of it to memory, except it be the inflexions of nouns: it is sufficient to peruse it with the professed object of ascertaining the difference between his own grammar (with which he is presumed to be already acquainted) and that of the Singhalese. Having strongly impressed his mind with the peculiarities of the Singhalese language, as distinguished from his own, he may proceed to read an easy work, such as the Singhalese version of the Bible, the LankaNidhana, or any of the little publications which have lately emanated from the School Commission. As the bee extracts honey even from the humblest flowers, the student may derive much benefit from these works, by applying to the passages which he may select from them the Rules of Grammar; by examining how far they are correct according to those rules; by correcting the errors found in them according to the standard of the Sidath Sangaràwa; and by analysing them, with the assistance of his living instructor, in the manner pointed out in the exercise offered at p. p. 210-212. Let him also proceed to write and re-write each sentence in different forms, varying the constructions of words and clauses whilst retaining the sense intended to be conveyed by them. "Practice of this kind," says Arnold in his English Grammar, p. iii., "will be found to give the pupil a mastery over the idioms and laws of construction of his own language; to which he will soon learn to refer, for comparison, those of any foreign language he may happen to be studying." In the meantime the student is recommended to converse with his teacher, and to get him to illustrate the rules of the Gramınar by other and more familiar examples selected from common discourse. This continued for some time, the learner will acquire a stock of knowledge sufficient to enable him to read some of our standard writers. Of these, the first book that I would put into his hands is the Sulu Raja Ratnakara, a little abridgement of the Raja Ratnakara, on the history of Ceylon. He may then, with a view to his examination for admittance to the public service, read the Rajawalia, Kusajàtake, Meeripenne's Miscellaneous Poems (see p. ccxlvi.), and the Pansiapanasjàtaka. The last-named work is of sufficient bulk to engage the student for a considerable time; and its style, which is correct and elegant, is such as may safely be recommended to the learner. The more than probable fact that the Sidath' Sangarawa was composed at the time when the Jàtakes were translated into Singhalese (see p. cxxx.), must furnish the student with an additional reason to induce him thoroughly to master the former at this time. Whilst engaged in reading the Jàtakes, it would be desirable that the student should translate passages selected from that work (we here adopt the language of Sir W. Jones) "into his native language (English) with the utmost exactness. Let him then lay aside the original, and after a proper interval, let him turn the same chapter (or passage) back into Singhalese by the assistance of the Grammar and Dictionary; let him afterwards compare his second translation with the original, and correct its faults according to that model. This is the exercise so often recommended by the old rhetoricians, by which a student will gradually acquire the style and manner of any author whom he desires to imitate, and by which almost any language may be learned in six months with ease and pleasure.' 99 The student will doubtless now be prepared to read some of our classics; and if he be desirous of distinguishing himself as a Singhalese scholar, I would advise him to read Attanagalu-wanse, (see p. clxxxv.) Amàwatura, (see p. clvii.) Pujàwalia, (see p. clxxii.) and Pradeepikawa (see p. clx.) works which are both elegant and correct. He might also read with advantage some of our poets in connexion with the See Sir W. Jones's works, II. p. 130. above prose writers. I need hardly say that Guttille and Kaviasekara are the best which he could undertake not only to translate, but also to render into colloquial prose, with which the learner's studies, carried on with the assistance of his teacher, must have now made him familiar. I would also recommend the study of Sanscrit, which cannot fail to improve the Singhalese student, just in the same way that a knowledge of Latin and Greek serves to improve our knowledge of English. The models of composition furnished by the Sanscrit cannot be too much recommended; nor can the grace and ornament of its style be sufficiently admired. And an additional reason why a Singhalese scholar ought to be familiar with Sanscrit, is, that the modern Singhalese is nearly the same as Sanscrit both in construction and words-a great portion of the latter language being substituted for the Singhalese, which has fallen into disuse. We may illustrate this by the following passages, shewing the connexion between the Sanscrit and Singhalese. Sanscrit— අස්ති ගෞඩ දෙශෙ කෞසෟම්බනාමනහරී,, වන්දනදා සොනාමවනිග්මහාධනොනිවසති,, තෙනව පචි මෙවය සිවර්තමානෙන කාමා දිෂ්ඨිත වෙත සාධන දරපාලීලාව නාම වර්ණයක් පුත්‍රීපරිණිතාසාව මකර කෙතාවෛජයන්තිව යෞවන වතී බහුව,, සවද්ධපතිස්තණඃ සන්තොෂායනා භවත් -Hitópadesa, p. 22. Singhalese-භෞද්ධ දේශයෙහි කොසඹෑ නම් නුවරෙක් ඇති,, එහි වන්දනදාස නම්මහ ධන ඇති වෙලඳෙක් වෙසෙයි,, පස්චිමව යසෙහි පවත්නා කාමාදිෂ් ඨිත සිත් ඇති ඔහු විසින් ධන දර්පයෙ ලීලාවතී නම් වෙලඳදුවක් පරිණයනය කර නුලැබ්,, අදමුව රදදාගේ වෛජයන්තී නම් ධජය සේ යෞවනවත් වූවාය,, ඒ මහ එපති තෙමේද අැගේ සන්තෝසයට නොවී. "In the province of Gowda there is a city called Kosambe. In it dwells an opulent merchant named Chandanadása. Being in the last stage of life, with his mind swayed by sensual desires, in the pride of his wealth he married a merchant's daughter named Leelawati. She was young, resembling the 'Victorious' banner of Makarakètu: (consequently) her aged husband was not to her liking." I am not aware that I can add anything more to the few hints which I have now given to the European student; and if they should in any way prove serviceable to him I shall be amply compensated for my trouble. INDEX. ABAYAGIRI, the temple of, xxxvii. a poet, ccxlvii. Accusative case, 28; terminations of, ib; Acrostics, rare in the Singhalese lan- Active voice, 54. Adarasòkamale, a poem, lxxiii. Amawatura, a Prose work, clvii. An'arut Samas, see compounds. Ancient differs from the modern Singha- Anderson's, (Sir George,) Minute on the Anuragamàle, a Poem, lxxiii, ccxvi. Addison's Critique on Paradise Lost, Anurudhashataka, 224. lxxvii. Addenda, contains translation of Vibat Adelung, referred to, ix. Adjectives, no degrees of comparison, xl. Age of imitation, ccxxxv. Agnisthamba, an obsolete science of the Singhalese, clxviii. Alagiawanna Mohottàla, author of the Alliteration in Milton's Paradise Lost, Ixxvii; in the Latin, ciii; in Sing- Alphabet, Singhalese, the existence of Alphabet, Singhalese, 2. Anushwara, o, an immutable conso- Apabbransa, or the jargon dialect, li. - clxxxviii, Apartment of appropriation, a place set Appendix A., the text of the Sidath B., the text of Vibath Malda- ma, 128. et seq. C., notes on the text by the Aramana, king of, solicited by Wijaya- bahu 11. to depute pious and Aristotle, quoted, 84, 85. Asakdà, poem called, 2, 181. Aluwihara, a subterraneous or Rock A'imana pàda, or reflective voice, xli. Temple near Matella, cxlv. Amalgamation of Singhalese with San- scrit and Magadhi characters, lv. Attanagaluwanse, a prose work, clxxxv. Atuwàs or Commentaries on the Pita- |