DE. ROBY'S LIFE OF DR. YATES.
THE late William Yates, the Baptist missionary at Calcutta, was perhaps not religiously distinguished above his fellows, but he shone preeminent over them all as a linguist; and translator ; in which pursuits, indeed, there have been few scholars that could vie with him. Besides gram- mars, vocabularies, and other publications of an elementary character, he translated the New Testament into Sanscrit, Hindustani, and Hindi, the whole Bible into Bengali, and a great part of the Old Testament into Sanscrit. These labours, and the acquisition of the respective languages, in addition to Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, would seem sufficient employ- ment for a life that ended in its fifty-third year: yet he not only fulfilled the duties of a pastor and a missionary, but found time to engage in Baptist controversies, publish several English books, carry on an ex- tensive correspondence, and act as secretary to a body of more import- ance than its name implies, the Calcutta Book Society. The means by which he accomplished so much was a steady and continuous industry, with a systematic arrangement of time. Dr. Yates, indeed, might not have allowed that system had anything to do with it for when once asked by a friend, "What plan do you adopt for the accomplishment of anything you take in hand?" he replied, "I have no particular plan ; but when I have anything to do, I go and do it : that is all." It is clear, however, from his correspondence, that for long periods his day was regularly lotted out, except perhaps when religious calls inter- fered. An hour or so to reading particular works by himself; so much with his Pundits ; so much to translation ; missionary preaching or dis- course serving as a relief; till he gradually gave up all clerical duties with advancing years and sinking health. His biographer infers that one hour was devoted to letter-writing; for the remark is frequent in his corre- spondence, "My hour is up.' This remarkable scholar derived no advantages from Fortune. Except in belonging to a religious society which possesses an organization to ad- vance zeal and merit wherever found, all external circumstances were against him. His father was a shoemaker, at Loughborough in Leicester- shire ; and he himself was bred to the craft, in which he displayed the same industry as in his scholastic pursuits : "he was not only a good, but a remarkably quick workman ; and it is said that on one occasion, he completed in one week as many pairs of shoes as there are weeks in the year." But the native bent of the future linguist was too strong for circumstances : he turned instinctively to grammar. In boyhood, he used to induce his youngest sister to leave her girlish amusements for the purpose of hearing him repeat Johnson's Dictionary, Murray's Grammar, and the Latin Accidence. She also used furtively to provide him with fire and light after their parents had retired to rest ; and was accustomed in after years to smile at the "stinted generosity" with which she was recompensed, when he sold to her for a shilling the grammar he had committed to memory, urging her to make as good a use of it as he bad done. Early impressed with religion and having a gift for extempore prayer and those exercises which take place at stated religions meetings of sectarians, he became distinguished at their "social meetings for devotion," and in this way perhaps had his aspirations directed towards the ministry. This led to his study of the classical languages. "I thought it of consequence," he says, "that I should be able to read the Scriptures in the original lan- guages; and this, joined with the mortification I frequently felt when in the course of my reading I met with passages of Latin or Greek which I did not understand, made me resolve, if it was possible, to learn these languages." Such a character as William Yates was not likely to be overlooked in a body so closely knit together by religions discipline as the Baptists : indeed, the Anglican Church is the only Christian com- munity that leaves its supplies of spiritual soldiery to chance or Provi-
deuce. "His friends," says Dr. Hoby, "with a due regard to his ascer- tained taste and talents, made arrangements for him to spend four hours a day, viz, two in the morning and two in the afternoon, at the classical school; for it was not convenient for him to relinquish entirely secular pursuits." His progress, however, was such that he soon left the gentle craft, and became usher in a school: but this drudgery interfering with his studies, it was at last settled that he should be expressly devoted to the ministry. In 1812, he entered the Bristol College, and soon after felt an inward movement or call towards the missionary service ; in which design he was encouraged by the celebrated Robert Hall. His own thoughts tended towards Abyssinia.
When calmly surveying the map of the world, [-says Dr. Hoby,] that was the country which seemed to him to present special claims on the compassion and love of Christians. It was thought that although the barbarism and degradation there was as awful as that of Pagan countries, the existence of a translation of the sacred Scriptures in the Amharic language, and the profession of Christianity, however darkened with superstitious errors, entitled them to sympathy, and pro- mised sublime results on the destinies of Africa. No sooner was this opinion formed, than the library was searched for the Amharic Scriptures and grammars, and closer attention given to the study of Arabic. The former of these studies was speedily relinquished, because the managers of the Mission directed the at tention of their younger brother to Asia and to Serampore, where it was felt that his talents would be far better applied than in any attempt to open new ground."
Dr. Carey, the father of the idea of translating the Scriptures into the Eastern tongues, was at that time the head of the mission at Serampore ; and under such a master William Yates received all the assistance he needed—a stimulus he did not require in the study of the Oriental lan- guages. Owing to some differences, not very clearly stated in the vo- lume, but seemingly well known to the Baptist body, among whom it threatened a schism, Yates and another junior missionary or two left Serampore, and went to Calcutta, where a "sphere of usefulness" seemed to be opening. This separation led to various effects in a missionary point of view, and, perhaps fortunately, drove Yates upon a more inde- pendent action as a translator. Dr. Carey looked chiefly at bulk—the quantity of work done: Yates looked also at the quality. A very com- petent judge, Professor Wilson, has pronounced that his translations pre- sented as great an improvement on the earlier versions as might be ex- pected from his scholarship and taste ; and intimates that "elegance and idiom" were preserved without sacrificing intelligibility.
