The Basis Of This Romance Is The Story Of
Siddharta.
The story of Barlaam and Josaphat first appears among the works (in Greek)
of St. John of Damascus, a theologian of the early part of the 8th
century, who, before he devoted himself to divinity had held high office
at the Court of the Khalif Abu Jafar Almansur.
The outline of the story is
as follows: -
St. Thomas had converted the people of India to the truth; and after the
eremitic life originated in Egypt many in India adopted it. But a potent
pagan King arose, by name ABENNER, who persecuted the Christians and
especially the ascetics. After this King had long been childless, a son,
greatly desired, is born to him, a boy of matchless beauty. The King
greatly rejoices, gives the child the name of JOSAPHAT, and summons the
astrologers to predict his destiny. They foretell for the prince glory and
prosperity beyond all his predecessors in the kingdom. One sage, most
learned of all, assents to this, but declares that the scene of these
glories will not be the paternal realm, and that the child will adopt the
faith that his father persecutes.
This prediction greatly troubled King Abenner. In a secluded city he
caused a splendid palace to be erected, within which his son was to abide,
attended only by tutors and servants in the flower of youth and health. No
one from without was to have access to the prince; and he was to witness
none of the afflictions of humanity, poverty, disease, old age, or death,
but only what was pleasant, so that he should have no inducement to think
of the future life; nor was he ever to hear a word of CHRIST or His
religion. And, hearing that some monks still survived in India, the King
in his wrath ordered that any such, who should be found after three days,
should be burnt alive.
The Prince grows up in seclusion, acquires all manner of learning, and
exhibits singular endowments of wisdom and acuteness. At last he urges his
father to allow him to pass the limits of the palace, and this the King
reluctantly permits, after taking all precautions to arrange diverting
spectacles, and to keep all painful objects at a distance. Or let us
proceed in the Old English of the Golden Legend.[3] "Whan his fader
herde this he was full of sorowe, and anone he let do make redy horses and
joyfull felawshyp to accompany him, in suche wyse that nothynge dyshonest
sholde happen to hym. And on a tyme thus as the Kynges sone wente he mette
a mesell and a blynde man, and wha he sawe them he was abasshed and
enquyred what them eyled. And his seruautes sayd: These ben passions that
comen to men. And he demaunded yf the passyons came to all men. And they
sayd nay. Tha sayd he, ben they knowen whiche men shall suffre.... And
they answered, Who is he that may knowe ye aduentures of men.
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