William Carey

“ What can I do, Sir? I have planted half the land. When there is a little more rain, I will plant the whole.
Hear; you are a very idle fellow. Other people's fields are planted, what's the reason that yours is not? ”

“ It is readily acknowledged, that whoever undertakes to learn a language, should accustom himself to give an account of every word, in whatsoever connection it may be found. It is on this count that dialogues with translations have been supposed to be useless, if not injurious, furnishing the student with a kind of knowledge gratis, which he ought to acquire by application; while they leave him unacquainted with the principles of the language. ”

“ What language being acquired, shall I be able to do the business of this country? Sir, this is Bengal. The Bengal writing, reading, and language, are current here. There will be no objection to your studying other languages afterwards; but first there is a necessity for the Bengalee language, and a knowledge of reading and writing it.
Continuation.
Hear! In how long time shall I be able to do business, if I attend to learning?
Gentlemen are of fertile genius and good understanding; therefore by learning for two years, they may be able to do business. ”

“ Do you think nobody is acquainted with your goings on? You think to cover all, I suppose, by making a great noise.
What you have got in your head can never be, you such an one's wife. Every body has heard of your goings on. ”

“ They could never cultivate the land. You know a vast deal. You don't pay more than half the rent that was paid by the former tenant.
How many bighas of land was this farm, Sir?
You pretend not to know how many bighas your land is. What! do you pay rent without knowing that?
I have heard, that all the former land does not now belong to it.
Where did you hear, that formerly there was a quantity of land which is not now in the farm?
I have heard, Sir, that a bruhmutra was given out of this land, and that the river has carried some away.
When was land given to brahmuns out of that farm? ”

“ If I can't pay in ten days, I will pay the daily allowance to a peon. There cannot be a delay of ten days. Write, and give a promise for five days.
I cannot, Sir, pay it in five days. What property of that sort have I got? Have mercy, Sir. Let it be ten days.
Hear, you. This fellow is a great hand at making excuses. If he be not well punished, he will not pay his rent.
What you please, Mr. Landlord. I am fallen into great helplessness this year.
Continuation.
Can you get money no where? If you take some advances upon flax or hemp, you may pay the money immediately. ”

“ If there had been a carriage road, I could have gone with pleasure.
It is impossible to go so far in a carriage, there are so many rivers and rivulets to cross, and no place where you could put up at night. ”

“ There is no one bad. Now from this time forgive one another. All of you go home. Hear me: your conduct is such that no creditable person will come to your house, or eat with you. You are all Rohillas. You are not human beings. ”

“ Yes, sister, who should cook besides her? There are no more women here. I can't stir for my young child. The chief wife does all the business. The little wife is a grumbling creature, and can't stir herself. She is always quarrelling. ”

“ Don't entertain the least anxiety. The gods will accomplish all your wishes. What occasion is there for you to trouble yourself about the gods. Indeed I am your god. What other god have you? That's true, Sir. ”

“ Do all the brothers' wives live happily, or according to the times? O Madam, you can't think what trouble I have. I am the chief: don't you think they will treat me as an any thing?
What all, or only one?
No, the little girl is a respectable man's daughter. ”

“ Then how do you think to pay your rent?
What can we think? The king's taxes must be paid. We will do labouring work, and give it by some means.
Can you get so much work to do, as to secure the payment of so much rent?
See, Sir. We are four or five brothers: some will work at the salt works, and some will do other work. ”

“ I have no income. I want money every market-day. Where is it to be got? This very day there is neither oil, nor salt, nor rice. I am thinking what I must do. There is but one rupee in the house. Go on. ”

“ How should the work of any one fail to whom you gentlemen are friendly?
You are a very good man. Your business and the wish of your heart will be completed without difficulty.
The gods have caused the shaving business of to-day to be completed without any failure. ”

“ What can be done? 'Tis the will of the gods. Man has no power. What can man do? What strength has he? Man is like a clod: which way soever the gods throw him, there he remains, truly. The power of man is nothing at all ”

“ The cultivation of indigo is very difficult. So much ploughing, and weeding, and carriage, there is no end to the expense; and if any of it is stained with carrying, they will not take it. If there be no gain, why do you cultivate it? ”

“ You will get them to-morrow: in this city, if there is money, there will be no difficulty in getting things.
Sometimes we can get nothing in the city.
That's true, but your heart is good. There will be nothing incomplete in your business. ”

“ At the twentieth page is an instance of the common talk of labouring people. Women speak a language considerably differing from that of the men, especially in their quarrels: instances of this, both in the friendly and contentious stile, will be found from page 52 to 56, 65 to 67 and from 77 to 87 inclusive. The proverbial expressions, and sudden transitions, in these dialogues, will make them appear difficult at first, but the difficulty will soon be surmounted. ”

“ How large will you make the garden, Sir? and what sort of trees will you plant?
The garden will be about ten bighas of ground, half kitchen garden, and half orchard and flower garden.
That will be a very large garden. It will never be managed without ten or twelve gardeners. ”

“ When I get a job, do you be sure to come, and I will do something for your advantage. My uncle never wrote to me about any person, in the manner he has written about you. As soon as you hear that I have a job, come, and I will give you employ. ”

“ If the desire of my heart be accomplished, all will be well. Where do you think to marry the girls? in the country or out of it?
I cannot say what God intends. I think it would be well to marry them near home.
What do all the brothers' wives say? What say the uncles and aunts? What five persons agree in, is proper. ”

“ Take a peon, and go fetch the lease.
Why should I take a peon? I won't run away.
What assurance have I about you? Give a security and go.
Sir, who should I give for security. I see no one of my town's folks.
There are many of your town's people here. Mention and produce one. ”

