a matter of proof *[1]which it will be our endeavour to supply and convince people who now oppose the use of modern Telugu in prose. We shall give extracts from writings and show how the true tradition of Telugu prose has been natural change as speech has changed.
This will involve linguistic research; for some time past such research has been made, with the result that we are in a position to show that the grammars extant ar# both incomplete and unreliable; that in consequence many of the modern writers of old Telugu are apt to commit various kinds of errors, either from misunderstanding of the grammarians they profess to follow, or from failing to observe the practice of ancient writers. We are in a position to prove the real ancient usage and shall publish selections from the texts. We shall also show how this pedantic ignorance of ancient usage, of sound textual criticism and of palæography has induced modern editors of ancient texts to tamper with the originals and we shall give as far as we can correct and truly critical readings of old time texts. Incidentally the MSS help us to connect the modern regional dialects with their original forms; there is much need of
- ↑ *In the third article is given ample proof of the existance of such books: the testimony of the custodians of the manuscripts in the public libraries, of individuals who have seen such manuscript of the pandits, and other teachers on the staff of thirteen Colleges to whom many such manuscripts were shown.
