TheItinerarioof 1510 was reprinted more than once in Rome, Venice and Milan during the following fifty years. In 1515 it was translated into German; in 1520, it appeared in Spanish; in 1556, in French; and in 1563, in Dutch. In 1577, Richard Eden gave a truncated and corrupt form of the work, which he had translated from a Latin version into English. It was incorporated with his “History of Travayle in the West and East Indies,” and reprinted for private circulation by the Aungerville Society in 1884. But twenty-one years before this last date, the Hakluyt Society had printed a translation from the original Italian edition by the Rev. Geo. Percy Badger. The modern translation is faithful and eminently readable; Mr. Badger’s annotations are invaluable; and John Winter Jones supplied a preface which is a bibliography. But Richard Eden’s imperfect work necessarily conveys more of the vigorous diction and quaint archaicisms of the original because the English style of Elizabeth’s time more closely resembled that of ordinary Italian prose in the days of Julius II. Yet, readable and delightful as Mr. Badger’stranslation is, Varthema remains known only to the specialized student; to the general reader, together with many another ancient worthy of heroic mould, he is unknown, even by name.
1Mémoires sur les contrées occidentales, par Hiouen-Thoang, tr. du chinois par S. Julien, 2 t., 1857–8.Si-yu-ki.Tr. from the Chinese of Hieuen Tsiang by S. Beal. 2 v. (Trübners Oriental Series) 1884.Hist. de la vie de Hiouen Thsang et de ses voyages dans l’IndeA.D.629–45, par Hoei-Li et Yen-Thsong. Tr. du Chinois par S. Julien. Imprim. Impér. 1853.The Life of Hiuen-Tsiang.Tr. by S. Beal. (Trübner’s Oriental Series) 1878.The spelling of Oriental names of persons and places varies widely in English, as well as in other European languages, according to the system of transliteration employed.
1Mémoires sur les contrées occidentales, par Hiouen-Thoang, tr. du chinois par S. Julien, 2 t., 1857–8.
Si-yu-ki.Tr. from the Chinese of Hieuen Tsiang by S. Beal. 2 v. (Trübners Oriental Series) 1884.
Hist. de la vie de Hiouen Thsang et de ses voyages dans l’IndeA.D.629–45, par Hoei-Li et Yen-Thsong. Tr. du Chinois par S. Julien. Imprim. Impér. 1853.
The Life of Hiuen-Tsiang.Tr. by S. Beal. (Trübner’s Oriental Series) 1878.
The spelling of Oriental names of persons and places varies widely in English, as well as in other European languages, according to the system of transliteration employed.
2The Author possesses a picture of the source of the Ganges, painted on panel, on the spot, by the late W. Simpson. Fakirs, at least in his time, were wont, when the end of life drew near, to ascend the glacier, and terminate the illusions of existence on the snow-mountains above it. Simpson saw a Fakir climbing up a snow-slope for this purpose. Now, as well as one can judge from this panel, the lower end of the glacier from which the infant Ganges is seen flowing would be about as broad as Hiuen-Tsiang states the source of the river to be.
2The Author possesses a picture of the source of the Ganges, painted on panel, on the spot, by the late W. Simpson. Fakirs, at least in his time, were wont, when the end of life drew near, to ascend the glacier, and terminate the illusions of existence on the snow-mountains above it. Simpson saw a Fakir climbing up a snow-slope for this purpose. Now, as well as one can judge from this panel, the lower end of the glacier from which the infant Ganges is seen flowing would be about as broad as Hiuen-Tsiang states the source of the river to be.
3Beal’s translation ofSi-yu-kivol. i., p. 70.
3Beal’s translation ofSi-yu-kivol. i., p. 70.
4J. Talboy Wheeler, “History of India,” London, 1874, vol. iii, p. 261.
4J. Talboy Wheeler, “History of India,” London, 1874, vol. iii, p. 261.
5W. H. Johnson, who was the first European to visit Khotan for 260 years, heard of these cities buried in the sand (1865).
5W. H. Johnson, who was the first European to visit Khotan for 260 years, heard of these cities buried in the sand (1865).
6For recent travels in Eastern Turkestan, see Prjevalsky, N.From Kulja across the Thian Shan to Lob-Nor, tr. E. D. Morgan, 1879.
6For recent travels in Eastern Turkestan, see Prjevalsky, N.From Kulja across the Thian Shan to Lob-Nor, tr. E. D. Morgan, 1879.
7A measure which varies in different provinces. It is the Chinese foot-measure, always shorter than ours.
7A measure which varies in different provinces. It is the Chinese foot-measure, always shorter than ours.
8The Latin text is printed with a translation by Brownlow, by the Palestine Pilgrims Text Society. 1892.
