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AUGUST, 1889.)
BOOK NOTICES.
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a new and noteworthy feature, in the produc- man; his writing is interesting in proportion to tion of the Chinese text, from a copy obtained his zeal, and there is a fervour and simplicity through Mr. Bun viu Naniio. it is enriched with about his diary which is very winning. euch ample notes, embodying all the advances up Mr. Legge, distrusting the power of FÅ Hien's to date attained by recent researches in this line words alone to interest any but scholars, hus of study, that it innst almost entirely supersede inserted an attraction for the general reader, by previous translations and expositions of the same illustrating the narrative with a series of interestwork.
ing Plates. It would have added to their value, if The visits to India, paid in the early centuries Mr. Legge had told us something of the age and of the Christian era by eager Chinese pilgrims, history of the original drawings. So far as we can are most interesting historical events. They stand | judge, they are studies by a modern Chinese artist out to great advantage from the mass of myths from older drawings. A few touches here and there and legends which do daty as Hindu history. are clearly moderu, and some points, especially The spirit which drove these restless monks, the in the treatment of landscape, might well be Luthers of an earlier Reformation, to seek truth the work of an artist who knew something of at the cradle of their faith, preserved the records the way Europeans deal with the subject. These they left behind them from all taint of fable or illustrations, however, are of great merit. They exaggeration; and the result is in many respects are taken from what Mr. Legge enthusiastia trustworthy tale. Nor are those elements cally calls a superb Chinese edition of the Life of wanting which might move us to deeper feeling Buddha. There are nine in this book, and all than a mere passing interest. When we consider are so good as to make us wish there were more. what a journey from China to India by way of As illustrations by a Buddhist artist of incidents Central Asia means even in these days, we may in the life of the great Buddhist Teacher, and as well be moved to admiration by the devotion, the furnishing some striking examples of the likeness zeal, and the fortitude which must have inspired of the chief incidents of the Buddhist and Christian a humble traveller to venture on such a journey creeds, they are of special interest. The frontispiece, fourteen centuries ago. It is true that FA-Hien for example,-" The Dôvas celebrating the attain. took his time over it. After his start from China mont of the Buddha-ship,"-might almost be the
A.D. 399 or 400, fifteen years passed away work of some Mongol Fru Angelico. The Buddha before he rested again in Nankin, having pierced sits cross-legged on a lotus, surrounded by ranks Central Asia, crossed India from Peshawar to the of adoring hierarchies. Allowing for the difference mouth of the Ganges, visited Ceylon, and returned of the Christian and Buddhist symbols, there is home by way of Java. In view of the large tracts much in this picture to recall Fra Angelico. The of country crossed and the ample leisure F&-Hien handling of the Chinese hagiology, in fact, point. allowed himself, it must be admitted that his diary edly recalls the work of the Christian monks. The is meagre; the whole story reproduced in Chinese other illustrations, though not so striking, are characters only taking up forty-four pages of remarkable and will repay study. Mr. Legge's book. It deals entirely with the | A further help to reading the story is to religious state of the countries he visited. In this be found in Mr. Legge's profuse and scholarly respect, therefore, it is a work of less value than notes, which occupy on an average one-half that of Hiuen Tsiang, which tells a great deal of of each printed page. But, in respect of both the political conditions of India. Hiuen Tsiang the notes and the text, we cannot help reclearly made good use of his time, but it cannot marking that an undesirable course has been be said that F8-Hien, as a diarist, was equally in followed in omitting to give always a transdustrious; and it is a most peculiar point that, literation of the exact Chineso representation of though his visit to India was made at the time all the Hindu' and other non-Chinese words and when the power of the Early Guptas of Northern names that occur in the book. In respect, for India, - by whom Buddhism appears to have instance, of the geographical names, no doubt the been favoured quite as much as the national identification of most of the better known places religions of India, - was still almost at its zenith, is now sufficiently well established. Yet on many yet no references to that dynasty are to be found points there is still room for doubt and controversy. in his book. He saw or noted nothing but the And, as inuch for help in following the writings of special objects of his journey, which were the other Chinese pilgrims, as for further investigation state of the Buddhist faith, the most approved of doubtful points in connection with the present views of Buddha's doctrine, and the degree of book of travels, the exact Chinese equivalents piety with which its services were performed. He ought to have been given throughout, along with writes, however, as a simple, pious, single-eyed the established or supposed Hindu and other numes.
