sian and Arabic Dictionary, he, without any other assistance, qualified himself for entering on an extensive course of reading in Persian. During his attendance on the Natural Philosophy Class, he began the study of Hebrew. He had a strong passion for almost every useful species of reading, and allotted stated hours for every occupation. He acquired, also, the two excellent habits of early rising and of copious writing. Of this latter habit, the manuscripts he left behind him furnish a striking proof. Besides those inserted in the "Remains," which we shall notice afterwards, there are among his manuscripts, Fragments of Natural His tory, two small volumes-Extracts from Hyde's Religio Veterum Persarum-Miscellaneous Fragments, containing the Chinese Decalogue, the Names of the Hindoo Constellations and Days of the Week, the Names of the Persian and Attic Months, and Collections on the Affinity between Latin and Greek, and between these two languages and Sanscrit-Several volumes and sheets of Translations from the Persian-Persian Idioms, a large volume, the commencement of a work alphabetically arranged-Selections from the Gulistan, in Persian and English, with Notes, apparently the beginning of a work intended for publication-Several volumes with Translations and Analyses from Greek authors. He had also translated, (with the exception of a few of the last pages,) from the German, Professor Bouterwek's volume on the History of Spanish Literature. This he intended to publish, with notes of his own, and we recollect of its being mentioned in our list of works preparing for the press.

In 1817, he entered the Divinity Halls of Marischal and King's Colleges. In the language of the "Memoir," into which we are oc

casionally falling without marking quotations,

"During the progress of life, and amidst all the literary occupations in which he engaged, the early impressions of religion that had been made on his heart were never obliterated, but were more and more confirmed as he increased in knowledge and tracted his attention, the Bible possessed the chief place in his regard, and was the object of his sincere belief and reverential study. He was well aware that human knowledge, however valuable, is insufficient of itself to direct its possessor in the most important of all inquiries, the pursuit of happiness; and that its value is in proportion as it is made subservient to the knowHe ledge and practice of the divine will. felt on his own heart the power and influence of the Gospel of Christ. He was fully convinced that it is the only effectual means of the moral renovation of the nature of man; and, from this sincere conviction, he fession as the one most congenial to his own deliberately made choice of the clerical prohabits, and as presenting to him the greatest prospect of being useful to others."

understanding. Of all the books that at

In 1818, when about twenty years of age, he was engaged by Professor Stuart, (who found it necessary to retire from the labour,) to teach the two Greek classes in Marischal College; and he voluntarily added a third. He entered on this occupation with great ardour, and prosecuted it with distinguished acceptance and success.

The Chinese language early attracted his curiosity, and was pursued by him with great keenness. The classical, and several of the eastern languages being mastered, those of Europe were of compara tively easy acquisition. The French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and German followed in succession. But, without attempting an account of his progress in these languages separately, we shall now, postponing the remaining particulars of his life, proceed to submit to the notice, and (we confidently anticipate) to the admiration of our readers, several extracts from his "Diary of Studies," which is introduced im

mediately after the "Memoir," and which occupies 113 pages. Let it be kept in mind all along, that he was only twenty-three years on earth.

1817. Jan. 18. I have been looking at Hindustanee lately; it is very similar to Persian. Indeed, a person who is well grounded in Persian and Arabic may almost say he is master both of Hindustanee and of Turkish. Some of the sonnets of the Hindoo poet Souda are really very pretty, and have much of the fire and energy of Hafiz, the famous bard of Schiraz, though they want that elegance and simplicity which so much distinguish the writings of the Persian poet."

"Jan. 23. I have now almost finished the first book of the Gulistan of Sady, in the original Persian. He is an excellent moral writer; and from all the numerous sto. ries which he gives in his works, he never fails to draw some moral conclusion. Take his works as a whole, he is one of the most elegant and pleasing of Persian writers. A person must know Arabic before he can peruse his works with any pleasure, as he blends this language very frequently with his native Persian. His style is simple and unaffected, and, at the same time, elegant in a high degree. Near the end of the first book of the Italia Liberata of Trissino, a scene occurs which resembles much the genius of Ferdusi's poetry," &c.

"March 3. I have carefully read Marshman's Dissertation on the Chinese Language, and I find that the acquisition of it is by no means so formidable as I had been led to imagine. Indeed, Mr. Marshman says, in the conclusion of his work, that, instead of being the most difficult, it will be found amongst those most easy of acquisition. A good deal, it is evident, must depend upon a knowledge of the 214 keys, of one or other of which every word in the language is compounded. After these are perfectly mastered, and a knowledge of about thirty prepositive and auxiliary characters acquired, the language lies open to the student. The Chinese language is more adapted to speak to the understanding, and the eye, than to the ear; and a sentence, in the written character of China, may possess a considerable degree of force, on account of the expressive nature of the characters, which would lose its beauty, in a great degree, by the disadvantage of a translation. Thus, the Chinese character expressing to inquire, is compounded of two characters, signifying a door and the mouth-literally, mouthdoor."

