সমসাময়িক ভারত [খণ্ড-২১] | Samasamayik Bharat [Vol. 21]

It was in the seventies of the last century while still at College that I read Bernier’s Travels and 1 still feel the delight with which I read it. Accus- tomed as I was to chrcnological narratives that go by the name of history, Bernier’s Travcls appeared to me more as a novel than history. The vivacity of the French author was perceptible in every line of the work, though I read it in English transla- tion. Bernier’s Travels cover the same period of the history of India as Macaulay’s work covers that of the history of England. Both the works were writ- ten in a charmingly attractive style ; but Bernicr was an eye-witness and he could impart his own genuine feeling into his writings, while Macaulay simply echoes the feelings of Pepys whose Diary he extensively uses as his materials but the attraction of both the works is almost the same. Both read as novel and the readcris swayed by a varity of feelings and sentiments as he gocs or. The memory of the delight which I felt in reading Bernier still lingers in my, mind and theicfore I cordialy welcome a Bengalee edition of i: by a young and_ enthusi-