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18 suddenly rose to wealth and power. There were the worshippers of Dharmaraj, too, who all belonged to the lowest order of society. The works written for the glorification of these aboriginal deities, were in the Vernacular, and this fact ensured for them a popularity which the Brahmanic deities wanted. The Brahmans, therefore. were compelled to adopt this new method of propagandism, and translate the great stories of the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Grimadbhagavata into Bengali. There is no doubt, that the Manasa literature is the oldest in Bengal, for Bipra Das, who wrote in 1495, appears to have consulted many previous works. The story of Dharmaraj, which is the remnant of popular Buddhism in Bengal also has gone through various transformations till it was finally settled by the genius of Ghanaram, in 1710. From all this it appears that Bengali literature at its earliest stage, that is, in the 14 th and 15 th centuries, was confined to the lower orders of people and to the aboriginal deities,-Manasa, Mangal Candi, and Dharma. 2. That during the 15 th century the higher class of Hindus took to writing Bengali for the purpose of propagating their own faith. 3. That the Saiyad Dynasty patronized Vernacular literature as a means of conciliating Hindus of all classes. 4. That by the middle of the 16 th century the followers of Caitanya made the Vernacular the principal medium of preaching their religion, and wrote a very large number of works in Bengali. 5. With the decline of the activity of Caitanya's followers, the Brahmanists took up the Vernacular, and during the whole of the last century wrote a very large number of excellent works. The operation of the last three years in search of manuscripts in Bengal, has brought to light the following Bengali works, which were consigned for a long time to undeserved oblivion:Manasa, by Bipra Das Pippalai, written in 1495, after consulting previous works on the subject. A paper has already been written based on this work on the antiquity of the places on the banks of the Hugli. (See Proceedings, July 1893). This MS. is, unfortunately, in a very fragmentary condition. Manasa, by Dvija Vamci Das, written a little after Bipra Das, containing a glowing description of a sea voyage by a Bengali, has been obtained from Babu Umakicor Ray, Deputy Inspector of Schools, Dacca. The codex is worm-eaten, with its leaves sticking together from age and want of care. A fragment of Dharmamangal, by Rup Ram, who preceded Ghanaram in describing the story of Dharma. Ramayana, by Krttivasa, acquired at Komilla. Since the introduction of printing in Bengal, this work has gone through various editions, but ignorant editors have largely interfered with the text of the author, and have to a very great extent given it a modern air. The Komilla codex differs greatly from the printed editions, and is likely to be nearer to what the author wrote.