modes of feeling; for instance, the first Jhana, a state 'born of seclusion, full of reflection and investigation' is also characterized by joy and pleasure, but not by sensuality.

There are, as I have said, other points of philosophic interest raised in this pair of dialogues, into which I do not enter. My endeavour has been to inquire only how far they contained matter to establish or correct such notions as have thus far been obtained respecting the mental furniture and procedure of man as moral' from the Buddhist point of view. Light on these data seems as indispensable as some clear ideas on the complementary data afforded by the sociological conditions in which Buddhist ethics grew and flourished. It may be said that a psychological basis of ethics, affording no theory respecting either conscience or free will, is at best very defective. These doctrines, however, are comparatively modern in Western ethics, and, if we except perhaps the Saíuwv of Socrates, have no counterpart in Greek ethical development. Nor is it contended that the Vedalla Suttas exhaust the contents of Buddhist ethical psychology. They do but contribute a brick or two towards a structure which, constructed or re-constructed already in all its main features by Oriental scholars, will only be completed when the remainder of the Buddhist canon is, by the labour of love now being bestowed upon it, rendered accessible to Western readers.

ART. XIII.-The Nigrodha-miga-Jataka and the Life of St. Eustathius Placidus. By Dr. M. GASTER, M.R.A.S.

IN connection with the story of Paṭācārā I had occasion to refer (J.R.A.S. 1893, pp. 869-871) to a series of parallels in Eastern and Western literature, one of which was the life of St. Eustathius Placidus. The second half of this Vita contained those incidents which made me connect it with the cycle of which Paṭācārā seemed to be the prototype. The first half, however, was totally different, and must have been added to the other portion by the compiler of the Life. That "Life" was worthy of being put up as an example to the pious, which contained a greater number of temptations successfully withstood, of sufferings meekly borne, of miracles wondrously wrought. Therefore the miraculous and pathetic portions were enlarged and specially dwelt upon.

In the Life of St. Placidus we find thus two distinct tales, one of his conversion, and the other of his sufferings and ultimate martyrdom, which last portion may have been added still later in order to round off the whole tale.

In consequence of the miraculous elements in it this Life has become very popular. Not only is it to be found in Voragine's "Golden Legend," Caxton's translation included, and in the collections of "Lives" of Surius, the Bollandists, etc., but it was also incorporated into the "Gesta Romanorum," the great storehouse of medieval tales and legends. It figures there as a moral tale, and has as heading the words, "Of the miraculous recall of sinners, and of the consolations which piety offers to the distressed." 1

1 Gesta Romanorum. Translated from the Latin by the Rev. Ch. Swan, revised by W. Hooper, London, 1877, No. cx. p. 191 ff. Cf. Gesta Romanorum, ed. Oesterley, Berlin, 1872, No. 110, p. 444 ff. and the important bibliographical notes, p. 730.

The first portion of this legend contains the miraculous conversion brought about by a deer. It is very elaborate, and, as most of these "Lives," amplified by numberless details.

I give it in a somewhat abridged form, omitting repetitions and details, summing up the more important incidents.

"In the reign of Trajan there lived a king named Placidus, who was commander-in-chief of the Emperor's armies. He was of a very merciful disposition, but a worshipper of idols. His wife also participated in the same feelings, and adhered to the same religious rites. They had two sons, educated in all the magnificence of their age and station; and from the general kindness and goodness of their hearts they merited a revelation of the way of truth. As he was one day following the chase, he discovered a herd of deer, amongst which was one remarkable for the beauty and magnificence of its form. Separating itself from the rest, it plunged into the thicker part of the brake. Placidus separated himself from his companions and followed the course it had taken with all the celerity in his power. While he was giving all his strength to the pursuit, the stag at length scaled a lofty precipice, and Placidus approaching to it as near as he could, considered how to secure it. But, as he regarded it with fixed attention, there appeared, impressed upon the centre of the brow, the form of a cross, which glittered with greater splendour than a meridian sun. Upon this cross there was an image of Christ suspended; and, as formerly happened to the ass of Balaam, utterance was supplied to the stag, which thus addressed the hunter: Why dost thou persecute me, Placidus? For thy sake have I assumed the shape of this animal: I am Christ, whom thou ignorantly worshippest.' Some assert that the image said these things. Placidus, filled with terror, fell from his horse, and said: Declare what Thou sayest, that I may believe in Thee.' Christ explains his divinity, and Placidus said: 'I believe, O Lord, that Thou art He that made all things; and that Thou art He who bringest back the wanderer.' The Lord

answered: 'Go into the city and be baptized; return on the morrow hither, where I will appear again.' Placidus departed to his home and communicated all that had passed to his wife. That very night they were all baptized by the Bishop of Rome." So far the first portion of the history of St. Eustathius Placidus. His martyrdom is placed in the year 120, in the reign of Adrian, Trajan's successor. This is, however, independent of the time when the Life was written. The oldest texts seem to belong to the ninth century. A Syriac version of it exists in a MS. of the twelfth century (1197) (Brit. Mus. Add. 12,174, No. 53).1

The principal incidents may be summed up in the following manner :-(1) Placidus, a keen hunter; (2) Placidus, of a merciful disposition, but has not yet obtained access to the way of truth; (3) A magnificent, beautiful stag draws his attention away from the rest; (4) Exposes itself to the danger of being killed, in order to speak to Placidus; (5) Christ assumes the form of that stag; (6) Placidus converted.

Without going into many details, it cannot be disputed that some of the ancient "Lives" owe their origin to Buddhist Jātakas. One need only refer to Barlaam and

Joasaph. A thorough examination of those Jātakas will further reveal unexpected parallels to some of the apocryphal Acts of the Apostles-I think more especially of the Acts of the Apostle Thomas, which Gutschmid considers to be based upon a Buddhist Jataka,2 and some incidents in those of Bartholomeus and John. There is no doubt that the publication of all the Jātakas in existence, and their being made accessible through translation, will give a powerful impetus to investigations directed towards the history of ancient hagiology.

As one portion of the legend of St. Placidus had its parallel in an Indian tale, I surmised that the other

1 V. W. Wright, Catalogue of the Syriac Manuscripts in the British Museum, iii. 1872, p. 1132 f.

2 v. R. A. Lipsius, Die apokryphen Apostelgeschichten u. Apostellegenden, i. Braunschweig, 1883, p. 281.