BARLAAM AND JOSAPHAT, one of the most popular of early mediaeval romances, formerly supposed to have been written by Saint John of or Damascenus, as he is sometimes called,— a Syrian monk born about the end of the 7th century. According. to the narrative Josaphat was the son of a king of India brought up in magnificent seclusion, to the end that he might know nothing of human misery. Despite his father's care, the knowledge of sickness, poverty and death can not be hidden from him: he is oppressed by the mystery of existence. A Christian hermit, Barlaam, finds his way to him at the risk of life, and succeeds in converting him to Chris tianity. The prince uses his influence to pro mote the new faith among his people. When he has raised his kingdom to high prosperity, he leaves it to spend the remainder of his days as a holy herniit. The story is, with the neces sary changes, substantially the story of Buddha. The correspondences of the two stories are most minute, and even the phraseology, in which some of the details of Josaphat's history are described, is almost a literal renderin:g of the Sanslcrit of the (Lalita Vistara.' k.ven the very word Josaphat or Joasaph (Arabic, Yudasatf) is a corrupt form of Bodisat, or Bodisatva, a common title for the Buddha in the many birth-stories that clustered round the life of the sage. The identity of the stories of Buddha and Josaphat was first recognized by Diogo do Couto (1542-1616), the historian of Portuguese India. In modern times it was noticed by Laboulaye in the Journal des Dibats (July 1859). A year later Dr. Felix Liebrecht made an elaborate treatment of the subject, putting the identity of the stories beyond dis pute. Subsequent researches were made .by Max Muller, Zotenberg and others. The origi nal Greek manuscript was first published by M. de Boissonade as a volume of his (Anec dota) (Paris 1832), and translated into Gennan by Liebrecht (Miinster 1847). A Latin version
was current in the Middle Ages, and about the 15th century began to appear among the works of Sault John Damascenus. But it is no longer ascribed to him. The legend appeared in the 'Speculum Historiale) of Vincent of Beauvais, and also in the 'Golden Legend) of Jacobus de Veragine. Three poetical versions in French of the 13th century are also extant. There are also Italian and German versions derived from the medimval Latin. The Spanish, Polish and Bohemian versions are also from this source. There are also versions in Icelandic, Swedish, Norwegian and even a version in the Tagalog language of the Philippines (Ma nila 1712). The names of Barlaam and Josa phat appear in both the Greek and Roman lists of saints. Their names were inserted by Petrus de Natalibus in his (Catalogus Sanc torum) (1380) and Cardinal Baronius included them in the official 'Martyrologium) authorized by Sixtus V (1585-90) under the date of 27 November. In the Orthodox Eastern Church (the holy Josaph, son of Abener, King of In diaD is allotted the 26th of August. Thus Gautama the Buddha is officially, albeit un wittingly, recognized as a saint in two great branches of the Christian Church. In Palermo there is a church dedicated to Divo Josaphat. The compilers of the (Gesta Romanorum,' Boccaccio, Gower and Shakespeare have all drawn materials from this romance. Consult Appel, (Gui von Cambrai und Josaphas nach den Handschriften von Paris und Monte Cas sino) (Halle 1907); Jacobs, Joseph, (Barlaam and Josaphat) (London 1896); Liebrecht, (Zur Volkslcunde) (Heilbronn 1879); Muller, Max, (Selected Essays) (London 1881) ; Zotenberg, H., (Notice sur le livre de Barlaam et Joasaph) (Paris 1886).