Page:History of Bengali Literature in the Nineteenth Century.djvu/108

84 BENGALI LITERATURE his project, when completed, would have advanced beyond the normal state of imperfection to which new inventions are constantly exposed. The advice and even the solicitation of the Governor-General prevailed upon upon Mr. Wilkins, a gentleman who has been some years in the India Company’s Civil Service in Bengal, to undertake aset of Bengali types. He did and his suecess has exceeded every expectation. In a country so remote from European artists, he has been obliged to charge himself with all the various occupations of the Metallurgist, the Engraver, the Founder, and the Printer. To the merit of invention he was compelled to add the application of personal labour. With a rapi- dity unknown in Europe, he surmounted all obstacles which necessarily clog the first rudiments of a difficult art as well as the disadvantages of solitary experiment ; and has thus singly on the first effort exhibited his work in astate of perfection which in every part of the world has appeared to require the united improvements of different projectors and the gradual polish of succes- sive ages.’”} It must be remembered that these labours of Wilkins did not end merely in the temporary and isolated bene- ১৬3 a of printing a ৪ but ee importance of Wilkins’ far deeper and more wide-reaching mork to Bengali lite: effects for Wilkins had taken care that his work should produce lasting results. He had taught the art with great care to his Bengali assistant, one Panchanan, a blacksmith by caste, ’ Preface pp. xxili-iv. See also the letter of George Perry to Mr. Nicols, the printer, dated Calcutta, October 1. 1783, quoted in the Biographical Dictionary of Living Authors, 1816, p. 885. This press cannot be traced but Marshman (History of Serampore Mission, vol. i) says that it was set ap by one Mr. Andrews, a bookseller. -