History of Bengali Language and Literature c11.36

c11.36

mountable or intricate—are overcome by love. The best men of the land during the first epoch of the British rule were drawn to Christanity by the noble examples of philanthropic love displayed by the Christian missionaries. They were not attracted by the inherent qualities of Christanity so much as by the examples of suffering for love before them. It was owing to these traits of disinterestedness in the life of early missionaries that men like the Rev. K. M. Banerjee, the Rev. Lāl Behari De, Michael Madhu Sudana Datta, Govinda Chandra Datta and last though not the least of this glorious band, Dr. K. C. Banerjee had embraced Christanity. For nearly a century the enlightened Hindus were dazzled by the glare of western civilisation; and showed no inclination to admit that anything could have been noble or great in the past of their own nation. The great personality of Chaitanya Deva and his heavenly love, the poems of Chandi Dās and the lays of other Vaisnva poets, the songs of Rāma Prasāda, the vivid and noble portraitures of domestic life found in Kavi Kaṅkana's poems and the exquisite touches and elegance of Bhārat Chahdra's style could now command no attention from the educated young men of Bengal; in fact, Bengal with her wealth of noble ideas lay far off, though so near, and Europe, removed from us by land and sea became nearer and dearer to the new generation of the Hindus who came in touch with the missionaries. In the domestic circle the parents became anxious for children who under the spell of missionary influeuce failed even to admire the patient and self-sacrificing love for religion which had marked the Hindu women of the past, and revolted