seems to me mainly to arise from the mistaken notion that the same treatment must (under wholly different and almost contrary circumstances) be equally useful for two great countries. One of these contrary circumstances is that the elementary books available in the one country are of the richest, most varied, useful and attractive description, and in the other of the meagrest and most paltry character, which would be of less consequence if these opened the door to higher vernacular departments, in which the mental pabulum supplied was more elevating and improving. It would appear to me therefore that it is far more important at present to labour for the enrichment of the vernacular literature by an expansion of the Educational Department, by summoning from England, as well as employing out here, men of the highest calibre of mind and stamp of character to devote themselves to this branch of preliminary effort.

'Surely such a sweeping measure [as mass education] deserves most heedful preparation. The food on which we invite them to feast, summoning them with a blare of trumpets from far and near, should not be of the most ill-cooked and indigestible materials, devoid of all solidity and nutriment. When a man like Archbishop Whately devoted his original and transcendent powers to write books for little children, bringing down fragments, at least, of the deepest truths to the level of the most popular and child-like comprehension, and men like Thirlwall and Whewell delighted (not to speak of Faraday and Huxley) to cause science to talk intelligibly and charmingly to children, we seem to have high hopes awakened of what may be accomplished by the Govern ment taking advantage of the new devotion and enthusiasm of the leading young aspirants to honours at our universities-their desire, that is, to kindle among the masses thirst for the noblest science, the richest culture, for truth, goodness, self-sacrifice.

'It would not be possible for Government to take its hand off the higher education at present, except so far as to avail itself of the most approved and best appointed voluntary agencies simultaneously with its own. If some of these voluntary agencies were of a large-minded, generous Christian character, honouring (as did St. Paul) all that was good and true in the ancient classics of the country, and bringing both one and other (as also does St. Paul) to the test of that law and judgement which are deepest and firmest rooted in the breast of man, none would appreciate this more than the better class of the natives themselves, or support the Government in freely and gladly employing them more than they. They are in the main prepared to act on the principle "By their fruits ye shall know them." In whatever direction the highest ethical results follow, I am persuaded the Government is safe in advancing with no timid and half-hearted course. If the Government is not ashamed of avowing this, the best of our subjects will not be slow in appreciating it, and will feel themselves bound to follow

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to the best of their capacity in the same steps and aim at the same results. Few rivalries could be so honourable or useful as this. Government examiners will be justified (without touching on religious dogma) in proposing questions or giving instruction in the highest ethics.

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To allow the various religions of the country to be taught in Government schools under State sanction would be clearly contrary to the terms of the Queen-Empress' original proclamation, on the faith of which Christian men loyal to their convictions render service to the State. There is no difficulty in avoiding this, and the very suspicion of it, which has been widespread, has distressed and alienated both Christian minds and others of our non-Christian fellow-subjects.'

With reference to subjects of instruction in primary schools, the bishop said :

'Instructive stories in thoroughly expressive and idiomatic vernacular, with a measure of stirring dramatic interest, drawn from incidents of daily indigenous life, with morals elicited obviously and naturally, on the excellent models which Miss Tucker and Miss Wauton have produced, would have the best effect. Popular descriptions of natural phenomena of earth, fire, water, the signs of heaven and the like, would stir the dormant and sluggish intellect. Portions of the Proverbs of Solomon', and tales of the Old Testament', would raise no objection, and be most wholesome, I believe, and songs such as Hannah's', especially if rendered into Hinduwi poetry. I remember revising a Hinduwi metrical version of the Proverbs of Solomon, which elicited at least many a Wah! Wah! from native listeners twenty-five years ago.'

With reference to women's work he thus addressed the Government :

'My belief is that an almost entirely new field of most interesting (I may almost say fascinating) labour is open to English ladies in watching over and encouraging the education of their Indian sisters. Very few English gentlemen are invited to the houses of native gentlemen, the zenanas standing in the way. But English ladies appear always welcome or nearly always, and by their labour (if they came in goodly numbers) the terrible obstruction to the intercourse of the two races on a friendly footing (most beneficial in different ways to both) might be in some large measure removed.'

1 These he wished to have taught in Government schools, not from the Bible, but from a school-book of ethical extracts.

The plan for a good manual of ethics long held possession of the bishop's mind, and he had actually begun to collect his materials. He even thought of retiring from office sooner than he would otherwise have done to give himself entirely to this. Sir Charles Aitchison, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and others, warmly encouraged him, but the Government of India would not guarantee the acceptance of the work in their colleges, and so many difficulties intervened that it was finally abandoned. Had leisure been accorded him, there is no doubt that the bishop's wide knowledge of the native character, extensive reading, and fine eclectic faculty, would have combined to make the book a boon to India of enduring value.