“ I have no certain expectation, I have been going from place to place, but to no purpose.
True, 'tis very difficult now to get employment: one may go about till one's feet are worn out, but get nothing to do. ”

“ But sister, compared with a black pot, [viz. with people in general] the chief wife is a very excellent person: she does the household business, feeds and cleans the children, and pays proper attention to us. ”

“ Here's the tally. See. There is no gift to brahmuns written to your farm.
I don't hear that. Call the rent gatherer of the village, and give him orders to explain it to me by measuring my land.
First pay your rent. Then I'll hear your excuses.
If you don't clear it up by measuring my land, I won't pay my rent.
If I measure your land, all the tenants who are in arrears will begin to make excuses.
What do I get from this farm, to be able to pay so much rent?
You have paid the same rent for that farm all along. Why do you act thus now? ”

“ What languages did you learn?
I studied Latin three years, and Greek two years.
How long was your voyage to this country?
We were eight months in all: five months on the sea, and three months at the Cape. ”

“ Yes! what great business have you at the market?
O! you do not know: I have much to do? Why, sister, a quarter of the folks in the town have given their thread to me to sell. I have got all that thread to sell. Besides, I have no salt, nor oil in the house. I must buy some of each. Fish and greens also must be got. ”

“ Where shall I get a Moonshi?
Sir, you may get a Moonshi here. If you give orders, I can get a fit person.
Very well, bring a man of learning for my Moonshi. You will bring a man who knows two or three languages. ”

“ Places which fill by the tide, and flats which are full of water, are well cultivated. It is not so in this purguna. There is only high ground. The lands subject to overflowings also were not in order to work at the proper time, and there was no rain. ”

“ After that we plant the cold season rice in Ashar and Shrabuna; and after that we sow wheat, barley, and pulse.
Are there no sugar-cane fields here?
There is no sugar-manufactory here, but here and there a person plants a bigha or two for molasses. It is very expensive to cultivate the sugar-cane. ”

“ I hear there will be a great assembly. There is no reason why we should not get something.
How can I know if I shall get any thing or not? At how many other places have I been disappointed.
That's true. But I think you may get something here. He has invited the brahmuns and pundits of several places. After all this assembling, will he give nothing to the respectable brahmuns? ”

“ Sir, a Khansaman supplies his master’s table. All articles of furniture are under his care, and all the inferior servants also are under the Khansaman.
Continuation.
Khansaman, how many servants are necessary for a gentleman, and what are their titles?
Sir, the necessary servants are these: a Khansaman, a Khidmutgar, a Musalchee, a Cook, a Water-cooler, a Water-bearer, a Cleaner, a Washerman, a man to prepare your Hooka, Palenquin bearers, a man to go on errands, a Watchman, and a Porter.
Khansaman, what work do all these servants do?
Sir, every one does his own proper work. ”

“ Here, you who said you would pay that money in Agrahayon; that was all a deceitful excuse. You are a very bad man to deal with. Go and fetch the money.
What you have said, Sir, is all true, indeed; but I am unmanageable upon certain occasions. What can I say? there is no path for words. You have forborne so long, now have patience twenty days more. When I have reaped my rice I will bring and pay the money on the fifth of Magh. You must look over these few days. If you beat me, or cut me to pieces now, what will it do?
Not so. Pay the money any way that you can ”

“ Whatever other ghutukas there were, some got four, others five rupees, and a suit of clothes.
Well, what fault is there then? The wedding was well managed. I asked another person or two, but they said he had married him in a certain way, neither very good nor very bad, middling.
Let those who speak evil, go through one or two such, then they'll know; otherwise what difficulty is there in speaking; nothing sticks in the mouth: a man may say any thing.
Die. Let things be as they may. Now I ask you one word: you have seen all; if we go, shall we get any thing or not? ”

“ As long as the great Pandit gave them any thing, they were supplied for the day, otherwise Huri-Mutook. [1]
Now God has amazingly increased them. All things are under God. He can make the great small, and the small great. ”

“ This is unparalleled affliction.
There never was trouble like this.
Don't be anxious: all will be well.
It will be as God pleases.
It is very improper for us to commit faults, and then to charge them upon God. ”

“ They are not only rich; they have acquired much landed property. By this time they have got an estate worth a lack of rupees, more or less. All is under the government of Fortune. Only see, what they were, and now what they are. ”

“ I will not go to work at that house; they are very bad people to deal with. I worked there last year, but they, in a rascally manner, stopped two days' wages. I'll go no more to that fellow's house.
Why, brother, I have seen that he is a very honest man. He gave me a rupee before-hand, and said, Do you bring more men, I'll give them pay in advance. ”

“ But I have provided a little fine chira, and excellent moorki. If any gentleman chooses some, it will be given him. You have done well. There is no harm in that. There is more than enough: however there is no harm in plenty. ”

“ What do other people say?
What should other folks say? there is no reason to expect his continuance.
Truly! then this is his boundary.
How are his nephews?
They are great emperors. Who can speak to them? There are no people in our country fit for their company.
Haring obtained the Company's business they are become very rich. There was no other person in our country who could get so much wealth by service. ”

“ What you say is true; but at this time I am very low. I have a great deal of trouble; great expence, and no income. You also see my brothers, how properly they act. They can only eat and sleep. They have no other quality. ”

“ They are of a good cast, and in easy circumstances, and he is fit to fill a high office as a servant. His son is a very good lad; knows how to write and read: he is well made, looks well, dresses well, and is young. ”