Solomon Cmsar Malan, D.D. : Memorials of his Life and
Writings. By his eldest surviving Son, Rev. A. N. Malan, M.A., F.G.S. (John Murray. 18s.)—S. C. Malan, whose unfortunate Christian names are exchanged for initials throughout these Memorials, was the son of a well-known Protestant pastor at Geneva. The young man, however, needed a wider sphere for his energies, and having in his penniless state fallen in love with a young English lady, her father, a man of large fortune, made the way smooth by sending his son-in-law to Oxford, where he speedily gained a.
-reputation for his achievements as a linguist. At the final examination, feeling some doubt as to his mastery of English, Malan asked for permission to write his papers in one of six languages,—French, German, Spanish, Italian, Latin, or Greek. This startling request was not granted. Not long afterwards he accepted the post of Classical Professor in Bishop's College, Calcutta, which he held till his health failed, gaining a large acquaintance with Oriental languages. So readily did he acquire • a language that the expert who taught him Syriac exclaimed, "God must have made his brain of a brick from the Tower of Babel." Ultimately, after much Eastern travel, in which he carried only a bag and an umbrella, Malan is said to have been acknowledged as the greatest Oriental scholar of the age. For many years be was vicar of Broa.dwindsor, and there he acquired a valuable library, now in the Indian Institute at Oxford. Dr. Malan's acquisitions were more striking than his judgment. His self-confidence was amazing—" he never would admit the possi- bility of two sides to a question ; those who ventured to disagree with him placed themselves beyond the pale of reason "—and his charity may be estimated from the statement that when a great friend became a Roman Catholic, Malan declined even to speak to him. The volume is well written, and was worth writing, for -despite some unpleasant defects, there is much in Malan's character not only highly estimable, but also strikingly original. Among various accomplishments he was a skilful artist, and the book contains many illustrations from his sketches.
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