What signifies the praise or dispraise of pretended Pundits who have only acquired the first Elements (of Grammar)? The learned Pundits alone are competent critics. O Pundits! although this little Sidatha, ex mar may be called the useful, whilst Rhetoric forms the beautiful, or, rather the Ornamental part of one and the same study, which is denominated-The verbal Science. Now, the distinction is not observed to the same extent by Eastern as by Western nations. That which is not beautiful, although correct according to the strict rules of Grammar, fails entirely to please the Oriental; whilst a love to indulge in an extravagant display of metaphorical adornment in style, renders the study of Rhetoric indispensable to him. Ile studies it before he is proficient in Grammar. Indeed we found some portions of this Grammar unintelligible without a reference to some of the canons laid down in a work on Rhetoric. The fact that the majority of the standard writers amongst the Singhalese have adopted Poetry instead of Prose furnishes us with another reason, why a knowledge of the art of Rhetoric has been felt quite as necessary as that of Grammar. For, although Poetry (according to Dr. Whately) "is not distinguished from Prose by superior beauty of thought," it nevertheless produces in the reader's mind more intense pleasure than Prose. And metrical compositions require a kind of language different from that which suits Prose. Hence, whilst the Singhalese, like their Hindu neighbours, have generally made a choice of that which produced the greater pleasure, Poetry; they have also blended with the study of Grammar that which is calculated to teach them elegance of beauty (e) in their compositions-viz. Rhetoric. It must not be forgotten, however, that according to Oriental notions (as indeed it was once thought by certain "French critics, who derived their doctrine from a misrepresentation of a passage in Aristotle's Poetics") metre is not essentially necessary to constitute Poetry. Prose works in elegant language, and intermixed with flowery descriptions in a poetical style, are reckoned amongst Poems in the Sanscrit, and may, in the opinion of Pundits, be properly denominated (Poetry) in the Singhalese. In the Preface to the Dása kumára Charita, Professor Wilson says-"Its style is of that elaborate description which has induced native Scholars to ascribe to the work the denomination of a Kárya, or Poem. It is a work written in a highly cultivated style, but entirely in prose. It is not uniformly, however, of a poetical elevation."-p. 1. M cept to the beginner, has nothing original in it (to recommend itself) to the erudite; rejoice ye (however with me) in my labours. May Pathiraja, like unto a flag on the summit of the mansion-like village Radula, and who by the arm of his extensive ramparts, governs the whole of the Southern Lanka, be long prosperous! I have composed the Sidath-sangara at his kind request, and with a view to disseminate (the knowledge of) the rudiments of cases, &c. in the Singhalese Language. The wise man who shall have learned its rules (both) primary and secondary, and made Grammar his study, will-having with facility removed the pretensions of the learned, who are elated with pride-constantly hoist up the flag of victory in (this Island of) Lanka, like the boundless ocean with the renown of his waves, wide-spread in all directions. THE END. ADDENDA. විබත් මල්දම A Garland of Cases. HAVING bowed unto (Budha) our father of the world, I do, pursuant to the precepts of ancient teachers, compose Vibath' Maldama, with a view to the improvement of many. I shall treat of the seven Cases in the following order: † පෙර Frst or the Nominative Case, අලප් Vocative, කම් Accusative, කතු Instrumental, කරණ Auriiary, සපදන් Dative, & Ablative, ę Genitive, 6 Locative. First or Nominative Case, Singular number. 1. §×¤¿ (✅) ç§oço—Budha preached doctrines. EFC (4) 980rd-The Sun destroyed darkness. මැතිඳා (ආ) නඩුඅසා—The chief minister inquires the cause. නිරිඳෙක් (එක්) රංපුජයගති – A king has conquered enemies. The sequel will explain why the writer has treated of seven, when in fact there are mine cases. The order in which the Cases are here treated of, is different from that adopted in the Sidath'Sangerawe. That in the present treatise follows the order adopted by Pali Grammarians. This is an inflexion which stands for the article a or an. Whee deprived of it the noun in the Nominative singular usually assumes on as 038 (op) bugsiuos "The king has conquered enemies"— See note (1) at p. 25. First or Nominative Case, Plural. දෙවියෝ (ඕ) අසිරි දෙත් - Gods. give longevity and prosperity. qyoối (1) moldo-The demi-gods are vanquished by Vishnu. බමුනහු (හු) මතුරු උගනින්—The Brahamins learn sciences. පඬුවෝ (ඕ) දොසක් නොකරත්–Pandits do no harm. 2. The Vocative is comprehended in the Nominative Case. * Vocative, Singular. world. great King! destroy not the පුතා (ඇ) සව්සතඋගණුව—0 Son l learn all sciences. ≈t (4) Inamics — O moon! open the Jasmine of (my) heart. Define (d) 280 chief minister! commit not sin. Vocative, Plural. කිවීනි (නි) ගත් උගණි ව්-O poets ! learn the arts. 36 (6) axıdaan-O friends! greatly give ease and tranquillity. win2 (ns) Isia: 0-0 creatures! do meritorious acts. සින්නී (නි) අව:නොසිතව් —O hearts? think not ill. Accusative, Singular. 3. 9 Raq (+) 6-Bow thou (unto) Budha. සත්බුදු (උ) යෙහෙන් උගනුව - Learn well the fine arts. •LER (4) 2ce-Come having seen the minister. éóg (12) EnIxiao-Conquer death by merit. The writer of the Vibat' Maldama says, that "the Vocative is comprehended in [i. e. identical with] the Nominative "-a dictum as inconsiderate as incorrect; for the student will perceive [see § 34, and note (*) at p. 41. that terminations other than those proper to theNominative are used in the Vocative. This error has in all probability arisen from a close adherence to Sanscrit and Pali Grain mars, wherein "the ' Vocative has no separate terminations, the same being considered a modification only of the Nominative:" whereas in the Singhalese each of them takes different terminations like other Cases. Accusative, Plural. Dagai(C)@ço-Make obeisance (to) priests. Bełda (3) A-Always conquer (your) enemies. මොනරාණ (ආන) නරඹන්න— Behold the peacocks. රුක්නට (නට) නැගෙත් වඳුරෝ —The monkeys ascend the trees. Instrumental, Singular. 4. රම්රද (අ) ගත්ද සවෙස් - The ten characters or forms assumed by king Rama. 338 (c) cęgę-The great war waged by the king. Bốc (4) Sigoie-The elephants destroyed by king of Lions. රුසිහු (හු) වදහල මහගත්— The great arts treated of by the Irishis. Instrumental, Plural. බිලිඳුන් (උන්) කල නැටුම්- The dance danced by children. මීපල්න (න) ගමඬලග—The great sword assumed by kings. නරාණ (ආන) කලදු සිරි—The sins committed by men. කිවින් (න්) පද කලකව්පද— The songs sung by poets. 5. The Auxiliary Case is comprehended in the Instrumental; and there is no difference between the Singular and the Plural terminations. * EXAMPLES. යසින් (ඉන්) ලොවැ පල වේ - Famed in the world by means of his renown. ගුණෙන් (වන්) සව්සත සිත් ගණු —By means of gentleness win the hearts of men. * Here again the writer of this treatise has inconsiderately adhered to the rules of Sanscrit and Pali Grammarians, identifying the Instrumental with the Auxiliary Case. For, although it is true that in those languages the inflectional terminations attached to the base are the same in both the above cases; yet in the Singhalese, the student will perceive that different terminations are used in them. Indeed the writer of the Vibat' Maldama has himself given, as examples of the Locative, other terminations than those proper to the Instrumental. l'ide supra & Grammar & 29. and note (†) at p. 30. |