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THE SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST. 305 published will be, I hope, Sûtras from the Digha Nikâya, a part of the Vinaya-pitaka, the Dhammapada, the Divyâvadâna, the Lalita-Vistara, or legendary life of Buddha.
3. The Sacred Books of the Zoroastrians lie within a smaller compass, but they will require fuller notes and commentaries in order to make a translation intelligible and useful.
4. The books which enjoy the highest authority with the followers of Kung-fu-tze are the King and the Shů. Of the former the Shû King or Book of History; the Odes of the Temple and the Altar, and other pieces illustrating the ancient religious views and practices of the Chinese, in the Shih King, or Book of Poetry; the Yỉ King; the Li Ki; and the Hsiâo King or Classic of Filial Piety, will all be giren, it is hoped, entire. Qf the latter, the series will contain the Chung Yung, or Doctrine of the Mean; the Ta Hioh, or Great Learning; all Confucius' utterances in the Lun Yu or Confucian Analects, which are of a religious nature and refer to the principles of his moral system; and Măng-tze's Doctrine of the goodness of Human Nature.
5. For the system of Lao-tze we require only a translation of the Tao-te-king with some of its commentaries, and, it may be, an authoritative work to illustrate the actual operation of its principles.
6. For Islam, all that is essential is a trustworthy translation of the Qur'ân.
It will be my endeavour to divide the twenty-four volumes which are contemplated in this Series as equally as possible between the seven religions. But much must depend on the assistance which I receive from Oriental scholars, and also on the interest and the wishes of the public.