Dr. Yates was born in 1792, and died in 1845, worn out by climate and his labours. In 1814 he left England for India; where he spent the rest of his life, with the exception of a religious furlough in 1827-1828, rendered necessary by the state of his health. He was twice married, and his second wife survives him : but the incidents of his life are few beyond the routine of missionary labour in India, and the occurrences common to all men. His real biography was in his study, and centres in his pur- suit of languages and in his translations. Dr. Hoby has hardly seen this ; and though his book exhibits no appearance of eking out, yet it has probably more of the merely personal as opposed to the biographical than was desirable for readers not Baptists, and not trained to an artificial interest in Dr. Yates. This is felt the more because there was none of the Hob unction in William Yates which forms so prominent a feature in the lives of many Nonconformists. A well-balanced nature, the variety and extent of his learning, as well as the contact into which he was brought with the authorities of the Indian Government, gave a larger and more sober character to his mind. He might be said to pass from the sectarian to the catholic. His piety has none of that exaggeration or mannerism which gives an air of cant to many devotional outpourings. Experience, too, had sobered his zeal, and induced him to allow for the operation of circumstances and human adaptability. When the act for abolishing slavery in India was passed, against the formal protest of Wellington, and apparently in total ignorance of the Asiatic character of the institution, as well as of the circumstances which neutralized the risk, he thus answered the "lo triumphe " from home.
"You wonder much at my not having sent you any tidings relative to the blessed act whereby slavery is abolished. This act has caused not the smallest stir in this land; and though hailed as an inestimable boon in England, is here regarded with perfect indifference. From this you will see that slavery in the East is a very different thing from slavery in the West. "I do not think that a single slave has availed himself of the advantages of this act; from which it may be concluded that those who are slaves are so volun- tarily. Nevertheless, it is a blessed act; by which, when they feel the yoke of slavery, they may claim exemption. At present it will make no difference in the state of India; but the time may come, nay, must come, when it will be counted an inestimable blessing."
He exhibited the same love of truth, and the same calmness in stating it, in a letter he wrote to an American society which had elected him a mem- ber. It gives as clear an account as we know of the different classes of the Natives and the prospects of converting them. "I know not that I can in any way contribute more to the information you seek than by giving you in a few words my opinion of the four kinds of people for whom I have prepared, or am preparing, a version of the New Testament. "The first are the Bengalees. They are a numerous race of people, who, I suppose, might be estimated at shoat twenty-five millions. They are all idola- ters, with the exception of the few who have embraced Christianity, or who have learned our language, or who are followers of theVedant philosophy. The great bin- derance to the progress of Christianity among this people is indifference. They do not oppose, but say, our system is very good for us, and theirs is very good fiw them; that as bodies are suited to different climates, so minds are suited to dif- ferent religions; and that as there are many ways leading to one metropolis, so there are many ways leading to heaven; and it is of no consequence which we take. Query, What are the best methods of dealing with such a people? Per- haps_you will favour me with your opinions.
" The second is a class of men milled the Pundits or Literati, and who use what is considered the sacred language—the language of the gods—the Sanserit. Their alphabet is called the Deva Nagari, or the alphabet of the celestial city; and comes, I suppose, the nearest to perfection of any one in existence. To this class belong men of every Indian nation, tribe, people, and tongue. Their prejudices are peculiar to the part in which they reside. Benares, or Kuehl, is their strong- hold. They have among them many well-written books in the Sanscrit language, which they daily read. And to interest them it seems desirable to present them with the Word of God in that language in which alone they will regard it. The Sancrit is to all India exactly what the Latin is to all Europe. If these are brought to the obedience of faith, they will have a great influence on the inferior classes.
"The third is a class which has been formed by the influence of Mahomedim- ism. They speak the language called Hindoostanee or Oordoo. They are found in almost every part of India; and taken all together, are more numerous than the Bengalees. Delhi, Lucknow, Allahabad, Patna, and hloorshedabad, are their principal cities. They abominate idolatry in general; though some, living in the midst of it, are more tolerant than many others. India was once under the rule of this class, and from them the English took it. They are in all their objec- tions to Christianity much like the Jews, and are an exceedingly difficult people to manage in dispute. They allow that Christ is a prophet of God, but contend that Mohammed was a prophet too, sent after him; and that, as in the case of rulers and governors, we always obey the last, so it is the duty of all to submit to the last prophet God sent into the world. "The fourth is the population of the upper provinces of India, who have main- tained their ancient religion, after all the inroads the Mahommedans have made upon them; and on this account they are called Hindoos, and their language Hin- dee or Hindooee. These people are in the upper provinces what the Bengalese are in the lower—all idolaters. Their language, like the Bengalee, is derived chiefly from the Sanscrit, but differs entirely in its grammatical inflections. The Mahommedans, upon settling in this country, took these inflections and applied them to words of Persian origin; so that the difference between the two languages lies in the words being from different sources—the inflections are alike. The Mussulmans use the Persian alphabet, and the Hindoos the Deva Nagari. The Hindoos are a superior race of people, and but little has been done as yet for their conversion."
In this conversion Dr. Yates was not more successful than his fellows; nay, from the sobriety of his mind and descriptions, he may appear less so. Exertions, however, are never useless. His translations and those of his coadjutors have enriched the literature of Hindostan ; coupled with the establishment of schools and colleges, they will shake, indeed they are shaking, the ancient superstitions, especially among the higher classes ; and his removal to Calcutta produced a benefit not designed, by supply- ing many English with a place of worship for themselves and a means of education for their children.
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