Note*-p. 80.

RHETORIC.

The Singhalese are deficient in many branches of experimental science, and Natural Philosophy. They indulge a great deal more in "abstractions and ingenious theories," than "experimental inquiries." Their chief delight is Poetry, and, what is most useful in the cultivation of that art— Grammar and Rhetoric. "The Rhetorical works in Sanscrit," says a late writer in the Calcutta Review," are many, but are little studied by the present race of Brahmin Pandits, who seldom aspiring to authorship, are content to learn a little Grammar, and to read a few of the poets, and of the works on the measures of verse called Chandas." Not less unhappy is the fate which has of late befallen rhetorical studies in Ceylon. The native works on Rhetoric having been all destroyed in the several literary destructions which disgrace the page of history, the Singhalese are now indebted to a comparatively modern compilation, called the Swabha'salankara, nearly the same as the Dandialankàra (or Kàvyàdarsha)* in Sanscrit, and Swabòdhálankàra in Pali.

With a view therefore to present the reader with a specimen of this elegant art, we propose giving a few of the rhetorical tropes or figures known to the Singhalese. Amongst these, that which appertains to energy or vivacity has the first claim on our attention. On the subject of Energy or vivacity, there are ten rules, of which three are not treated of in the Singhalese, owing to the imperfection of the language arising from the absence of aspirate letters.

1. The first species called ¦ Matasilutu, or "energy produced by smoothness of expression," cannot be exemplified in Singhalese from the want of aspirate letters to contrast

Dandi is supposed to be the author of Dasa kumàra Charita, one of the standard works in Sanscrit Prose; see introduction to the same published by Professor Wilson, Ed. 1846.

with the unaspirated. But in order to give the reader an idea of what is here meant, we shall illustrate the subject with an example from the Sanscrit Dandialankàra : මාලතීමාලාලෞලාලිකලිලා " A garland of jasmines surrounded by sweets-loving bees."

2. Called Pahan, or "energy by reason of clearness," is produced by the use of ordinary and easy exprassions; e. g. සිසිහු සසලේ පුල් : මානෙල් කැනෙව් ලගනේ "The shadow in the moon illumines like the ray of an expanded blue lotus." It is, however, to be observed, that Pandits in the North (Calcutta) would express the above differently, thus ; නුසුදුපුළුපුලසුරක්: පලක්සේරැදිස්නේ— "The moon with its legible mark illumines like a new-white expanded blue lotus."

3. The next is called Dr Samabewu or 66 energy produced by an appropriate admixture of aspirate with nonaspirate sounds. "-This cannot be exemplified in the Singhalese for the reason given at § 1. The propriety of this admixture in the Sanscrit is produced in one of three ways. 1st, by an abundance of non-aspirate sounds; 2dly, by an abundance of aspirate sounds; and 3dly, by an appropriate adınixture of the aspirate and non-aspirate sounds—e. g. First ; කොකිලාලාපව:වාලො : මාමෙති මලයා නිලඃ "The breeze from the Malayà mountain which echoes the notes of the Indian cuckoo, nears me." Secondly, GOOG: නිජ්ඣරාන්තඃකණොක්ෂිතඃ " Cooled by the drops produced from the delightful water-fall."† Thirdly, maciça ධිර්මදාමලය මාරුතඃ: ස්ප තෙරුන්ධමඥෙයෞවර රාම මු

The term ordinary is here used in the same sense in which Dr. Whately uses it in his work on Rhetoric, p. 258.

Although this doctrine is not attended to by Pandits of the North of India, (vide Dandialankara); yet it will be perceived that the first and second examples, when put together, are harsh and discordant in sound, and deficient in energya defect, which arises from the non-observance of this rule. The Singhalese, who at the present day use a great admixture of Sanscrit, would greatly improve their style by observing the rule in the text.

ධානියඃ. c. "The gentle breeze from the Malayà mountain, which is impregnated with the scent of the sandal trees, and which has a tendency to try my resolution, is like unto the (sweet) breath of lovely women.”

