ROUSE, William Henry Denham. Calcutta 30.5.1863 — Hayling Island, Hampshire 10.2.1950. British Classical Scholar and Indologist. Teacher and Lecturer in Cambridge. Son of —> G. H. Rouse, a Baptist missionary, and his wife Lydia, himself joined later the Church of England. Educated at Doveton College in Calcutta, from 1882 studies at Christ’s College, Cambridge. In 1888-94 Fellow of Christ’s. Travelled in Crete and Egean Islands. In 1886-1928 schoolteacher, from 1901 Headmaster of Perse Grammar School in Cambridge. In 1903-39 Lecturer in Sanskrit at Christ’s College, Cambridge, also teaching Pāli. Litt.D.

Rouse was mainly a classical scholar, who prepared many popular translations and textbooks and was among the founders of the Loeb Classical Library and the Classical Review, but he was also interested in Indology (Sanskrit and Pāli) and folklore. He taught elementary Sanskrit to R. L. Turner, when Turner was still at school.

Publications: “Index to the Jātaka”, JPTS 1890, 1-19; “A modern parallel to the Culla-Paduma-Jātaka (193)”, JRAS 1897, 855-857.

– Translated parts 2 (1895) and 6 (1907) in Cowell’s (ed.) Jātaka.

– The Giant Crab and other Tales of Old India, retold by W.H.D.R. 133 p. L. 1897; The Talking Thrush and other Indian Stories, collected by W. Crooke and retold by W.D.H.R. 217 p. 1899.

– Edited: “Medhankara’s Jinacaritam of Life of Buddha”, JPTS 1904-05, 1-65.

– With C. Bendall: Śāntideva: Śikṣāsamuccaya. Transl. by C. B., completed by W. H. D. Rouse. 330 p. L. 1922.

– Transl. with J. Wright and R.S. Conway: Brugman, Comparative grammar of the Indo-Germanic Languages. 1-5. Strassburg 1888-95.

– Textbooks and translations from Greek and Latin (Lucretius, Nonnus and Seneca’s Apocolocyntosis in the Loeb Classical Library; Greek Votive Offerings. 16+463 p. Cambridge 1902.

Sources: Buckland, Dictionary; R.M.D., Folklore 62, 1951, 269f.; A.L. Peck, D.N.B. 1941–1950, 739f.; Who Was Who 1941– 1950.