1854.] Bibliographical Notice. 185 



tlienticity p. lxviii. and some biographical accounts of the authors 

 of the translated work p. lxxvi. Then follows p. lxxix. a sketch of the 

 contents of his contemplated second volume, which as well as the 

 subject of the authenticity of Hiouen Thsang, it will be time to 

 notice hereafter. Stanislas Julien had first intended to print his 

 translation of Hiouen Thsang' s own manuscript, but he changed 

 his mind on hearing of the existence at St. Petersburgh of a copy of 

 the work written after his death. He then resolved to translate 

 and publish this work, because while giving a full account of the life 

 of the learned and celebrated pilgrim, it is free from the numerous 

 legends contained in his own work and is not so lengthy : for instance 

 the description of Magadha alone occupies 108 pages in the Chinese 

 original. The first five books of the translated work contain the his- 

 tory of Hiouen Thsang' s youth and of his travels ; in the subsequent 

 five are related the particulars of the later years of his life. Its 

 conclusion contains, " Les documents geographiques sur les pays 

 * mentionnes dans l'histoire de la vie et des voyages de Hiouen 

 Thsang" p. 353. These are alphabetically arranged, and are, with 

 few exceptions, taken from the Si-ju-ki. 



" The work is of great value in two respects. It describes with great 

 fidelity the condition of Buddhism during the first half of the seventh 

 century in those countries visited by the traveller, and again it fur- 

 nishes a tolerably complete topographical description of the latter at 

 that time, and as regards India in still earlier times. Occasionally 

 particular facts in the history of India are related. In regard to the 

 first point, the mention made by Hiouen Thsang of the convents and 

 religious edifices in the countries which he visited, if not very com- 

 plete is of the most important character. Much information is given 

 regarding the doctrines of the eighteen Buddhist sects of which 

 little has been known hitherto but their names. The manuscripts 

 most read in the different convents are pointed out, and we learn 

 from this work a considerable number df titles of other works, not 

 hitherto known, as well as many names of celebrated contemporary 

 teachers. Finally in several instances the traveller adds to the exist- 

 ing stock of important events in the history of Buddhism ; thus he 

 gives p. 95, an accurate account of the labours of the fourth Bud- 

 dhist Synod. 



2 b 2 



