are no monopolies and no
patents, M. Stanislas Julien is acknowledged to be the only man in
Europe who could produce the article which he has produced in the work
before us.

We shall devote the rest of our space to a short account of the life
and travels of Hiouen-thsang. Hiouen-thsang was born in a provincial
town of China, at a time when the empire was in a chronic state of
revolution. His father had left the public service, and had given most
of his time to the education of his four children. Two of them
distinguished themselves at a very early age--one of them was
Hiouen-thsang, the future traveller and theologian. The boy was sent
to school at a Buddhist monastery, and, after receiving there the
necessary instruction, partly from his elder brother, he was himself
admitted as a monk at the early age of thirteen. During the next seven
years, the young monk travelled about with his brother from place to
place, in order to follow the lectures of some of the most
distinguished professors. The horrors of war frequently broke in upon
his quiet studies, and forced him to seek refuge in the more distant
provinces of the empire. At the age of twenty he took priest's orders,
and had then already become famous by his vast knowledge. He had
studied the chief canonical books of the Buddhist faith, the records
of Buddha's life and teaching, the system of ethics and metaphysics;
and he was versed in the works of Confucius and Lao-tse. But still his
own mind was agitated by doubts. Six years he continued his studies in
the chief places of learning in China, and where he came to learn he
was frequently asked to teach. At last, when he saw that none, even
the most eminent theologians, were able to give him the information he
wanted, he formed his resolve of travelling to India. The works of
earlier pilgrims, such as Fahian and others, were known to him. He
knew that in India he should find the originals of the works which in
their Chinese translation left so many things doubtful in his mind;
and though he knew from the same sources the dangers of his journey,
yet 'the glory,' as he says, 'of recovering the Law, which was to be a
guide to all men and the means of their salvation, seemed to him
worthy of imitation.' In common with several other priests, he
addressed a memorial to the Emperor to ask leave for their journey.
Leave was refused, and the courage of his companions failed. Not that
of Hiouen-thsang. His own mother had told