1.1.

You ask me to give a few reminiscenses of the
Poet - a somewhat difficult task indeed, considering
that with a failing memory it is not an easy thing for
me at this distance of time to bring back to my mind,
recollections of "auld lang sene ⟨sine⟩". However there is
one incident which of course I will never forget
& that is with reference to the introduction of Blank verse
in our language. of this I have already mentioned to you
but you wish me to give some further details ― well, here they are.

It was a fine evening in the Belgachia Villa & we
were sitting in the Lawn Hall when the Stage had been set
up for the performance of the Re[?]als. Both the brother
Rajahs were there and so was MiMichael. It was a rehearsal night & the amateurs were coming in one
by one; the conversation gradually turned from the subject
of drama in general & of Bengali Drama in particular.
Michael said that no real improvement in the
Bengali Drama could be expected until Blank
verse ways introduced [?] I said that ⟨it⟩
did not [?]⟨seem to me ⟩[?] introduce Blank⟨this [?] of verse⟩
in our language, for th I thought the very nature of construction
of the Bengali was ill-adapted for the stately measure & sonorous cadence of blank verse.

"I do not argue with you there" said he "& I think it is still worth making an attempt."

"You remember I [?] "how once Iswar Chandra Goopta once made
a caricature of blank verse in Bengali beginning with the lines.

"Oh!" said he "it is no reason because old Iswar Goopto
could not manage to write blank verse that nobody else will
be able to do it."

"But [?]I said [?] "if I am correctly infomed the
French which is no doubt a more copious & elaborate
language than our own, has no blank verse poems in it,
[?] no wonder then ⟨that⟩ the Bengali should be found inadequate
for the kind of versification.

You forget my dear fellow he replied "that the Bengali
is born of the [?] than which is more copious ⟨& elaborate⟩ language
does not exist." [Page] "True"⟨"True"⟩, said I "but as yet the Bengali seemed to a [?]⟨be a⟩
weakling botho' born of a stout⟨healthy⟩ & robust mother."
"Write me down an [?]" said he languishly "if I am not
able to convince you⟨you⟩ of your [?]⟨error⟩ written in short time"
then looking sharply at me he added "and what if I
succeed in proving that to you that the Bengali is quite
capable of the blank form of versification?"

"Why then" I replied [?] I as ⟨shall⟩ willing stand all the
expenses of presenting & publishing any poem which you may write in blank verse"

"Done!" said he clapping his hands "You shall get
a few stanzas from me written two or three days"
and as a matter of fact written three of four days
the first canto of তিলোত্তমা কাব্য was sent to me. I I
was so arguably surprised since ⟨& at the same time so charmed with the⟩ astute
manner in which the verses written ⟨not to speak of the sentence & rich imageries of tapestry⟩ that I at once took the MS to my friends the Rajahs of [?]
It was then read by several of our friends who had a reputation
for literary tasks & I was glad to find that they were⟨all⟩ argued with
my opinion of the composition. ⟨Very large indents were no doubt made upon the Sancrit vocabulary, but for all that his attempt could not but be
pronounced a complete success.⟩ A few days after I again
met [?] Michael in the Belgachia Hall. He came [?]
smiling to me & shaking me heartily by the hand as was his wont
he asked me "how I liked his specimen verses?" "Liked this?"
said I "Why, they were simply charming! [?] You have won the bet & I
frankly acknowledge my defeat" At this my ⟨[?]⟩ friend
Rajah [?] said "Well then, our friend Michael must now
complete his little poem as soon as soon possible"

"Certainly" said Michael " & I hope to do as in about a fortnight."
The poem was indeed completed within a very short time & was
printed & published at the Stanhope Press the best Bengali press then
in existance. By way of a compliment the little volume was
dedicated to my humble self & the original MS was also handed
over to me. This ⟨as known[?]⟩ is carefully preserved in my Library.
I am afraid I have spun a somewhat tediously long yarn about this incident but here my story ends.

1.2.

My dear Sir ―

We have now come
up to the Fourth act & you
must allow me to remind
you that unless I get the
songs, we must stand still.

Have you seen the 2nd
Canto of Tilottama?

With kind regards &
in [?],

[?]

Michael msDutt

1.3.

My dear Sir

I must [?]
with you for calling these Songs
"doggerels." They deserve a far more
honourable name. They are smooth
& musical & embody [?] the
ideas wanted.