8The Latin text is printed with a translation by Brownlow, by the Palestine Pilgrims Text Society. 1892.
9Memoirs of the Emperor Johangueir, by himself. Tr. from Persian by D. Price. Oriental Translation Fund. 1829. pp. 96–104.
9Memoirs of the Emperor Johangueir, by himself. Tr. from Persian by D. Price. Oriental Translation Fund. 1829. pp. 96–104.
10Chaucer,Man of Lawe’s Tale. Part I., st. i, l. 4. The derivation of Satin is obvious.
10Chaucer,Man of Lawe’s Tale. Part I., st. i, l. 4. The derivation of Satin is obvious.
11Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, vol. iv. p. 405.
11Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, vol. iv. p. 405.
12P’u Sung-ling finished his workA.D.1679, and saw the trick when he was a boy.
12P’u Sung-ling finished his workA.D.1679, and saw the trick when he was a boy.
13Part of the illusion described by Ibn Batûta, known as the Indian Rope Trick, was seen by the late Professor Middleton, of the South Kensington Museum, in Morocco, and is fully described by Wilfred Scawen Blount’sDiaries, 1888–1900, p. 86, sqq. The trick has been much discussed during the last few years, and conjurers confess that it perplexes them. (“Baffled magicians,”Times, Feb. 6th, 1919). Mr. C. R. Sanderson, Librarian to the National Liberal Club, kindly drew my attention to certain articles and correspondence in popular journals (Strand Magazine, April, 1919;Daily Mail, Jan. 7th, 1913, and a discussion in the same newspaper, beginning Jan. 8th, 1919, and ending Feb. 19th, 1919). It is a common belief among English residents in India that some of these illusions are due to hypnotism; but, as a rule, only people who are capable of great concentration of mind, or who are in the habit of obeying commands are readily hypnotized, and then only by direct suggestion, and not, so say the best authorities, by will-power. Cases of hypnosis at a distance have been recorded; but the subjects had already been hypnotized by the operator; and, if these accounts should be proved veridical, telepathy might possibly explain them. The instance photographed by Lieut. F. W. Holmes, V.C., is a degenerate form of the trick. If a cinematograph record of a really fine exhibition of this illusion could be taken, probably the problem would be solved conclusively.
13Part of the illusion described by Ibn Batûta, known as the Indian Rope Trick, was seen by the late Professor Middleton, of the South Kensington Museum, in Morocco, and is fully described by Wilfred Scawen Blount’sDiaries, 1888–1900, p. 86, sqq. The trick has been much discussed during the last few years, and conjurers confess that it perplexes them. (“Baffled magicians,”Times, Feb. 6th, 1919). Mr. C. R. Sanderson, Librarian to the National Liberal Club, kindly drew my attention to certain articles and correspondence in popular journals (Strand Magazine, April, 1919;Daily Mail, Jan. 7th, 1913, and a discussion in the same newspaper, beginning Jan. 8th, 1919, and ending Feb. 19th, 1919). It is a common belief among English residents in India that some of these illusions are due to hypnotism; but, as a rule, only people who are capable of great concentration of mind, or who are in the habit of obeying commands are readily hypnotized, and then only by direct suggestion, and not, so say the best authorities, by will-power. Cases of hypnosis at a distance have been recorded; but the subjects had already been hypnotized by the operator; and, if these accounts should be proved veridical, telepathy might possibly explain them. The instance photographed by Lieut. F. W. Holmes, V.C., is a degenerate form of the trick. If a cinematograph record of a really fine exhibition of this illusion could be taken, probably the problem would be solved conclusively.
14A translation of an abbreviated copy of Batûta’s travels was made by the Revd. S. Lee, and published by the Oriental Translation Fund in 1829. Since that date the French advance in Algeria led to the discovery of several copies of the unabridged work; and the “Voyages d’Ibn Batoutah,” translated into French by C. Defrémery and Dr. B. R. Sanguinette, with the original Arabic text under the translation, appeared in Paris in 1853, at the hands of theSociété Asiatique. There are several examples of the original MS. extant, which slightly vary from each other, and often differ considerably from the abbreviation as to matter of fact.
14A translation of an abbreviated copy of Batûta’s travels was made by the Revd. S. Lee, and published by the Oriental Translation Fund in 1829. Since that date the French advance in Algeria led to the discovery of several copies of the unabridged work; and the “Voyages d’Ibn Batoutah,” translated into French by C. Defrémery and Dr. B. R. Sanguinette, with the original Arabic text under the translation, appeared in Paris in 1853, at the hands of theSociété Asiatique. There are several examples of the original MS. extant, which slightly vary from each other, and often differ considerably from the abbreviation as to matter of fact.
15B and V are to be found controvertible both in old Italian and in old Spanish. Bartema instead of Varthema is on the title page of more than one edition of theItinerario.
