conveyed to the class of translators last indicated is rather undeserved,
there being nothing like a 'studied dishonesty' in their efforts which
proceed only from a mistaken view of their duties and as such betray only
an error of the head but not of the heart. More than twelve years ago when
Babu Pratapa Chandra Roy, with Babu Durga Charan Banerjee, went to my
retreat at Seebpore, for engaging me to translate the Mahabharata into
English, I was amazed with the grandeur of the scheme. My first question
to him was,--whence was the money to come, supposing my competence for the
task. Pratapa then unfolded to me the details of his plan, the hopes he
could legitimately cherish of assistance from different quarters. He was
full of enthusiasm. He showed me Dr. Rost's letter, which, he said, had
suggested to him the undertaking. I had known Babu Durga Charan for many
years and I had the highest opinion of his scholarship and practical good
sense. When he warmly took Pratapa's side for convincing me of the
practicability of the scheme, I listened to him patiently. The two were
for completing all arrangements with me the very day. To this I did not
agree. I took a week's time to consider. I consulted some of my literary
friends, foremost among whom was the late lamented Dr. Sambhu C.
Mookherjee. The latter, I found, had been waited upon by Pratapa. Dr.
Mookherjee spoke to me of Pratapa as a man of indomitable energy and
perseverance. The result of my conference with Dr. Mookherjee was that I
wrote to Pratapa asking him to see me again. In this second interview
estimates were drawn up, and everything was arranged as far as my portion
of the work was concerned. My friend left with me a specimen of
translation which he had received from Professor Max Muller. This I began
to study, carefully comparing it sentence by sentence with the original.
About its literal character there could be no doubt, but it had no flow
and, therefore, could not be perused with pleasure by the general reader.
The translation had been executed thirty years ago by a young German
friend of the great Pundit. I had to touch up every sentence. This I did