T-, ....................., ............................................. اسسسسسسسيحيي spoken of the past overy where in your presace. How happy is your expression “as if the Divinity were something hidden on a lump of quartz " How often have I quoted this to some of my st tentific friends who do not depend on the intuitional argument (if such a toru can be used ) for the existence of ‘iod but seek for proofs of his existence on the external world. You say in ong place of your proface. “Virtue, truth and charity are such lilossed things that we can not even think of them without being the better for it or brush past them on our way through life without carrying on our garot his the Sinoll of the field hatlı lovcd ” This brought to my joind the saying of the Persian poet: “The company of the pious is like an ottoholder. Though it may not give us a portion of the otto which the Lord of loses it contains, yet there cometh out a smell thereof.” This means in Eastern language: “Though we may not be actually pious from the company of the pious yet we may be the shottel for it " You say in a certain place of your preface : “A man may or may not make rules of devotion, trusting in the latter case only to the unflagging ardoul of his heart.” This want of rule may suit, a few truly exalted and distiplined minds like yours but in the :ase of the generality of men rules of devot on are required. If they be taught to “leave the generous flames to shape themselves,” I fear they will bo totally extinguished, 嚇 醬 I was literally charmed by the last paragraph of your preface and blessed the hand that indited it. I am very glad to see the book opens with a motto from Plotinus. If any mon-Hindu approached in his opi তত্ত্ববোধিনী পত্রিকা v कण्वनं, १ डाँग MSMS MMMSMMA T uTS STTSMMSMMS .ــهــ طة صة صعبوصي-بصيصصصية nions and character to the Rishis of aneient, India, it was Plotinus of Alexandria. In fact, it is said by some historians that he borrowed his doctrines from the sages of India. Hindu ships that sailed to Alexandria imported philosophical opinions into that city as well as articles of merchandise * * *. Although the book opens with a nuotto from 1'lotinus, I mmn sorry to see that there is mot a single prayer in the book which properly illustrates its charming title and which can be called truly Plotinian in character, one which Plotinus himself, refined by the influence of Theism, would have composed at yout request had he been living. I have attompted to supply the deficiency in the following prayer Although. I am but a worm compared with the great Alexandrian, I was led to write it out as my personal opinions on the subject of divine commuunion and my personal feelings towards (iod are much akin to his. Had this been not the case, I would not have written it for prayer Rhould come out from the hcart. I also send you another prayer expressing my gratitude to God for the many mercies he has shown inc in my own life,” I hope the strictures I have made above are not of such a nature as to merit the censure which you have justly pronounced upon criticism “as our burden and bane.” How bitterly we are feeling the truth of this remark in our Calcutta society. 灣 帶 離 இ. 嫌 暢 并 ● Ö I remain, DEAR MADAM, With the deepest respect, Your Hindu fellow-Theist, 韃 制 常 . .
- One of these prayers has been already published in the columns of this journal. See No 836,
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