III.
Barlaam in India.
The Portuguese historian, Diogo do Conto, in describing the exploits of his nation in Asia, in 1612, had occasion to speak of Buddha, or the Budão, as he called him. After recounting his legend, he goes on to say: "With reference to this story, we have been delayed in inquiring if the ancient Gentiles of those parts had in their writings any knowledge of Josaphat, who was converted by Barlaam, who in his legend is represented as the son of a great king in India, who had just the same up-bringing, with all the same particulars that we have recounted of the life of the Budao . . . and as it informs us that he was the son of a great king in India, it may well be, as we have said, that he was the Budão of whom they relate such marvels"[1] (Decada
- ↑ The late Sir Henry Yule drew attention to this remarkable anticipation of modern research in the Academy
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