To the Editor of the Asiatic Journal. SIR,-IN the Memoir of the late Major-General Sir George Holmes, K. C K. published in the number of the Asiatic Journal, for February 1817, I observe the following paragraph. "About this time the extension of the honors of the Order of the Bath excited the hope of every distinguished officer. One Commander's cross was destined for the Bombay army.; and could the wish of every officer of that army have been ascertained, we may, we believe, very safely say, that few, perhaps not one, would have denied the brilliant distinction to have been otherwise bestowed than upon Major-General Holmes.It is almost needless to add, that the honor was so appropriated." The tenor of this paragraph, if permitted to pass without remark, may lead to a general conclusion and belief, that a certain portion of the number of Knights Commanders of the Bath ordained for the officers in the service of the EastIndia Company, has been permanently allotted to each of the armies serving under the three Presidencies of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay that a specific number of Asiatic Journal. No. 16. ap Knights Commanders was first portioned to each army; and that the dignity was subsequently conferred on that fixed number of officers at each Presidency: Therefore, to do away such an erroneous idea, and to obviate any impression unfavorable to the just pretensions and high reputation of the Bombay army, which such a notion is calculated to produce, I beg leave to state, that no such regulation was adopted; that no particular proportion of the established number of fifteen Knights Commanders for the officers of the Company's army was specially al- ́ lotted to either of the three establishments; but that the dignity was conferred on those fifteen officers in the service of the EastIndia Company, who were considered to have most distinguished themselves since the year 1802, without any consideration as to the Presidency to which they were immediately attached. Had it been in contemplation to award to each of the three armies a due proportion of the limited number of fifteen Knights Commanders, whether in reference to the number of corps, or to that VOL. III. 2 T of general officers and colonels in each army, the just division of the honorable distinction would have been as follows; Bengal army To the Madras army . Bombay army ... 7 6 2 15 he was the only officer belonging to it, whose services rendered him eligible, according to the established regulations and restrictions, to be raised to the dignity. With respect to the wishes of the officers of the Bombay army, I believe, I may very safely say, without any disparagement to the professional character and meritorious services of the late Major-General Sir George Holmes, (and I sincerely disclaim all intention to detract therefrom) that, could such wishes have been accomplished, the brilliant distinction would likewise have been bestowed upon some of Sir George's brother officers, whose pretensions to the honor were as valid as his, though their achievements were not of so recent a date. Unfortunately for the Bombay army, there were only three officers belonging to it who had enjoyed the opportunity of distinguishing themselves, within the limited period of service, so as to give them a claim to the dignity of Knight Commander. Colonel Woodington died previous to the institution of the ordinance. General Jones (who has recently had the honor conferred on him) was, in the first instance, deemed ineligible to it, in consequence of his having been removed from the effective to the retired list of the army. General Holmes was the only officer in the Bombay army created a Knight Commander, not because there was only one Commander's cross destined for that army," but because London, 21st Feb. 1817. 