"April 16. I have gone over Lumsden's Persian Grammar, in two volumes, folio, and Gladwin's Persian Munshee. I have mentarii, by Sir William Jones. All succeeding writers have borrowed from Sir William. His genius disdained to be indebted to the labours of his predecessors, while he had it in his power ipsos accedere fonte atque haurire, &c. Sir William Ouseley seems to possess an enthusiasm for eastern literature, from which the world may hope to derive great advantage. Scott Waring's Tour to Scheeraz contains a great deal of information on Persian poetry, and some excellent translations. D'Herbelot, whose great work, the Bibliotheque Orientale, contains a vast fund of information, is a very voluminous and laborious writer. His work is very amusing; and what I read of it interested me much. His acquaintance with the writers of the east seems to have been very extensive, more so, perhaps, than that of any other European, not even excepting Sir William Jones."

also read twice the Poeseos Asiatica Com

"April 23. I have read Major Broughton's Selections from the Popular Poetry of the Hindoos. Some of the Hindee poets are very pretty; they write in a simple and unaffected strain, and are not nearly so full of metaphor as many of the Persian writers. The Hindee differs considerably from the Hindustanee; the former borrows from the Sanscrit, the latter from the Persian and Arabic, &c. &c. The following is an image we often find in Persian writers:

Whence is thy skill, my fair one, say? A bow unstrung thy brows display; Thy sidelong glance, a fatal dart, Unerring, wounds my fluttʼring heart.””

"April 25. I have read, in Hebrew, the whole book of Joshua, and have now begun Judges. I have read a chapter of the Hebrew Bible and Greek New Testament regularly before breakfast, for a con siderable time, and hope, by adhering to this plan, to get through, in time, the whole Bible. My studies in Persian have been directed to Hafiz of late. I read some have been reading a translation of Paul odes every day, if possible. In Italian, I and Virginia; and in Greek, the Anabanished. In Latin, I have read a book of sis of Xenophon, which I have nearly fiCicero, De Natura Deorum, and am busy at present with Virgil."

"April 26. I have attempted to paraphrase the following verse of Petrarch: • Erano i capei d'oro a l'aura sparsi, Che'n mille dolci nodi gli avolgea, E'l vago luma oltra misura ardea Di quei begli occhi, eh'or ne son si scarsi.'

Let it not be thought that his own recording of these efforts was a mark of ostentation; for, so familiar was he with such studies, that noting them down was with him a matter of course; and it should be remembered, that in so far as he himself was concerned, the narration was private. We can, besides, give the positive assurance, that, in his appearance and conversation, he was as free from parade and vanity, as any young man we have ever known. At times, indeed, during the few last years of his life, the richness of his mind was poured forth in conversation; but this was always in proper time and place, and unobtrusively, and only when he saw that it was relished; and when, according to a common expression, he was drawn out. So well did he acquit himself in this respect, that while many felt pleased and instructed in his society, we believe no one ever felt hurt. To all this we would add, as at once a pleasing consequence, and an unequivocal proof of his modesty and meekness, that his acquaintances of his own standing, not only heard of and witnessed his decided superiority without envy, but seemed to take pleasure in speaking well of him, and in adding always another wreath to his increasing honours.

To the Diary of Studies succeed seventeen pages of Illustrations of Scripture from the Persian, and from Ancient Traditions and Eastern Customs. From these we shall notice only the remark that many of the Scripture names are Persian: thus, Vashti in Hebrew, would signify drinking, but in Persian, sigsignifies a beautiful or excellent woman, which agrees exactly with the Scripture account, that she was fair to look upon. Esther, in Hebrew, is hidden, but in Persian aster, or ester, is a star," to which a beautiful woman is often compared by the Persian poets." Mehu

man, one of the chamberlains, seems to be the same with mehmän, a stranger, or guest,-mehmān dār, one who sees that the guests are properly attended to.

There is next a neatly written essay, On the Literature of the Arabs, and the influence which it has had on that of Europe; but this is too condensed to admit of abridgment. Then follows an Account of Ajayeb al Makhlukat, or the Wonders of Creation, a work originally written in Arabic, by Zechariah Al Cazvini. We consider it unnecessary to attempt to give any idea of this truly curious work, as in the eighth number of our eighteenth volume, (August, 1819,) there is inserted a sufficient specimen of it in a communication by Mr. Ross himself. The account of this work is followed in the Remains by a few" poetical translalations," the versification of which is exceedingly smooth and agree◄ able.

The next article in order is Verbal Resemblances between the oriental languages and those of other nations. From these we shall quote a few specimens.

"Cridhe, in Gaelic, the heart; kridaya, in Sanscrit, the same."

"Sira, and Syr, in Islandic, signify Lord; sar, in Hebrew, a prince; Tsar, in Russian, is a title applied to their prince; sar, or sir, in Persian, is the head, chief, the most exalted; sari askar, the general of an army. This word gives rise to a numerous class of compounds, in which it strengthens the signification. What is remarkable, the Greeks called the sun Zug, and with a termination Σείριος 2 thus Suidas, Zug, 25; and Hesychius, Σείριος, ὁ ἥλιος, και ὁ του κυνος αστηρ or Syr, is the name given to the Supreme Being, in some Runic monuments, in which sense it resembles the Arabic sirr, any thing pure or excellent, also, incomprehensible, mysterious. In Sanscrit the sun is called Surya; this seems the same with sar, or car, which, according to Mr. Faber, was used in the mysteries of the Cabiri, as a radical word, signifying the sun. lar to this is khur, in Persian, the sun,

Sira,

Simi