I donot think I shall
trouble you for the other songs
till perhaps this day next week.

With kind regards [?]
[?]

Yours [?]

Michael msDutt

1.4.

My dear Sir

The letter you recd this
morning was written before
receipt of the pretty little বিরহিণী
Song [for which many thanks] &
that is the reason why it made no
mention of it. I was in my bath-room
when your man came & had no
time to substitute another letter.
The songs must be beautiful,
considering from what source
they come. Rajender thinks that
I [?] not orthodox in my
[?]; but that is of little
consequence in a poetical Romance [Page] as for "[?]", my [?] was
that I had made "Light" the first
of all [?] things. But that I
have given up to humour him

Pray, my dear Sir, who is the gentleman whom you call "কবিন্দ্র as for poor me, I resemble John
Milton in this one particular, viz, that
there can be no sympathy between
me & my contemporaries. Yet I feel
[?] to know some things about
this "Poetic Moon."

With many many
thanks for your kindness & with
sincerest thanksregds

[?]

[?]

Very sincerely yours

MichaelmsDutt

1.5.

My dear Sir

Many thanks for the Song & your
welcome letters.

I dare say both the [?]
will make their appearance by the end
of this month, though I fear Rajender
does not twist the tails of his fellows
with sufficient force.

The subject proposed
by Raj narain is very good. I myself
thought of something like it some months
ago. I had the wanderings of I[?]
(one of Yayati's sons by Sarmista) in my
mind. But I don't think I have as
yet acquired a sufficient mastery[Page] [Page] over the "art of Poetry" to undertake ⟨the composition of⟩ a
grand Epic. So I must for sometime
to come, [?] with these Epiclings so
as to acquire a pucka hand. [?]
[?] man in Poetry.

I beg, my dear Sir
for will not despair of reading it. I
hope to make you [?] in s[?] above
forest[?]. I shall [?] all [?]!

With kindest regds

very[?]

MichaelmsDutt

1.6.

The
Manuscript
of the
তিলোত্তমা সম্ভব
কাব্য
Presented to Baboo
[?] mohana Tagore
By the author
21st May 1860

1.7.

ধবন নামেতে শৃঙ্গ হিমাচল শিরে
[?], দেবা[?], [?] ভীষণ মূর্তিধর-

1.8.

"_____________ Rhyme being no necessary adjunct on true [?]
ornament of poem or good verse, in longer works especially,
but the in invention of a barbarous age, to set off wretched
matters and lame metre; graced indeed since by the use of some
famous modern Poets, carried away by custom, but much to
their own vexation, hindrance and constraint to express many
thing otherwise, and for the most part worse, then else they
would have expressed them. Not without cause therefore
some ** poets of prime note have rejected rhyme both in
shorter and longer works *** as a thing of itself, to all judicious
ears, trivial and of no ⟨true⟩ musical delight; which consists only in
apt numbers, fit quantity of syllables, and the sense variously
drawn out from one verse [?] another, not in the jingling
sound of like endings, a [?] by the learned ancients
both in poetry and all good orn[?]. This neglect then of [?] rhyme
[?] so little is the token form [?] though it may seem so
perhaps to vulgar read[?] rather is to be esteemed
an example set * [?] that it [?]⟨of ancient⟩ recovered to
heroic poem, from the ⟨troublesome and ⟩ modern bondage
of rhyming." John Milton

1.9.

1.10.

1.11.

1.12.

1.13.

ইতি শ্রীতিলোত্তমা সম্ভবে কাব্যে
ধবল শিখর নাম
প্রথম সর্গ।

⟨Finished
2nd august
1859⟩

⟨the Whole of this Book is in the
author's ⟨own⟩ Hand-writing
M. M. Dutta⟩

1.14.

Of the Sanksrit Poets, except Kalidasa:—
Remove their swelling Epithets; think laid
as varnish on a harlot's cheeks; the rest
Thin down with aught of profit or delight!
Pur: Reg: Book IV.
342-45

1.15.

তিলোত্তমা সম্ভব
কাব্য।
দ্বিতীয় সর্গ।

1.16.

1.17. Begun 29th oct,1859
তিলোত্তমা সম্ভব
কাব্য।
তৃতীয় সর্গ।

1.18.

