ANCIENT BALLADS
AND LEGENDS
OF HINDUSTAN
BY
TORU DUTT
AUTHOR OF "A SHEAF GLEANED IN FRENCH FIELDS," AND
"LE JOURNAL DE MADEMOISELLE D'ARVERS."
WITH AN INTRODUCTORY MEMOIR
BY EDMUND GOSSE.
LONDON
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH & CO.
MDCCCLXXXV
"I never heard the old song of Percie and Douglas,that I found not my heart moved, more than with atrumpet: and yet it is sung but by some blinde crowder,with no rougher voice, than rude style."
Sir Philip Sidney.
CONTENTS.
| Page | ||
| I. | Savitri | 1 |
| II. | Lakshman | 46 |
| III. | Jogadhya Uma | 54 |
| IV. | The Royal Ascetic and the Hind | 65 |
| V. | Dhruva | 71 |
| VI. | Buttoo | 77 |
| VII. | Sindhu | 89 |
| VIII. | Prehlad | 107 |
| IX. | Sîta | 122 |
| MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. | ||
| Near Hastings | 127 | |
| France—1870 | 129 | |
| The Tree of Life | 131 | |
| On the Fly Leaf of Erckmann-Chatrian's novel entitled Madame Thérèse | 133 | |
| Sonnet—Baugmaree | 135 | |
| Sonnet—The Lotus | 136 | |
| Our Casuarina Tree | 137 | |
TORU DUTT.
INTRODUCTORY MEMOIR.
If Toru Dutt were alive, she would still beyounger than any recognized European writer,and yet her fame, which is already considerable,has been entirely posthumous. Withinthe brief space of four years which nowdivides us from the date of her decease, hergenius has been revealed to the world undermany phases, and has been recognizedthroughout France and England. Her name,