iii troduction to his edition of the Kavyavalokana, published in 1903, brought out clearly the fact that there were two writers named Nagavarma; one belonging to the close of the tenth century, the other to a period about a hundred and fifty years later The authors now show that there were also two Gunavarmas and two Mangarasds They have adduced evidence that the literary activity among the Vira-Saivas or Lingayets began in the middle of the twelfth century, at an appreceably earlier time than had previously been supposed And they have shown that the poet Rudrablıatta, who was previously referred to the sixteenth century, flourished four centuries sooner. We hope that future researches by them may result in the discovery of works dating from before the time to which belongs the earliest Kanarese literary production that is at present known -- Indian Antiquary. The publication of the “Lives of Kannada Poets " is an event in the history of Oriental re-search in India, Its duthors are to be congratulated on the work they have produced. Its importance is manifest when we remember that so far there has not been available to the literary public d proper guide to Kannada literature There has thus been for a considerable time past a real necessity for a scientifically written history of Kannada Literature, and the Messrs Narasimhachar have laid Oriental students and scholars under an obligation by the publication of the work they have now put forward Though the account before us runs to nearly 400 pages, we are only at the end of the 14th century after Christ. The poets are taken in chronological order, the only intelligible order in a work of this sort It is apparent on the face of it that the authors have not had an easy task Chronology is an idea foreign to earlier poets ; nor are they much interested in adding details about their lives They were so far impersonal that they have lost themselves in their works. Hence the lives and times of these have had to be determined mainly from a close and painstaking study of inscriptions,