In recognition of his many services before he left the diocese the Punjab University conferred upon him honoris causâ and in absentiâ the rare distinction of the degree of D.O.L. Of this he said to Mrs. French, December 23, 1887:

'I have been writing to Mr. Rattigan, as Vice-Chancellor, to thank him and the senate for appointing me "Doctor of Oriental Learning." D.O.L. after my D.D. title will puzzle my friends to know what it means! They will ask you to explain, so now you will be able to enlighten them. I tell him I hope I shall be worthier of it after my journey into Syria and pursuing my Arabic studies.'

The bishop, although so deeply conscious of the need of an improved Christian vernacular literature, could find no time amid his pressing avocations to devote to it. Beyond the publication of charges and occasional sermons the period of his episcopate is nearly barren from the literary point of view. Something, however, he was able to accomplish in encouraging the efforts of others, and in revising such a work as Dr. Imad-ud-din's Commentary on St. John, and two important pieces of translation or revision work made great demands on his attention.

The revision of the Hindustani Prayer-book was undertaken by the bishop, with a small committee, at the request of the metropolitan of India, and the S. P. C. K., when applied to for assistance, spent £2,000 upon it. During the

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summer of 1881 the bishop took a large house at Murree, where, with the help of Dr. Hooper, Mr. Shirreff, Mr. Tara Chand, and Dr. Imad-ud-din, he resolutely spent six hours a day upon this work. Dr. Weitbrecht and other scholars, native and English, lay and clerical, were also consulted on points of difficulty. It was a memorable time of spiritual and intellectual converse and retreat for all concerned in it, and Mrs. Hooper provided admirably for the commissariat, but in point of business arrangement there was a good deal left to be desired. The points in dispute were settled by no formal voting, but by the bishop's own intense determination, and so in many things he failed to carry his committee with him, and at least one of them declined to allow his name to appear unless the adoption of the new revision remained as optional in every congregation.

"The greatest disappointment of his later years,' says his successor, Bishop Matthew, was the unfavourable reception given to the Revised Urdu Prayer-book by the missionaries of the North-West Provinces and the Punjab. When some time after his resignation I begged him to revisit his old diocese, he replied that the treatment his book had met with in the native church made it impossible for him to do so. Though I am no expert, I am afraid there can be little doubt that in this matter the public opinion of the Church was right, and the bishop mistaken. Certainly it was a matter of the deepest regret to many that they could not regard the book as suited for general use. The bishop had been assisted by a competent committee, but with his high ideas of episcopal authority, and very pronounced opinions as to style, the committee were assessors only, and their judgement again and again overruled by the bishop. His predilection for Arabic religious terms led to the introduction of a great number of words quite unintelligible to the simple people who form the staple of our congregations. There were also some important departures from the English original, the bishop deeming himself at liberty to go behind it to the Latin sources of the Prayer-book'. At the same time the book was a monument of

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1 The Arabic Ab and Ibn were introduced for Father' and 'Son,' instead of the Hindustani Bap' and 'Beta.' The Latin phrases, ‘candidatus martyrum exercitus' and 'cui servire regnare est,' were literally rendered; and the collect for the fourth Sunday after Advent was made, as in the old form, an address to Christ. These and other changes

scholarly and erudite labour, which will not be thrown away, but will leave its mark on any version which may secure the acceptance of the Church.'

This verdict of the present bishop is not only confirmed by members of the original company, both native and English, but received practical illustration during the year 1894. A fresh revision committee of eight, nominated by the Bishops of Lucknow and Lahore in equal numbers, has recently determined by a majority of five to two to take the bishop's version as the basis of their work, on the ground that in translation and idiom it is the more accurate.' At this meeting there were present Messrs. Hooper, Durrant, Westcott, Nihal Singh, Lefroy, Weitbrecht, and Tara Chand. It would have been most strange if, after all the labour he had spent upon the language, the bishop's one chief effort should have proved entirely abortive. The promise may be yet fulfilled to him in this also-' Cast thy bread upon the waters, and thou shalt find it after many days.'

In 1885 he was again at work revising, this time the Old Testament and St. Luke's Gospel in Pushtu. He wrote from Kohat, May 16:—

'We work seven hours a day. It is delightful to see Messrs. Mayer's and Jukes' enthusiasm.'

And he added in June of the same year :

"The Pushtu reminds me of what Luther said of the German, when he was translating the Old and New Testament, that it made him sweat blood to try and adapt the crabbed and barbarous language of the Teutons to the deep spiritual truths of the Shemitic Scriptures.'

This work was done under the auspices of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and met with no misadventure.

It remains to say a few words about the bishop as a missionary statesman-his views upon the native Church, its

like these, however in themselves to be desired, were entirely beyond the terms of the committee's commission as revisers.