While at Calcutta, the attraction of his conversation drew around him so many friends that his hours of study were much encroached upon. He therefore chose a country residence, a few miles from the city, where he might receive less interruption and enjoy better health. The duties of the court, however, frequently called him to town, and his devotion was so great that, even when he felt his health declining, he refused to relax in his attendance. "How long my health will continue in this town," he writes to a friend, "with constant attendance in court every morning, and the irksome business of justice of peace in the afternoon, I can not foresee. If temperance and composure of mind will avail, I shall be well; but I would rather be a valetudinarian all my life than leave unexplored the Sanscrit mine which I have just opened." In another letter he gives us an insight into his occupations. "By rising before the sun, I allot an hour every day to Sanscrit, and am charmed with knowing so beautiful a sister of Latin and Greek.” It was then his custom to walk to town, arriving there before the sun had gained much ascendency, and remaining until evening, when he walked home again. "It rarely happens,” he says, "that favorite studies are closely connected with the strict discharge of our duty, as mine happily are: even in this cottage, I am assisting the court by studying the Arabic and Sanscrit, and have now rendered it an impossibility for the Mohammedan or Hindoo lawyers to impose upon us with erroneous opinions." It was one of his favorite projects to make a complete digest of Hindoo and Mohammedan laws, after the model of the Pandects of Justinian. The importance of this was evident from the fact that the Hindoo and Mohammedan laws were written, for the most part, in Sanscrit and Arabic. "My experience justifies me in declaring," he says, "that I could not, with an easy conscience, concur in a decision merely on the opinion of native lawyers in any cause in which they could have the remotest interest in misleading the court; nor, how vigilant soever we might be, would it be very difficult for them to mislead us; for a single obscure text, explained by themselves, might be quoted as express authority, though, perhaps, in the very book from which it was selected, it might be differently explained, or introduced only for the purpose of being exploded." In the execution of this great project he enlisted the sympathies and assistance of Lord Cornwallis, the new governor general, who placed all the facilities of the state

at his disposal, and thus enabled Jones to select as his assistants the most learned natives of the district.

In the beginning of 1794 he published a translation of the ordinances of Menu, an extremely curious work, illustrating the manners and customs of a very ancient people, and their peculiar religious ceremonies, to which they have adhered down to the present time. During all this time Sir William enjoyed good health, and frequently boasted of having conquered the climate; but his lady suffered severely from the scorching heat, and became so much debilitated that Sir William was alarmed, and induced her to return to England. She took her departure in a sailing vessel, and bade farewell to a husband whom she was doomed never to see again. Four months later, and Sir William was attacked with what appeared to be the ague, arising, as he imagined, from indiscreet exposure to the night air. Medical assistance was called in, and the disease was pronounced to be inflammation of the liver-the scourge of British India. The symptoms became more aggravated, and, in spite of every attention, the patient sunk on the seventh day. Sir William was in the forty-seventh year of his age. Few men have died so universally respected. His amiable disposition, added to his great acquirements in almost every department of human knowledge, endeared him to all classes of people. There is no doubt that his zeal in the discharge of his duties ("I never was happy," he wrote, "till I was settled in India") predisposed his constitution to the attack which terminated his life. His acquaintance with the history, philosophy, laws, religion, science, and manners of nations, was most extensive and profound. As a linguist, he has scarcely, if ever, been surpassed; he had made himself acquainted with no fewer than twenty-eight different languages, and was studying the grammars of several of the Oriental dialects up to within a week of his lamented death. In accordance with a determination to which we have already referred, he perfected himself in Greek, Latin, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, German, and English; made himself master of Sanscrit, and less completely of Hindostanee and Bengalee, and also of the dialects called the Tibetian, the Pâli, the Phalavi, and the Deri. The other languages which he studied more or less completely were the Chinese, Russian, Runic, Syriac, Ethiopic, Coptic, Dutch, Swedish, and Welsh.

It was by the observance of a few simple maxims that Sir William Jones was able to accomplish what he did. One of these was, never to neglect an opportunity of improvement; another was, that whatever had been attained was attainable by him, and that therefore the real or supposed difficulties of any pursuit formed no reason why he should not engage in it. "It was also," says Lord Teignmouth, "a fixed principle with him, from which he never voluntarily deviated, not to be deterred by any difficulties which were surmountable from prosecuting to a successful termination what he had once deliberately undertaken.” Like all great workers, Jones was scrupulously methodical, and had a particular time for every occupation, thus avoiding interruption and confusion.

The best monument of his fame was raised by his widow, who published a splendid edition of his works in 6 vols. quarto, 1799, and also, at her own expense, placed a fine marble statue to his memory, executed by Flaxman, in the ante-chamber of University College, Oxford.

CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH.

THIS redoubtable 'hero was born at Willoughby, in Lincolnshire, in the year 1579. He was descended, he says in his autobiography, from the family of the ancient Smiths of Crudley, in Lancashire, on the father's side, and from the Rickards, of Great Heck, in Yorkshire, on the mother's. At an early age, his parents having died, he was placed under the care of guardians, but these unfaithful stewards ill-treated the youth, squandered his property, and otherwise behaved in a manner highly offensive to his sensitive nature. In those days, young people considered it an excellent plan to run away, if all things were not quite comfortable at home. There were no electric telegraphs, rail-roads, or steam-boats to dart after the truant and bring him back again. If he had a stout heart, a keen wit, or a sharp sword, it was probable that he would make a way for himself in the world, and so utterly escape from all his former grievances. Smith's disposition became known to his guardians, and, to punish it, they sent him as an apprentice to a merchant at Lynn. The drudgery of a counting-house was the last thing in the world that could suit

his ardent nature. He gave it a very brief trial, and then, borrowing all the money he could (amounting to about ten shillings), he started for the Continent, in the company of Mr. Peregrine Bertz. He does not appear to have been a great favorite with this gentleman, and in a short time was dismissed from his train. Not in the slightest degree discouraged by this untoward event, young Smith determined to go in search of his own fortunes. He repaired, accordingly, to the Low Countries, where a plentiful dish of hard fighting was always supplied to the hungry visitor. Here he baptized his infant weapon, and performed prodigies of valor during four long but exciting years of warfare. At length, becoming weary of the struggle, he took his leave, and proceeded to Scotland, where, after a slight touch of shipwreck, he arrived in safety. The hospitality of the Scotch was lavished on the hero, but the court of King James entirely overlooked his existence. Slightly in disgust, therefore, he turned his back on the Scottish metropolis, and once more returned to Willoughby, in Lincolnshire. The good folks made a lion of him at first, and bored him with their invitations and attentions, "in which," he says, "he took small delight." To rid himself of these pests, he retired from the town, and established himself in an open field a good way from it. Here, beside a gay little rivulet, he built himself a pavilion of boughs, and, dispensing with all the luxuries of civilization, devoted himself to the study of war and morals. Concerning the latter he appeared to have somewhat loose notions. looked upon the earth as a large domain, bestowed indifferently upon all Adam's children, who might, without blame, make use freely of what they found in their way. Practically applied, this theory resulted in a pastime which the law frowns at, under the name of poaching. In other words, he was in the habit of replenishing his scanty board with the prime venison and plump pheasants of his neighbors. He did not exactly do it himself. He had a worthy retainer who performed the important functions of the commissariat department, while the virtuous Smith improved himself in the pages of Machiavelli and Marcus Aurelius. The only amusement he took was on horseback, either hunting, or tilting with the lance, and acquiring a dexterity with that weapon for which he was afterward renowned. Such a character in a quiet agricultural district became necessarily an object of extreme curiosity. Every one talked about the chivalric her

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