66 I trust you will believe that in offering these remarks, I am actuated by no other motive than a sincere desire to uphold the honor of the Bombay army. 1 am, Sir, Your most obedient servant, ASIATICUS. To the Editor of the Asiatic Journal. months, landed also at Garden Reach. My friends received me with joy; and I was soon introduced at all the fashionable parties of Calcutta. Like your former correspondent I also was young; but cannot say I have ever "been called handsome"-" admired for my figure" or "that my accomplishments are above mediocrity." Nevertheless I contrived to make myself agreeable; had always on the course some young equestrians at my carriage windows; and have ❝ of re SIR, IN a late number I noticed an article entitled "Female Miseries in India," in which the writer certainly draws no very flattering picture of female emigration to the East; but, sir, there are few other subjects, in the discussion of which it is more necessary to hear both sides of the question. And if my account should tally but little with that of your late correspondent, I never theless rely on your candour to give it equal publicity. Not having had the opportunity fusing several excellent offers from men of rank and fortune in England," I felt less reluctance to undertake a voyage to India, and after a very pleasant one of five never known what it was to nurse the benches at a ball, and never set foot to ground. I had scarcely passed eight delightful months in this gay capital, before I had refused two, what were termed by many, excellent offers. But my friends were not eager to get rid of me, and I was at liberty to exercise my own discretion. I confess I was either sufficiently wise, or imprudent, to indulge but slender hopes of happiness with a man old enough to be my grandfather, who had been forty years resident in India, though rich as Cresus; or with a wild boy of a writer, engulphed in debt, and almost ruined by his excess. I refused them both, Mr. Editor, without hesitation; and was soon after rewarded with the hand of my present husband, who though not a Nabob, is a young man of some rank in the army, and blessed with independence. Such, sir, has been my good fortune in India; and let me add, that I ascribe it chiefly to an evenness of temper with which Providence has blessed me. I can safely say that I have never felt hurt at the precedency of others, or at being handed the last to table by any straggler the house afforded. I endeavoured to make myself equally agreeable to all, and had the happiness of finding my efforts generally successful. I fear your former correspondent thought more of the advantages to be derived from marriage than of the institution itself; and by her adverting to the civil fund, and the solitude of judges and collectors, evinces the probability that her trip to the East was, after all, "only to gain a fortune." Your correspondent, Mr. Editor, must have visited Calcutta when the exuberance of her youth was repressed by some two or three and thirty years; or she must have been too much occupied with her own attainments to have consulted the wishes of others; the former she may term young, the latter considerable; but, unfortunately for her, female age or conceit are never overlooked in India. "Tis true the days of chivalry are past; but in London as in Calcutta, the wild horse (of whose appearance, by the bye, in the very centre of the town I have read with the utmost astonishment), would equally have interested few in favour of a person, who expecting every attention from others, is not prepared to make a sacrifice in return. I am, Sir, &c. To the Editor of the Asiatic Journal. MR. EDITOR,-IN the last Edinburgh Review, p. 243, on the article of Dugald Stewart's Introduction to the Encyclopædia Britannica, is the following note; "At the conclusion of Bishop Taylor's Liberty of Prophesying is a Jewish story, told in the manner of a chapter of Genesis, in which God is represented as rebuking Abraham for having driven an idolater out of his tent. This story, the Bishop says, is somewhere to be found in the Rabinical books but till the original is discovered, we may ascribe the beauty of the imitatation, if not the invention of the incidents, to the Bishop himself." “Dr. Benjamin Franklin gave the same story, with some slight variations, to Lord NUBILIA. Kaimes, who published it in hils Sketches of the History of Mair." About twenty years ago, I sent to the Asiatic Society at Calcutta, a paper on the coincidences of the European and oriental classics ancient and modern, part of which my friend General Kirkpatrick furnished the editor of the Asiatic Register with a copy of, in which it appeared; but what I now send you has never been in print. In Europe we have of late been much amused by stories of Muhammadan Intolerance; but it has been by writers, who were either ignorant of the Musulman tenets, or wilful In the ly misrepresented them. Koran we are told that : "Jews, Christians and Sabians, and indeed whoever believeth in God and the last day, and doeth that which is right, shall have his reward with the Almighty, and no fear shall conie upon him, neither needeth he to grieve." And Sadi, in quoting that passage in one of his ser في قبا كَم مُومِن فِي ration can I offer than the following two Apologues from the Bustan of Sadi?