THE WORKS

OF

SIR WILLIAM JONES.

A DISCOURSE ON THE INSTITUTION OF A

SOCIETY,

FOR INQUIRING INTO THE

HISTORY, CIVIL AND NATURAL, THE ANTIQUITIES, ARTS, SCIENCES, AND LITERATure, of

ASIA.

BY THE PRESIDENT.

GENTLEMEN,

WHEN I was at fea laft Auguft, on my voyage to this country, which I had long and ardently defired to vifit, I found one evening, on inspecting the observations of the day, that India lay before us, and Perfia on our left, whilst a breeze from Arabia blew nearly on our stern. A fituation so pleasing in itself, and to me so new, could not fail to awaken a train of reflections in a mind, which had early been accustomed to

contemplate with delight the eventful hiftories and agreeable fictions of this eaftern world. It gave me inexpreffible pleasure to find myself in the midst of so noble an amphitheatre, almost encircled by the vast regions of Asia, which has ever been esteemed the nurse of sciences, the inventrefs of delightful and useful arts, the scene of glorious actions, fertile in the productions of human genius, abounding in natural wonders, and infinitely diversified in the forms of religion and government, in the laws, manners, customs, and languages, as well as in the features and complexions, of men. I could not help remarking, how important and extenfive a field was yet unexplored, and how many folid advantages unimproved; and when I confidered, with pain, that, in this fluctuating, imperfect, and limited condition of life, fuch inquiries and improvements could only be made by the united efforts of many, who are not eafily brought, without fome preffing inducement or ftrong impulse, to converge in a common point, I confoled myself with a hope, founded on opinions which it might have the appearance of flattery to mention, that, if in any country or community, fuch an union could be effected, it was among my countrymen in Bengal, with fome of whom I already had, and with most was defirous of having, the pleasure of being intimately acquainted.

You have realized that hope, gentlemen, and even anticipated a declaration of my wishes, by your alacrity in laying the foundation of a fociety for inquiring into the hiftory and antiquities, the natural productions, arts, sciences, and literature of Afia. Imay confidently foretel, that an institution fo likely to afford entertainment, and convey knowledge, to mankind, will advance to maturity by flow, yet certain, degrees; as the Royal Society, which at firft was only a meeting of a few literary friends at Oxford, rofe gradually to that splendid zenith, at which a Halley was their fecretary, and a Newton their prefident.

the tree,

Although it is my humble opinion, that, in order to ensure our fuccefs and permanence, we must keep a middle course between a languid remissness, and an over zealous activity, and that which you have aufpiciously planted, will produce fairer bloffoms, and more exquisite fruit, if it be not at first exposed to too great a glare of sunshine, yet I take the liberty of submitting to your confideration a few general ideas on the plan of our fociety; affuring you, that, whether you reject or approve them, your correction will give me both pleasure and instruction, as your flattering attentions have already conferred on me the highest honour.

It is your design, I conceive, to take an ample

space for

your learned investigations, bounding them only by the geographical limits of Afia; fo that, confidering Hindustan as a centre, and turning your eyes in idea to the North, you have on your right, many important kingdoms in the Eastern peninfula, the ancient and wonderful empire of China with all her Tartarian dependencies, and that of Japan, with the cluster of precious islands, in which many fingular curiofities have too long been concealed: before you lies that prodigious chain of mountains, which formerly perhaps were a barrier against the violence of the fea, and beyond them the very interesting country of Tibet, and the vast regions of Tartary, from which, as from the Trojan horse of the poets, have iffued fo many confummate warriors, whofe domain has extended at least from the banks of the Ilius to the mouths of the Ganges: on your left are the beautiful and celebrated provinces of Iran or Perfia, the unmeasured, and perhaps unmeasurable deferts of Arabia, and the once flourishing kingdom of Yemen, with the pleasant ifles that the Arabs have fubdued or colonized; and farther weftward, the Afiatick dominions of the Turkish fultans, whofe moon feems approaching rapidly to its wane.-By this great circumference, the field of your useful researches will be inclosed; but, finçe Egypt had unquestionably an old con

nection with this country, if not with China, fince the language and literature of the Abyffinians bear a manifest affinity to those of Afia, fince the Arabian arms prevailed along the African coaft of the Mediterranean, and even erected a powerful dynasty on the continent of Europe, you may not be displeased occasionally to follow the streams of Afiatick learning a little beyond its natural boundary; and, if it be necessary or convenient, that a short name or epithet be given to our fociety, in order to distinguish it in the world, that of Afiatick appears both classical and proper, whether we confider the place or the object of the inftitution, and preferable to Oriental, which is in truth a word merely relative, and, though commonly used in Europe, conveys no very distinct idea.

If now it be asked, what are the intended objects of our inquiries within these spacious limits, we answer, MAN and NATURE; whatever is performed by the one, or produced by the other. Human knowledge has been elegantly analyfed according to the three great faculties of the mind, memory, reafon, and imagination, which we conftantly find employed in arranging and retaining, comparing and diftinguishing, combining and diversifying, the ideas, which we receive through our fenfes, or acquire by reflection; hence the three main branches of learning are