Their History
Occupies A Large Space In The Speculum Historiale Of Vincent Of
Beauvais, Written In The 13th Century, And Is Set Forth, As We Have Seen,
In The Golden Legend Of Nearly The Same Age.
They are recognised by
Baronius, and are to be found at p. 348 of "The Roman Martyrology set
forth by command of Pope Gregory XIII., and revised by the authority of
Pope Urban VIII., translated out of Latin into English by G.K. of the
Society of Jesus....
And now re-edited ... by W.N. Skelly, Esq. London,
T. Richardson & Son." (Printed at Derby, 1847.) Here in Palermo is a
church bearing the dedication Divo Iosaphat.
Professor Mueller attributes the first recognition of the identity of the
two stories to M. Laboulaye in 1859. But in fact I find that the historian
de Couto had made the discovery long before.[5] He says, speaking of
Budao (Buddha), and after relating his history:
"To this name the Gentiles throughout all India have dedicated great and
superb pagodas. With reference to this story we have been diligent in
enquiring if the ancient Gentiles of those parts had in their writings any
knowledge of St. Josaphat who was converted by Barlam, who in his Legend
is represented as the son of a great King of India, and who had just the
same up-bringing, with all the same particulars, that we have recounted of
the life of the Budao.... And as a thing seems much to the purpose, which
was told us by a very old man of the Salsette territory in Bacaim, about
Josaphat, I think it well to cite it: As I was travelling in the Isle of
Salsette, and went to see that rare and admirable Pagoda (which we call
the Canara Pagoda[6]) made in a mountain, with many halls cut out of one
solid rock ... and enquiring from this old man about the work, and what he
thought as to who had made it, he told us that without doubt the work was
made by order of the father of St. Josaphat to bring him up therein in
seclusion, as the story tells. And as it informs us that he was the son of
a great King in India, it may well be, as we have just said, that he was
the Budao, of whom they relate such marvels." (Dec. V. liv. vi. cap. 2.)
Dominie Valentyn, not being well read in the Golden Legend, remarks on the
subject of Buddha: "There be some who hold this Budhum for a fugitive
Syrian Jew, or for an Israelite, others who hold him for a Disciple of the
Apostle Thomas; but how in that case he could have been born 622 years
before Christ I leave them to explain. Diego de Couto stands by the belief
that he was certainly Joshua, which is still more absurd!" (V. deel, p.
374.)
[Since the days of Couto, who considered the Buddhist legend but an
imitation of the Christian legend, the identity of the stories was
recognised (as mentioned supra) by M. Edouard Laboulaye, in the Journal
des Debats of the 26th of July, 1859.
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