176 
THE ARCHITECTURE OF INDIA. 
[Nature and Art, June 1, 1867. 
tlie fifteenth century, “ the honour of having first 
contributed to their improvement belongs more 
especially to the artists of the Low Countries, and 
others who inhabited the western countries of 
Germany.” 
The earliest wood-engraving at present known, 
having a date, is one discovered by Heinecken, in 
the Chartreuse, at Buxheim, near Meiningen, one 
of the most ancient convents in Germany, and on 
that account called the “ Buxheim Print.” It 
represents “ Saint Christopher carrying the Tnfant 
Jesus across the Sea.” This print bears an in- 
scription in Latin, with the date 1423. On being 
brought t» England it became the property of the 
Earl Spencer. Another very old block -print — 
supposed to be older than the Buxheim print — in 
the possession of the same noble lord, is one 
representing St. Bridget writing, and from in- 
ternal evidence would seem to have been executed 
by an artist of the Low Countries, in the latter 
end of the fourteenth century. 
The same authority considers that some of the 
block-books may be of as early date as 1420 ; and 
he argues that “ those of them whose pretensions 
to antiquity are not unattended by some claims to 
our approval as works of art, appertain more 
properly to the ancient schools of Holland and 
Flanders than to those of Germany, an opinion, 
indeed, which a comparison of some of the best of 
these with others professedly and indisputably 
executed in Germany will tend not a little to 
support.” He then mentions three block-books 
which he considers entitled to this distinction, 
namely, “The Poor Man’s Bible” ( Biblia Pau- 
perum ), the Book of Canticles, and the Speculum 
Humarii Salvationis, or “ Mirror of Human Sal- 
vation,” and the illustrations of these he considers 
to have been all by the same artist, and to have 
been produced in the order in ' which he names 
them. But the history of some of these block- 
books, with reference to the many important 
questions they tend to elucidate, would of them- 
selves fill an article for which, perhaps, we may 
one day find space. Meantime to suggest the 
■ connecting link between the block printing and 
printing by moveable types, to which we have 
already casually alluded, it may be stated that the 
“ Speculum Humani Salvationis ” is remarkable as 
having the text of one edition printed in great 
part from moveable characters, and in others 
entirely so ; and that it was so printed in the 
edition issued by Laurence Coster, of Haarlem. 
The question of the first use of moveable metal 
types — whether by Guttenberg, at Mayence, or 
Poster at Haarlem — is still a matter of fierce 
dispute. 
THE ARCHITECTURE OF INDIA— THE BUDDHIST. 
By William Simpson. 
T HERE is some uncertainty as to whether 
Brahminism or Buddhism is the oldest religion 
of India ; there may have been a previous religion : 
one more allied to the present Brahminical form of 
worship, than to that founded by Buddha ; but if 
there was, no architectural remains of it are left. 
There are some remains, said to be Druidical ; and 
there are some to which the word Cyclopean is 
applied. With the exception of these, and they are 
but few, the architectural history of India begins 
with the era of Buddha, which is now generally 
accepted to be b.c. 543. 
That is the date of Buddha’s death ; the event 
took place at Kusinara, a town supposed to have 
been somewhere to the east of Benares. After the 
incremation of the body, the ashes were divided 
among seven princes, who had collected armies in 
order to fight for the sacred remains ; for they 
considered that there “ was nothing so precious in 
the world as the relics of Buddha.” Over each of 
these relics Hagopas .were erected, and an eighth 
was built at Rajagaha over another relic. In this 
we have the most important practice of Buddhist 
worship — the adoration of relics ; and the most 
important feature of its architecture — the erection of 
Hagopas to contain and preserve them. There 
are some relics of Buddha which were got by 
supernatural means ; such were the eight hairs 
which were enshrined in the Rangoon Dagopa, in 
Burrnah : and the same may be said of the cele- 
brated relics in Ceylon, of which the most famous 
is the tooth of Buddha. This is now preserved by 
our government, and guarded as the Palladium of 
British power in the island ; it is kept in the city of 
Kandy, the capital of Ceylon. 
A Dagopa is also called a Chaitya, but they are 
perhaps better known by the word Tope. This 
word is identified with those of Northern India 
from its use by recent writers. In Cabool and the 
region around Peshawur there are numerous 
Buddhist remains, which are known by this name. 
Tope is said to be the same as the Pali Tliupo, and 
the Sanscrit Stupa, a “mound” or “tumulus.” 
The most ancient of these are exactly like an 
inverted cup ; the more modern vary considerably 
in shape. The Sarnatli Tope, near Benares, rises 
high like the spire of a Hindoo temple ; some are 
bell-shaped ; and the great Dagopa at Rangoon is 
like the upper part of a sherry decanter. They 
are always round ; the base may be square or 
octagonal ; but the upper and main part of the 
structure never is so. The Mahawanso, one of the 
ancient books of Ceylon, describes the erection of 
one of these buildings, and it gives what must 