1.19.

ইতি তা তিলোত্তমা সম্ভব কাব্যে
সম্ভব নাম
তৃতীয়ঃ সর্গ।

⟨26th nov.
1859
[?]⟩

⟨Parts of this Book are
in the author's own
& parts in his Pundits' Hand-writing⟩

1.20. তিলোত্তমা সম্ভব।
কাব্য।
চতুর্থ স্বর্গ।

Begun 23rd Jany 1860

1.21.

⟨In all future Editions of this poem, the following lines should be[Page]inserted here─⟩

1.22.

ইতি শ্রীতিলোত্তমা সম্ভবে কাব্যে
স্বর্গলাভ⟨বাসব-বিজয়⟩ নাম
চতুর্থঃ সর্গঃ।

গ্রন্থসমাপ্ত।─

7th February 1860
Tuesday

Calcutta
Lower Chitpore Road

⟨Begun 1st Aug 1859
Fin.d 7th Feb 1860⟩
Michael Madhusudana Dutt.
শ্রীমাইকেল মধুসূদন দত্ত।

1.23.

⟨author's own hand-writing⟩

মঙ্গলাচরণ
মান্যবর শ্রীযুক্ত⟨বাবু⟩ যতীন্দ্রমোহন ঠাকুর মহোদয়
সমীপেষু।

1.24.

যথাবিধি⟨বিনয় পুরঃ পর⟩ নিবেদনমেতত্‌। যে উদ্দেশে তিলোত্তমার সৃজন ⟨সৃষ্টি⟩ হয়, তাহা সফল হইলে ভগবান⟨দেবরাজ⟩ ইন্দ্র তাঁহাকে সূর্য্যমণ্ডলে প্রতিষ্ঠিত করেন। এই আদেশ [?]⟨আদর্শের⟩ অনুকরণে আমি এই আভিনব কাব্য আপনাকে অ⟨সম⟩র্পণ করিলাম। মহাশয় যদি অনুগ্রহ প্রদর্শন পূর্ব্বক ইহাকে আশ্রয় দেন, তাহা হইলে আমি আমার পরিশ্রম সার্থক বোধ করিব।

যে ছন্দোবন্দে এই কাব্য বিরচিত⟨প্রণীত⟩ হইল, তদ্বিষয়ে আমার কোন কথাই বলা বাহুল্য; কেননা এরূপ পরীক্ষাবৃক্ষের ফল সদ্যঃ পাকে⟨পরিণত হয়⟩ না। তথাপি আমার বিলক্ষণ প্রতীতি হইতেছে যে এমন কোন সময় অবশ্যই উপস্থিত হইবেক, যখন এ দেশে সর্ব্বসাধারণ জনগণ ভগবতী ভারতীর⟨বাগ্‌দেবীর⟩ চরণ হইতে মিত্রাক্ষর স্বরূপ নিগড়⟨শৃঙ্খল⟩ ভগ্ন দেখিয়া আনন্দসাগরে মগ্ন⟨চরিতার্থ⟩ হইবেন। কিন্তু হয় তো সে শুভকালে এগ্রন্থ গ্রন্থকার⟨কাব্য-রচয়িতা⟩ এতাদৃশী ঘোরতর মহানিদ্রায় আচ্ছন্ন⟨আবৃত⟩ থাকিবেক, যে কি ধিক্কার, কি ধন্যবাদ কিছুই তাহার কর্ণকুহরে প্রবিষ্ট হইবেক⟨প্রবেশ করিবেক⟩ না।

সে যাহা হউক, এ কাব্য মসমীপে⟨আমার নিকটে⟩ সর্ব্বদা সমাদৃত থাকিবেক, যে হেতু মহাশয়ের পাণ্ডিত্য, গুণগ্রাহকতা, এবং বন্ধুতাগুণে যে আমি কতদূর⟨কি যে পর্য্যন্ত⟩ যে উপকৃত হইয়াছি, এবং হইবারও প্রত্যাশা করি, ইহা তাহার এক প্রধান অভিজ্ঞান স্বরূপ। আক্ষেপের বিষয় এই যে মহাশয় আমার প্রতি যে রূপ অনুরাগ⟨স্নেহভার⟩ প্রকাশ করেন, আমার এমন কোন গুণ নাই যদ্দ্বারা আমি উহার যোগ্য হইতে পারি । ইতি।

গ্রন্থকারস্য।

1.25.