— مغي در بروي جهان بسته بود بتي را بخدمت میان بسته بود پس از چند سال آن نکوهیده کیش * قضا حالتي صعبش آورد پیش بپاي بت اندر بامید خیر بغلطید بیچاره بر خاک دیر مانده ام دست كيراي صنم * بجان آمدم رحم کن بر تنم که در در بزارید در خدمتش بارها بتي چون بر آرد مهمات کس بر اشفت كاي پاي بند ضلال که هیچش بسامان نشد کارها بباطل پرستیدمت چند سال وکر نه بخواهم از پروردگار مهمی که در پیش دارم برار * که کامش بر آورد یزدان پاک هنوز آن مغ آلوده رویش بخاک همه وقت صافي برو تیره شد حقایق شناسي درين خيره شد * هنوزش سر از خمر بتخانه مست که سرکشته دون آتش پرست دل از کفر و دست از خیانت نشست * خدایش بر آورد کامي که جست * که پيغامي آمد بكوش دلش فرو رفت خاطر درین مشکلش گفت و قولش نیامد قبول * بسي آنکه چه فرق از صنم تا صمد * پس ناقص عقول که پیش صنم پیر کر از در که ما شود نیز رد که هست دل اندر صمد بايد اي دوست بست که عاجز تر است از صنم هر که باز آیدت دست حاجت تهي محال است اگر سر بدین در نهي A Mogh, or fire-worshipper, had secluded himself from the world, and devoted his whole time to the service of an idol some years afterwards that professor of a rejected faith happened to fall into distressed circumstances: confident of relief, he threw himself at the feet of his idol, and lay prostrate and helpless on the floor of it's temple; saying, "I am un "done, take me oh! my idol! by the hand, "I am afflicted to the soul, have compas، sion on my body.” Oftentines would he be thus fervent in devotional duty, for his affairs were not in the train of being settled; but how shall an image forward any man's concern, which cannot drive a fly from settling on its own body? The poor Mogh waxed warm, and added in his passion ; “ Oh! slave of error ! how long have I worshipped thee to a vain "purpose! accomplish for me at once the "object of my heart, otherwise 1 must "ask it of Providence, or the Lord God "paramount!" That contaminated Mogh still lay with his face in the dust, now that the pure spirit of the Almighty had complied with his prayer. One of the true faith, whose sincere adoration had been ever clouded with calamity, expressed himself astonished at what had come to pass, and said; "here is a despicable “ and obstinate worshipper of the fire, "whose mind is still intoxicated with the "wine of his temple; his heart full of in"fidelity, and hand soiled with perfidy, yet has God fulfilled the object of his wish!" This holy man's mind was oc 66 . cupied in trying to resolve this difficulty, when a message from heaven was revealed into the ear of his soul, intimating to him; "this old and perverted sinner often implored his idol, and his prayers. ،، were disregarded; but were he to quit. ،، the threshold of my tribunal disappoint"ed, then where would be the difference "between a dumb and perishable idol, " and the Lord God Eternal ?" Put your trust, oh! my dearly beloved friends! in Providence, for nothing is more helpless than a stock or a stone idol: it were lamentable, when you might lay your heads, on this threshold, if you should come to leave it disappointed of your object. Sadi's second Apologue is as follows: نیامد بمهمان سراي خليل شنیدم که یک هفته ابن السبیل * مگر بينواي در آيد ز راه ز فرخنده خوي نخوردي پگاه برون رفت و هر جانبي بنگرید * سرو مویش از برف پیری سفید بتنها یکی در بیابان چو بید برسم كريمان صلائي بكفت بدلداریش مرحبائي بكفت * باطراف وادي نکه کرد و دید * يكي مردمي کن بنان و نمک که اي چشم هاي مرا مردمک و برجست و برداشت کام * که دانست خلقش عليه السلام گفت نعم رقیبان مهمان سراي خليل بفرمود ترتیب کردند خوان نشاندند پیر ذلیل نشستند بر هر طرف همکنان از پیرش نيامد حديثي بسمع چو بسم الله آغاز کردند جمع * چو پیران نمي بينمت صدق و سوز چنین گفتش اي پير درين روز ن شرطست وقتي که روزي خورند که نام خوا وند روزي برند * بكفها طريقي نكيرم بدست بدانست پیغمبر نیک فال که نشنیدم از پیر آذر پرست کہ کبرست پیر تبه بوده حال که منکر بود پیش پاکان پلید بخواري براندش چو بیگانه دید ملامت کنان كاي خليل بہیبت * سروش آمد از کردکار جلیل منش داده صد سال روزي وجان * ترا نفرت آمد از و یک زمان تو واپس چرا مي بري دست جود كر او مي برد سوي آتش سجود |
