இப்படிச் செய்தாய்? என, அப்போது அவன் சொன்னது: நான் நேற்று. பழந்துணிகளுடனே வந்தபோது யாதொரு சாப்பாடுங் கிடைக்கவில்லை; இப்போது நன்றாய் உடுத்திக்கொண்டு வந்தபடியால், இதோ! நேற்றியான போசனங்கிடைத்தது; ஆதலால், அந்தச் சாப்பாடு என் துணிக்கு அல்லது எனக்குப் போட்டதா? என்று பிரதியுத்தரவு கொடுத்தான். அப்போது அந்த வீட்டுக்காரன் தனக்குள்ளே வெட்கப்பட்டுப்போக்குச் சொல்லிக்கொண்டான். (5ஆம் பிரிவு, 3ஆம் அதிகாரம் 16வது கதை, பக்கம். 32)

Pope also wrote in simple prose to help foreigners learn Tamil; a book on Tamil grammar called “A First Catechism of Tamil Grammar”. Since it was in prose, it helped the natives also to a large extent. All earlier native grammar works were in the cūttira style, but this work of Pope’s switched over from it to the prose form.

He also wrote “A Handbook of the Ordinary Dialect of the Tamil Language”. The second part of this work had a ‘Key To The Exercises with Notes on Analysis”. This ‘key’ was the first of its kind in Tamil and led the way for adoption of it by natives later. This was also in simple prose and stated clearly the ways of learning Tamil.

In 1882, Herman Jensen, a Danish Missionary, wrote a book on “A Practical Tamil Reading Book For European Beginners”. From the title, it is apparent that it was meant for foreigners. It was like Pope’s work and hence helped the natives also.

Since prose was the “literature of knowledge” it is but natural that these books in prose by foreign scholars added a vast share to the common men’s knowledge.

Periodicals and newspapers were to a large extent prevalent only in Europe. Foreign Missionaries can be credited with introducing them into India. In 1865, John Murdoch claims there are 12 monthly periodicals in Tamil. Among them 10 were run by Christians and only two by natives.⁶⁰ He says that the first

60. John Murdoch, Ibid. P. 234