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fourth century, was au antient tradition grafted on to Buddhism 

 and attributed to Buddha at a later date, — is by no means impro- 

 bable, As Buddhism spread in China so would the likelihood 

 increase that such an engraftment on to it of an old tradition of so 

 striking a character would take place. Devotees and votaries of 

 all human-born faiths have at all times manifested the strongest 

 tendencies to glorify the founders of their religion by attributing 

 everything possible and impossible to their lives and acts ; and to 

 transfer the making of the impression of a venerated foot-print in a 

 remote land, from the first-created man, to the first of men, the 

 supreme Buddha, is a step which those disposed to take, would 

 find most faeile, and one which an enthusiastic Indian Buddhist 

 propagandist like Fo-thou-tching would not hesitate a moment 

 in taking. Intercourse between the countries where Buddhism 

 prevailed would soon give currency to the belief wherever and 

 however it originated. And it is highly probable that in this way 

 it was brought to India and Ceylon, and that thus Buddhaghosa 

 and Mahanama became acquainted with it, and inserted it in their 

 works, without venturing upon particulars, which the fertile ima- 

 ginations of later writers, — after the spot was rendered accessible, 

 and a weather-worn hollow was manipulated into the resemblance 

 of a foot-print,— -have abundantly supplied ; and thus established it 

 as a place of transcendent holiness, to be resorted to by pilgrims 

 from all parts of the world, 



A tradition that on the far-off inaccessible summit of the Sama- 

 nala was to be found the impression of the Foot-print of the great 

 Buddha, — a tradition which had held its ground in Ceylon and else- 

 where from the fifth to the twelfth century, must have powerfully 

 affected the minds of all who professed to be Buddhists, and prepared 

 them to believe, with an undoubting faith, that the mark, the route 

 to which had at last been opened out, was indeed the visible me- 

 mento of the presence of the founder of their religion in the land. 



