex it: we remember at the time being much struck with many of the poetical and pastoral images of the original in spite of the ludicrous figure the Gopis make

The maidens of Brij have left their home,
O'er Jumna's flowery banks to roam,
To the bughat ghat have they ta'en their way
To pass in pleasure the life-long day,
And their fervent limbs at noon to lave
In the winding Jumna's glassy wave.

These maidens fair are tripping along
To the sound of the lute and sprigthly song,
The constant love and exceeding praise
Of the beauteous Krishna fill their lays,
They sing of his power and wondrous might,
Who slew the dæmons in single fight.

They seek for a spot enclosed by trees,
Where nought is heard but the cooling breeze,
Or the coo of the dove as amidst the grove
She warbles her plaintive tale of love;
They seek for a spot where the footseps rude,
Of prying man can never intrude.

Such a spot on the river's banks they've found,
Where the Kuddum's shady trees abound,
Where the voice of man is never heard,
Or the sky e'er cloven by wing of bird,
Where all is still, save the echo sweet
Of the musical tread of their fairy feet.

Chudder, Doputtee and Ungeeah chaste,
Are thrown from their reeking limbs in haste,
Smiling and blushing their bodies they view,
Striped with love's own roseate hue,
And seek in the Jumna's envious tide,
From mortal sight their charms to hide.

But who is he of the Lotus eye
Who sits concealed in the kuddum nigh?
In garments of yellow which loosely Hoat
And a necklace of pearl around his throat,
With a crowned head and flute in hand,
Watching the sports of this lovely band."

As all unrob'd and devoid of fear,
They gambol and play in the waters clear,
Half hid in the streams their beauties lie,
With the lotus flowers which are floating bye.
Ah! little they think that their bodies bright,
Are exposed to the amorous Krishna's sight.

He leaves the tree and his footsteps press
The spot where the maidens left their dress;
He has seized their clothes and with stealthy pace,
Again repaired to his hiding place,

And waits to enjoy the maids' dismay,

When they find their garments are ta'en away.

Their gambols and sports and pastimes o'er
The maidens of Brij regain the shore,

And seek in the folds of their garments wide
Their naked limbs from view to hide ;
They search the bank in deep distress,
But find no trace of the stolen dress.

As startled deer these maidens shy
To the waters friendly cover fly,

And try to find what mortal feet

Have dared intrude on their loved retreat,
When the notes of a flute from a Kuddum high,
Proclaim that Krishna is seated nigh.

"Oh stealer of hearts," the maidens say,
"It is thou that hast ta'en our clothes away,
Let our modest blushes your pity claim
And bring us our garments back again,
Else here immersed in the waves we'll stay,
Till night has effaced the light of day.”

"When one by one," thus Krishna, replies,
"With joined hands and upraised eyes,
From the Jumna's covering waves you flee,
And stand unrobed in front of me,
And beg for your dress with suppliant air,
Then will I grant your humble prayer.”

Oh Suryah, Brahma, great Maha Deb
The Maidens of Brij implore thy aid,
Oh haste to our help and to Krishna's heart
Some sense of pity for us impart,

Pity, oh pity, or else a stain

Will cleave to the Gopis' spotless name.

But all in vain is the Gopis' prayer,
It either is lost in empty air,
Or Narayan sleeps in his milky lake,
Nor will rouse himself for the Gopis' sake,
For resolved is Krishna that e'er she goes,
Each maid shall her naked charms disclose.

Then with down-cast eyes and joined hands,
Each maiden of Brij before him stands,
Her rounded limbs untrammelled by dress,
Are bright in their own loveliness,
Their bosoms fair (young love's own dwelling,)
With wounded pride and shame are swelling.

Restoring their garments he sweetly smiles,
And with honeyed words the maids beguiles,
He soothes their pride with a winning grace,
And steals their hearts by his beauteous face,
Till turning home they think no more,

Of what has passed on the Jumna's shore.

Such is one of the most celebrated feats of Krishna, the favourite and most popular deity of Eastern India! If such be the character of the divinity worshipped by millions, what can we expect the character of the worshipping millions to be!