A general query about two books that seem to me highly useful, but that I
have not yet been able to lay my hands upon:

(1) Rasmus Rask's 1821 _Singalesisk Skriftlære_, including (reportedly) work
on Pali in Sinhalese script, with comparative reference to SEA and Indic
traditions. Quote: "In this work Rask compares the Singhalese with
Sanskrit, Pali, Tamil, Telugi and other Asian languages. He deals with the
phonetics, pronunciation, accentuation and numerals." Given Rask's
accomplishments in comparative European linguistics before departing for
India and Sri Lanka, I would expect that what he had to say about Pali would
be quite insightful. Rask's Pali manuscripts formed the basis of the Danish
Royal Library's collection, and thus (via Fausboll's reading & romanization)
the basis of most of the modern PTS editions.

(2) James Gray's 1883 "Elements of Pali Grammar" --originally printed by the
Baptist Missionary Press in Rangoon, but apparently reprinted in Calcutta in
the first decade of the 20th century. The Pali is entirely typeset in
Burmese script --making it much more useful to me, although Duroiselle
complains of this as if it were a defect (in the introduction to the
latter's Pali grammar). If anyone has a copy of this, or has access to one
in a library, it seems to me it would be of great value to digitize and
distribute; but I have not seen the book. It under 200 pages, so the
digitization would not be any considerable labour (by Pali standards).

I have not seen either of these books, and would appreciate any comments on
their value or worth from those who own them, or have worked with them in
libraries,

E.M.

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