Volume 1

History of the European languages; or, researches into the affinities of the Teutonic, Greek, Celtic, Sclavonic, and Indian nations / By Alexander Murray. With a life of the author [by Sir H.W. Moncreiff].

  • Murray, Alexander, 1775-1813.
Date:
1823
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: History of the European languages; or, researches into the affinities of the Teutonic, Greek, Celtic, Sclavonic, and Indian nations / By Alexander Murray. With a life of the author [by Sir H.W. Moncreiff]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    had a lucrative communication. Yet all the knowledge which we have of the languages of those countries is insuffi¬ cient for public or private purposes. It was found necessary to seek an interpreter in Italy for assisting Lord Macartney in his Chinese embassy. The language has since been studied by a few individuals, but no work has appeared to promote that species of literature. Perhaps we shall owe the first accession to our scanty knowledge of the singular language and written character of China, to the industry of the Missionaries at Serampore. It is surely desirable that a merchant, or society of mer¬ chants, should have some access to information respecting commercial countries ; that even they should have it in their power to qualify some of their number for visiting these. It is no solid objection to this, that our trade has been profit¬ ably managed without such assistance hitherto; a maxim analogous to the old creed of agriculture, that the ground does well enough without improved cultivation ; or to the principle of some Indian politicians, that u the people do just as well in their present state.” Trade, agriculture, and human society, will always repay judicious expenditure. The exertions of the Society are putting the world in pos¬ session of that which no government has leisure to collect, nor any mercantile body power to furnish on demand. Make the unnecessary supposition, that every Bible distri¬ buted in barbarous countries by the agents of the Society is instantly delivered to the flames, the means of future inter¬ course for the several purposes of religion, science, commerce, and international policy, are secured. The gate is opened; we are discovered to the world, and the world to us. I have stated these as my sentiments respecting the fo¬ reign proceedings of the Society. It would not be easy to find an institution, in the success of which so many passions have an interest. Besides that encouragement given to it