“Two days since, a Brahmin in authority here, and with whom I have had many disputes, took away a copy of the gospels, after I had read to him some particulars of the death of Christ, which impressed him greatly at the time. My removal has made him very anxious; and sometime ago, when I was first ordered away, he came, and after many expressions of concern said, ‘Sir, I have a great favour to beg before you leave this place; pray cause to be written for me your account of the first beginning of things, with the genealogies of the first ages. Before you came, I never heard these subjects spoken of, and when you are gone, no one will take the trouble to unfold us any hidden thing.’ He has now the beginning of Genesis, and the four Gospels. Affairs on the continent have taken a most disastrous turn[55] to our apprehension; but ‘the Lord reigneth;’ and one thing we cannot but rejoice in, _the fall of the man of sin_.” TO THE REV. D. BROWN. “March 15, 1810. “I yesterday sent off by _banghy_[56] De Coetlegon’s Sermons, and some chapters of Genesis in Persian, translated by my Moonshee from my Hindoostanee translations. It is on this account I sent the Sermons, as the Moonshee would give me no peace until you should have a specimen of his performance, and give your opinion whether or no it will be of any use to go on in this way. The occasion of doing thus much arose from some Mahomedans about the court at Mirzapore desiring from me some account of the books of Moses. Mr. Ricketts, the judge, was passing this, and some people in his train. They called upon me and immediately expressed a wish to see some of the translations they had heard I employed myself about. I produced the epitome done by Gladwin, it seems, at the request of Mr. Clarke. This they read for an hour at least, and on going away begged a copy. Afterwards the Molwhee told the moonshee that the Koran gives a more particular account of things than our books. To this the moonshee answered, that what he had seen was a very concise abridgment, but if he were to see the original he would forget the Koran. This brought on a violent dispute. To make good his assertion, the translation you have a copy of was made, and the remainder of the epitome added. One chapter was first sent to Martyn, who approved of it, and now you must also see it. Our Cutwal[57] here is a Hindoo, and has often, with heat, contended with me about the comparative authenticity of our books; but on the prospect of my leaving seems softened, and has of his own accord begged a copy of the beginning of Genesis and of the Gospel; which he has got. He often contends eagerly