නාඑසේ "0

4. Is called Só Miyuru, or "sweet" which in the absence of a corresponding term in English, we shall designate "the elegant." It is defined to be such an appropriate choice of words and sounds in style, that Pandits are captivated with its charms, in the same manner as the honey-extracting bee is delighted with the sweets of flowers. c. g. [1. illustrative of a proper choice of sounds]—මෙර දදෙර නිසුරු ලද ද යම් කලක්වීප් කල්: එකල්හිමි ලෙව්හි සැර දදහම් සිරිමත්. " The great virtues of royalty are perpetuated from the very period this Brahmin-loving king assumed the highest office of the state.” [2. illustrative of a proper choice of words.] S යොවග සොර වෙසෙසින්ම දෙසේ: මියුලැ සිතියට woman! The rogue of a Cupid has left me away by withholding his love; but with thee it has been otherwise." It is to be observed, upon the authority of the Rhetorician to whom we are indebted for this summary, that the above sentence, which employs terms more general than the subject requires, conduces in the Singhalese to stimulate the attention, and to excite the imagination far more than when the same idea is expressed in a limited sense, as in the following sentence of common use among the vulgar; කැමතියමා මන ad Badango"Wherefore, O woman, art thou not pleased with me, who lovest thee?" The first of the above two examples, which substitutes "general" for "specific " terms, is less conducive to energy in English: in which language," the only appropriate occasion for this generic language (as it may be called) is when we wish to avoid giving a vivid impression,-when our object is to soften what is offensive, disgusting or shocking; as when we speak

66

* Srrect as music "-Mrs. Barbauld.

of an 'execution,' for the infliction of the sentence of death on a criminal: of which kind of expressions, common discourse furnishes numberless instances. On the other hand, in Antony's speech over Cæsar's body, his object being to excite horror, Shakspeare puts into his mouth the most particular expressions; 'those honorable men (not, who killed Cæsar, but) whose daggers have stabbed Cæsar." *

5. The fifth Sukumara, which cannot be fully illustrated in the Singhalese for the before mentioned reason, is "energy produced by the non-employment of many aspirate characters." We shall therefore cite an example from the Sanscrit : මඬලීකටත්‍ය බහානිකණණ්ඨම ධුරගිති කලාපීනඃ ප්‍රනෘත්‍යන්තිකාලෙජ් මුත මාලිනි. "Having spread their tails, and singing sweet hymns, the pea-fowls dance in the rainy season."

6. doe is Aruthpala, or "energy produced by perspicuity." A departure from this canon is termed sing by the writer of Sidath' Sangarawa (see p. p. 79, 80.) We shall first cite an example shewing this energy, and next give one devoid of vivacity. වෙන්කූර සුන්නා හුරිරුරත්දලනිඳුනි උපුලේ පොලොට. " Krishna buoyed up the earth from the sea (which became) red with the blood of the serpents (which he had) killed with his feet." The above example is from the Swabahasalankara. In the Sidath' Sangarawa, the same sentiment is given, but conceived in obscure expressions, with a view to illustrate the reverse of this rule-obscurity. මිහි උගුලේ මහහුරු රත්සයුරුනෙන් " The great pig buoyed up the earth from the red sea;" (see Grammar p. 80 and note.) Here none could understand what was meant by "the great pig" or "the red sen;" and hence the whole passage is obscure.

* Whately on Rhetoric, p. 262.

+ See Whately on Rhetoric, part iii. chap. 1 § 2.

7. C6 Ulàra, energy produced by, what Dr. Campbell calls, "the most interesting circumstance distinguished" e. g. සදිකපනැස් කෙනෙක් ගිගිනි නම්තවත්හි; ඒවනිනනිසුරු

Den. "O merciful! if the beggar's poor eyes happen to meet thine even an instant, he will not from thence (have any occasion to) behold the faces of the wealthy and prosperous." Perhaps nothing is more common in the Singhalese, as in all Oriental tongues, than to employ such tropes as the above, which serve to invigorate the language.

8. The next is called Otha, and is that energy which is produced by "the proper combination of several words together." Although this energy is chiefly to be attended to in prose compositions, yet scholars are of opinion that it should not be disregarded in poetry ;- -e. g.

සුපුන්සරා සිසිරස් කලඹලඹ සෙමෙර

රජ දහසදිලි මුදුනෙවිත පලඹතැබජත්කඟ

"When the sword in thy drooping hand had glistened, thousands of kings surrounded by hanging tassels, like unto the volumes of a full moon's rays in autumn, have placed their saluting hands on their heads."

Here the reader will observe, that all the words in the first hemistich of the above stanza are run into one another, so as to render the whole line one entire word. But it is remarkable, that in the Singhalese, where nouns in their radical form, without being inflected, retain all the senses of different cases; the junction of the words is not easily perceptible as in Sanscrit, where not a single noun occurs in a sentence, except with its proper case-termination. †

9.

Danakal, is the next species of energy, produced by a non-departure from the idiom of the language, and by such an appropriate choice of language as to be in

* See his Philosophy of Rhetoric, p. 418.

But see note* p. 43, and remarks ante p. 179.