BURNOUF, EUGENE, one of the most distinguished orientalists of modern times, was b. at Paris, April 1, 1801, and after entering on the study of law, betook himself to the oriental languages, especially those of India and Persia. In conjunction with prof. Lassen of Bonn, he published, in 1826, Essai sur le Pali, which was followed, iu 1827, by Observations Gram maticales sur quelques Passages de l'Essai sur is Pali. His great aim, however, at this time, was to obtain a complete knowledge of the remains oi the religious literature in the Zend, or old Persic language, which had been neglected since the time of Anquetil du Perron, or, at least, not philologically and critically examined. B. undertook to decipher those curious MSS. which Anquetil du Perron had brought home with him, and which lay unregarded in the Biblintlaque Imperiale. He commenced by causing the of old Persic literature, the (one of the books of Zoroaster), to be lithographed with great care, and published from time to time in the Journal Asiatique the brilliant results of his laborious studies, which drew upon him the regard of the learned world. In 1834, he pub
lished the first volume of his Commentaires sum' is roma run des Litres Liturgiques des Perses, a work which, for the first time, rcmdered possible a knowledge not only of the dogmas, but, also of the language of Zoroaster. It is a masterpiece of conscientious industry, united with copious lingual and antiquarian lore. His studies in the Zend language induced him to make an attempt to decipher the cuneiform inscriptions of Persepolis, in his .3/(moire sur deux Inscriptions Cuneiformcs (Par. 1836). %In 1840. he published the text along with a translation of the a system of Indian • mythology and tradition. As the fruit of his study of the Sanscrit books of the Bud dhists, appeared in 1S45 the Introduction it l'Ilistoire die Boudhisme. See Buouiism. This great work absorbed for six years the whole energies of 13., who was now the recognized successor of Silvestre de Sacy. It is to be regretted that death did not per mit him to continue his labors further. He died May 28, 1852.