rothers called.

"6. To whom he said: What now has befallen? In what state is this our
sire? By those two was he hidden with clothes, and called to his senses
again and again.

"7. Having recovered his intellect, and perfectly knowing what had passed,
he cursed _Charma_, saying, Thou shalt be the servant of servants:

"8. And since thou wast a laugher in their presence, from laughter shalt
thou acquire a name. Then he gave to _Sherma_ the wide domain on the south
of the snowy mountains.

"9. And to _Jyapeti_ he gave all on the north of the snowy mountains; but
he, by the power of religious contemplation, obtained supreme bliss."

After this testimony from Sir W. Jones--wrung from him, as it would seem,
against his own wish and will--Lieutenant Wilford's essays became more
numerous and more startling every year.

At last, however, the coincidences became too great. The MSS. were again
carefully examined; and then it was found that a clever forgery had been
committed, that leaves had been inserted in ancient MSS., and that on
these leaves the Pandits, urged by Lieutenant Wilford to disclose their
ancient mysteries and traditions, had rendered in correct Sanskrit verse
all that they had heard about Adam and Abraham from their inquisitive
master. Lieutenant (then Colonel) Wilford did not hesitate for one moment
to confess publicly that he had been imposed upon; but in the meantime the
mischief had been done, his essays had been read all over Europe, they
retained their place in the volumes of the "Asiatic Researches," and to
the present day some of his statements and theories continue to be quoted
authoritatively by writers on ancient religion.

Such accidents, and, one might almost say, such misfortunes, will happen,
and it would be extremely unfair were we to use unnecessarily harsh
language with regard to those to whom they have happened. It is perfectly
true that at present, after the progress that has been made in an accurate
and critical study of Sanskrit, it would be unpardonable if any Sanskrit
scholar accepted such passages as those translated by Sir W. Jones as
genuine. Yet it is by no means certain that a further study of Sanskrit
will not lead to similar disenchantments, and deprive many a book in
Sanskrit literature which now is considered as very ancient of its claims
to any high antiquity. Certain portions of the Veda even, which, as far as
our knowledge goes at present, we are perfectly justified in re