15B and V are to be found controvertible both in old Italian and in old Spanish. Bartema instead of Varthema is on the title page of more than one edition of theItinerario.
16Dante, Inferno, ix, 76, 77.
16Dante, Inferno, ix, 76, 77.
17Varthema gives all the words of the queen in Arabic, phonetically written, followed by a rendering in Italian. He had learned to speak Arabic, none too perfectly, but not to write it.
17Varthema gives all the words of the queen in Arabic, phonetically written, followed by a rendering in Italian. He had learned to speak Arabic, none too perfectly, but not to write it.
18“High on a throne of royal state, which farOutshone the wealth of Ormuz and of Ind,Or where the gorgeous East with richest handShowers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,Satan exalted sat.”—Paradise Lost, ii. 1–5.
18
“High on a throne of royal state, which farOutshone the wealth of Ormuz and of Ind,Or where the gorgeous East with richest handShowers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,Satan exalted sat.”—Paradise Lost, ii. 1–5.
“High on a throne of royal state, which farOutshone the wealth of Ormuz and of Ind,Or where the gorgeous East with richest handShowers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,Satan exalted sat.”—Paradise Lost, ii. 1–5.
“High on a throne of royal state, which farOutshone the wealth of Ormuz and of Ind,Or where the gorgeous East with richest handShowers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,Satan exalted sat.”—Paradise Lost, ii. 1–5.
“High on a throne of royal state, which far
Outshone the wealth of Ormuz and of Ind,
Or where the gorgeous East with richest hand
Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,
Satan exalted sat.”—Paradise Lost, ii. 1–5.
19Giosafat Barbaro & A. Contarini. Travels to Tana and Persia. Tr. by W. Thomas, Clerk of the Council to Edward VI., and by S. A. Roy. 8vo. 1873.
19Giosafat Barbaro & A. Contarini. Travels to Tana and Persia. Tr. by W. Thomas, Clerk of the Council to Edward VI., and by S. A. Roy. 8vo. 1873.
20Should not Varthema have written milk?
20Should not Varthema have written milk?
21A copy, rebound in red velvet, is one of the treasures of the Library in the British Museum.
21A copy, rebound in red velvet, is one of the treasures of the Library in the British Museum.
The End.Fox, Jones & Co., High Street, Oxford, Great Britain.
TRUBNER’SORIENTAL SERIES
TRUBNER’S ORIENTAL SERIESPOPULAR RE-ISSUE AT A UNIFORM PRICEDemy 8vo, dark green cloth, gilt.
ALBERUNI:India. An Account of the Religion, Philosophy, Literature, Geography, Chronology, Astronomy, Customs, Laws, and Astrology of India, aboutA.D.1030.By Dr. Edward C. Sachau.
ARNOLD (Sir E.):Indian Poetry and Indian Idylls. Containing ‘The Indian Song of Songs,’ from the Sanskrit of the Gita Govinda of Jayadeva; Two Books from ‘The Iliad of India’ (Mahabharata): ‘Proverbial Wisdom,’ from the Shlokas of the Hitopadesa, and other Oriental Poems.
BARTH (Dr. A.):The Religions of India. Authorised Translation by Rev.J. Wood.
BIGANDET (B. P.):Life or Legend of Guadama, the Buddha of the Burmese; With Annotations, the Ways to Neibban, and Notice on the Phongyies or Burmese Monks.
BEAL (Prof. S.):Life of Hiuen-Tsiang. By the ShamansHwui LiandYen-Tsung. With a Preface containing an Account of the Works of I-Tsing.
BEAL (Prof. S.):Si-Yu-Ki: Buddhist Records of the Western World. Translated from the Chinese of Hiuen-Tsiang.
COWELL (Prof. E. B.):Sarva-Darsana-Samgraha; or, Review of the Different Systems of Hindu Philosophy.By Madhava Acharya.Translated by Prof.E. B. Cowell, M.A., and Prof.A. E. Gough, M.A.
DOWSON (Prof. J.):Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History, and Literature.
EDKINS (Dr. J.):Chinese Buddhism: A Volume of Sketches, Historical and Critical. New and Revised Edition.
ROCKHILL (W. W.):The Life of the Buddha and the Early History of his Order. Derived from Tibetan works in the Bkah-hgyur and Bstan-hgyur. Followed by notices on the early history of Tibet and Khoten.
HAUG (Dr. M.):Essays on the Sacred Language, Writings, and Religion of the Parsis.
WEBER (Dr. A.):History of Indian Literature. Translated byJohn Mann, M.A., andTheodore Zachariae, Ph.D. Fourth Edition.
Other Volumes to follow.LONDONKEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER & CO.,Ltd.