ধবলনামেতে শৃঙ্গ ইত্যাদি।
(Englished)

1.26.

1.27.

1859

1.28.

নিতাই। ভাই! এই কাল স্বরুপ কুপ্রথা থাকাতে যে দেশের
কত অনিষ্ট ঘটিতেছে তাকি বর্ণনা করা যায়।

1.29.

1.30.

Thursday

1.31.

My dear Rajah Bahadur,

If you will allow us,
my friend Vidyasagara &[?]
will call between 2 & 3 P.M.
for we wish to see you very [?]

Yours in [?],
Madhusudana Datta

P.S. Where shall we find you?
M.M.D

1.32.

My dear Sir:
I got the enclosed from Baboo
M.Bose last Evening. I was not aware
that the affair had been settled

I have added[?] a few brief
notes to তিলোত্তমা―and will prepare
a glossary for it. The first Book
being full of description of an ordinary
kind, is easy enough. The Second
Book is harder. The Scene of it is laid
in Brahma's Heaven. Ditto of the third
& last Book. Some say, that there [Page] ought to be a fourth Book-describing
the death of the brothers সুন্দ & উপসুন্দ–
but I hear a Law-Examination is
coming & I must bid adieu to the
"Harp of my Fathers." Besides, the excitement
or inspiration I think is gone. At any
rate, my head is full of other Dreams,
now. I have been past[?]reading Dantes
"vision", & it has made such an impression
upon me that I long to try something
like it in our own form[?] language, but
that Law–-& the accursed lust of gold
I am heafraid, will do me up.Hang[?]
the idea of abandoning–-of ceasing to haunt wander

For the sake of filthy pice! And g[?]
my dear Sir, is the destiny of

Yours most [?]
MichaelmsDutt

1.33.

My Dear Sir I am indeed very happy to find that
you percieve some music, however faint, in
my verses. The day, I hope, is not far distant
when you will recognize fully and do justice to
the producer of Blank verse in our language.

As I am anxious to convert you
and my other valued friends to my literary creed,
you must pardon my persecutingyou a little
till you are completely of my way of thinking.
I enclose the second paragraph of the second সর্গ–also written as if it were in prose. May
I beg that you will be good enough to read it over
carefully[?] altering any expression that may be
replaced by a better one or at any rate marking any
line that may strike you as harsh or otherwise
condemnable. If you will kindly give poor me
some ten minutes a day, you will lay me under
the greatest[?]obligation & perhaps help
one to produce a Poem that will materially
alter the character of our language & it may be [Page] do something towards finding[?] me a poor[?]
name in our literature

With kind regards,
Yours [?]
Michael ms Dutt

1.34.

P.S. I know that all people who have
got "Hobbies" to ride upon, make themselves
very ridiculous: now ― this Blank verse
is my Hobby; but I am sure you won't
laugh at me. I am ready to sacrifice
my life to improve the tone of our poetry

MD

1.35.

My dear Sir,
I crave the licence to forward for
your kind acceptance the manuscript of the
Tilottama Sambhava. It is mostly in the author's
own hand-writing. The interest you take in the
work induces me to believe that you will not
refuse it a corner in your Library as a sort of
[?] curiosity; and I am vain enough
to fancy that your descendants will not regard
with indifference a "Relic" so intimately connected
with the History of their accomplished ancestor
and (perhaps) with that of a certain literary
Revolution in the Country.

Praying God to lengthen your
days so that you may benefit our Country by your
talents, your taste, your appreciation of men [Page] of letters, & your generosity towards them. I
subscribe myself, my dear sir,

Ever yours very faithfully
MichaelmsDutt
21st May 1860.

1.36.

My dear Sir
I am sure you will be pleased
to hear that Padmavati is about to
make her appearance soon. An
amateur company belonging to Bow[?]
Bazar, is to act the Playis b
[?]
touch[?]
that both yours & the d[?]
will for my sake, do the need[?]ful [?]
combined brilliant style. There are two[?]
songs in the Second act–one [?]of them[?]
sung by a young lady(behind the stage)
–the said young lady being very
much in love though she does not
know with whom! & the other, a

1.37.

Baboo
Jatindra mohana Tagore
Pathorea ghatta