In the course of his commentary on the first book, Ellis invariably had to usher in certain couplets of the second book and hence had to translate them too.²¹ Earlier Beschi had made a Latin translation of first two chapters of the Kur̠aḷ. Beschi’s Latin translation and Ellis’ English version (also Drew’s) have been quoted by Pope in his notes of the “Sacred Kural of Thiruvalluva Nayanar.”

Ellis’ and Beschi’ versions perhaps enabled Dr. Pope to make his study of the great Kur̠aḷ more exhaustive and penetrative. “Isolated chapters, from the pens of Missionaries have occasionally appeared in religious publications. Beyond this I” (Gover) “am not aware of any English renderings.” Mon. Ariel wrote two learned articles on the Cural in the “Journal Asiatique in 1848 and 1852, containing translations of many interesting portions and thus drew considerable attention to the subject in France, but the lead does not appear to have been followed except more recently by Mon. J. Vinson, a learned French official at Karaikal who has written several valuable papers on Dravidian literature and language for the “Revue Orientale.”²²

Ellis frequently in his work quotes from a “Latin Commentator.” Many believe that this Latin commentator was no other than the great Beschi himself.²³ But it is surprising to see that Ellis when he quotes from Beschi mentions the latter’s name and so we are led to suppose that this Latin commentator was a different person.

Whatever the identity of this Latin commentator, the help rendered indirectly to Ellis is great.

The Latin Commentary runs thus, “As the Vowel A stands first among the letters (of the Tamil alphabet) so the eternal God stands first in the World.”²⁴ Ellis commenting says that “a” should not be limited to the Tamil alphabet alone but expanded

21. E.T.C. P. 317

22. Gover, Charles E. Ibid. P. 218

23. Sethu Pillai, R.P. “Alaiyum Kalaiyum”; P. 121.

24. E.T.C. P. 1.