Lot 199: JONES, William (1746-1794). "The Third Anniversary Discourse, delivered 2 February 1786. By the President [On the Hindus]." In: Asiatick Researches: or, Transactions of the Society Instituted in Bengal, for inquiring into the History and

JONES, William (1746-1794). "The Third Anniversary Discourse, delivered 2 February 1786. By the President [On the Hindus]." In: Asiatick Researches: or, Transactions of the Society Instituted in Bengal, for inquiring into the History and Antiquities, The Arts, Sciences, and Literature, of Asia. Calcutta: Manuel Cantopher, 1788.

4o (295 x 237 mm). 34 engraved plates. (Some occasional spotting.) 19th-century half vellum, marbled boards, gilt (lightly rubbed). Provenance: Jan Fitsingh (contemporary inscription title-page).

"THE BIRTH OF COMPARATIVE PHILOLOGY" (PMM).

FIRST EDITION. William Jones's paper announced his "epoch-making discovery" of the relationship between the Sanskrit, Gothic, Greek and Latin languages; this marked "a turning point in the history of linguistics and signalled the birth of comparative philology... His clear understanding of the basic principles of scientific linguistics provided the foundations on which Rask, Bopp and Grimm built the imposing structure of comparative Indo-European studies" (PMM). This first volume of the Transactions, also includes Samuel Turner's An Account of a Journey to Tibet describing Purangir's journey to the Panchen Lama. Warren Hastings, the most enlightened of the British Governors General, was the Society's patron, which "quickly became the catalyst for a sudden explosion of interest in Hinduism, as it formed enduring relations with the local Bengali intelligentsia and led the way to uncovering the deepest roots of Indian history and civilization" (Dalrymple White Mughals, 2004, p.41); PMM 235.