Those friends who have taken an interest in my literary productions may feel some surprise at my appearance in the character of a translator of Sanscrit poetry.

To those, and indeed to all who may take up the present volume, I owe some explanation of my pretensions as a faithful interpreter of my original text.

Those pretensions are very humble; and I can unfeignedly say, that if the field had been likely to be occupied by others, who might unite poetical powers with a profound knowledge of the sacred language of India, I should have withdrawn at once from the competition.

But, in fact, in this country the students of oriental literature, endowed with a taste and feeling for poetry, are so few in number, that any attempt to make known the peculiar character of those remarkable works, the old mythological epics of India, may be received with indulgence by all who are interested in the history of poetry.

Mr.Wilson alone, since Sir W.
Jones, has united a poetical genius with deep Sanscrit scholarship; but he has in general preferred the later and more polished period--that of Kalidasa and the dramatists--to the ruder, yet in my opinion, not less curious and poetical strains of the older epic bards.
A brief account of the manner in which I became engaged in these studies, will best explain the extent of my proficiency.