The life of Hiouen-thsang, and his narrative of travel, have been translated into French by M. Stanislas Julien.[14] The foregoing particulars have been borrowed from a review of M. Julien's work, by Max Müller, which originally appeared in the "Times" of April 17 and 20, 1857.
We translate from Stanislas Julien's "Vie et Voyages de Hiouen-thsang" the Chinese narrative of the pilgrim's last days:--
"After completing his translation of the Pradjñâ, the Master of the Law became conscious that his strength was failing, and that his end was near at hand. Accordingly he spoke to his disciples: 'If I came into the palace of Yu-hoa-kong, it was, as you know, on account of the sacred book of the Pradjñâ. Now that the work is finished, I feel that my thread of life is run out. When after death you remove me to my last resting-place, see that everything be done in a modest and simple manner. You will wrap my body in a mat, and deposit it in some calm and solitary spot in the bosom of a valley. Carefully avoid the neighbourhood of palace or convent; a body so impure as mine should be separated from it by a great distance.'
"On hearing these words, his disciples broke out into sobs and cries. Drying their tears, they said to him: 'Master, you have still a reserve of strength and vigour; your countenance is in no wise altered; why do you give sudden utterance to such miserable words?'
"'I know it through and in myself,' replied the Master of the Law; 'how would it be possible for you to understand my presentiments?'
"On the first day of the first moon in the spring of the first year _Lin-te_ (664), the neighbouring interpreters and all the religious of the convent, came to solicit him, with the most pressing earnestness, to translate the collection of the _Ratnakoûta soûtra_.
"The Master of the Law, yielding to their fervid persistency, made an effort to overcome his weakness, and translated a few lines. Then, closing the Hindu text, he said: 'This collection is as great as that of the _Pradjñâ_, but I feel I have not sufficient strength to complete such an enterprise. My last moments have arrived, and my life can be only of short duration. To-day I would fain visit the valley of Lantchi, to offer my last homages to the statues of the innumerable Buddhas.'