Cecil Bendall

“ MALAN, CÉSAR JEAN SALOMON, calling himself later Solomon Cæsar Malan (1812–1894) , oriental linguist and biblical scholar, was descended from an old Waldensian family originally settled at Mérindol in Provence, but dispersed by religious persecution in 1714. One branch fled to Geneva; here Malan was born on 22 April 1812, his parents being Dr. César Henri Abraham Malan, a noted protestant divine, and Salome Georgette Jeanne Schönberger, a Swiss. ”

“ The great work of Johnson's life was his ‘Persian Dictionary.’ On its first publication in 1829 it was described as the third edition of Richardson's dictionary. It contained, however, much original matter, especially in respect of the Arabic element in Persian. In 1852 Johnson published a revised and much extended edition under his own name alone. This work is by far the most important contribution to Persian lexicography in any European language. Compound words are treated with especial completeness. ”

“ BENSLY, ROBERT LUBBOCK (1831–1893) , orientalist, born at Eaton, near Norwich, on 24 Aug. 1831, was the second son of Robert Bensly and Harriet Reeve. Educated at first in a private school (in which he already commenced the study of Hebrew) in his native place, he passed in 1848 to King's College, London, and thence in 1851 to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he graduated (2nd class, classical tripos) in 1865, was college lecturer in Hebrew 1861-89, and was fellow of the college from 1876 until his death. ”

“ After short visits to several German universities, Falconer returned to this country, and settled in London as a teacher of oriental languages, and occupied for a short time the professorship of oriental languages in University College, London. ”

“ After a year (1844–5) as perpetual curate of Crowcombe, Malan accepted the living of Broadwindsor, Dorset, which he held till 1885. In 1849–50 he made a long tour in southern Europe, Asia Minor, Mesopotamia, and Armenia, illustrating this, like all his travels, by excellent sketches, some of which have been published. In 1855–6 Malan's Chinese learning came into notice by his publication of two works on controversies of the time: (1) 'On the translation of the word "God" in Chinese' ('Who is God in China?' London, 1855) ”

“ In the same year he went to live in Paris, and remained there for three years. While in Paris he assisted Burnouf in his great work ‘Introduction à l'histoire du Bouddhisme indien.’ About 1844 he paid his first visit to this country, and examined the great oriental collections in the Bodleian Library and at the East India House. ”

“ His personal friends and pupils raised a memorial fund, and therewith purchased and presented as a separate collection to the uni versity library his oriental books and adversaria, to which also his collection of manuscripts was added as a gift from his widow. ”

“ Goldstuecker also impugned in the same volume Professor Weber's ‘Vedic Criticism,’ to which Weber replied in his ‘Indische Studien,’ Bd. 5. Goldstuecker wrote a number of essays and reviews on Indian subjects in the ‘Athenæum,’ the ‘Westminster Review,’ Chambers's ‘Cyclopædia,’ and elsewhere. They are full of learning and eccentricity, missing that true balance of judgment that marks the best scholarship. The chief of them, including some useful contributions to the study of Indian law, were collected in two volumes of ‘Literary Remains’ in 1879. ”

“ His greatest literary achievement was his English version of the Koran, which appeared in 1861 (2nd edit. 1876) , and is considered by many scholars as the best existing translation, combining accuracy with a faithful representation of the literary garb of the original. ”

“ In botany and ornithology he had advanced beyond the amateur stage, and in manual arts such as fly-fishing, bookbinding, and a performer's knowledge of the construction of musical instruments he was also proficient. ”

“ He appears about this time to have developed advanced political views. A request for permission to act as a privat-docent in the university, addressed to the department of public instruction, was refused, though it was backed by Rosenkranz. ”

“ Some of the curates-in-charge after this time introduced a ceremonial ritual into the church which evoked the opposition of protestant agitators.
Rodwell appears to have commenced oriental studies when quite a young man, by reading Hebrew with his uncle, the Rev. ”

“ He also edited, mainly for educational purposes, but with considerable originality, the ‘Hitopadeśa’ (1887) , portions of the ‘Rāmāyana’ (1883) , and of the ‘Rigveda’ (1888–92) , part of the last-named being accompanied by translations of noteworthy ability as to style, though the notes bear evidence of hasty work. ”

“ The essay finally appeared in 1810, and from its preface we learn that it was submitted in manuscript to the ‘College Council’ in 1804, at which time ‘none of the elaborate works on Sanskrit by Mr. Colebrooke, Mr. Carey, or Mr. ”

“ Mag. 1836, ii. 97–8; English Cyclop. and Penny Cyclopædia; Annual Register for 1836; Centenary volume Asiatic Soc. Bengal; letters in Journal Amer. Oriental Society, 1880, vol. x.; prefaces to Sir W. Jones's Sacontala, and to Wilkins's Sanskrita Grammar. ”