head of the list. His "Grammar on the common dialect of the Tamil language" and "Grammar of High Tamil” and his more important Tamil dictionary, the “Sadur-agaradi" need especial mention. So ably had he mastered the Tamil language that his “Tembavani”, a religious epic, is considered to bring its author into the first rank of Tamil poets. Ellis says that the Tamils could not believe that it was the work of a foreigner.
Beschi died in 1747 and his studies were followed up by equally enthusiastic missionaries like Rottler, Caldwell and Pope. Mention may here be made also of the members of the Tranquebar Danish Mission founded by Ziegenbalg and Plutscho, who produced some grammars and school books in Tamil, besides translations of the Holy Bible. We cannot pass over the missionary effort for the Tamil language without paying a tribute to Winslow whose "A comprehen-
