Autobiography, pp

22. History of British India, Préface.— Cf. éd. Wilson, vol. I, p. 171 : With regard to the ancient history of India, we are still not without re sources. The meritorrous researches of the modem Europeans, wbo hâve explored the institutions, the laws, the manners, the laws, occupations and maxims of this ancient people, hâve enabled philosophy to draw the picture of society, which they hâve presented, through a long révolution of years. We cannot describe the lives of their kihgs, or the circumstances and results of a train of bâties. But we can show how they lived together as members of the community, and of families ; how they were arranged in society ; what arts they practised, what tenets they believed, what man-

ners they displayed ; under what species of government they existed ; and what character, as buman beings, ibey posse'ssed. This is by far the most useful and important part of history ; and if it be true, as an acute and éloquent historian has remarked, « that the sudden, violent, and unprepared révolutions incident to barbarians, are so much guided by caprice, and terminate so often in cruelty, that they disgust us by the uniformity of their appearance, and it is rather fortunate for letters that they are buried in silence and oblivion », we bave perbaps but little to regret in the total absence of Hindu records.

23. Ricardo à Say, 18 déc. 1817. {Mélanges et correspondance d'économie politique, ... de J.-B. Say, p. 101) .