through it the heart is again quieted, quickened, and refreshed, as that one says in Virgil: "Tu calamos inflare leves, ego dicere versus." It will be admitted that no cardinal could speak more strongly than this in favor of music. Thus those whose opinions were diametrically opposed to each other on almost all other subjects agreed not only that music exercises a salu tary influence, but that it ought to be encouraged by the state; and it may be added that every enlightened sovereign has encouraged it accordingly to a greater or less extent. As an instance we need only mention Louis XIV., who did all in his power from youth to age to establish the opera not only in Paris, but throughout France. But in proportion as he was thus friendly to the lyric drama was he unfriendly to the employment of ignorant directors. In short, he would allow none to occupy that position but one who had given full proof of his ability. The first to whom he gave charge of L'Acaédmie Royale de Musique, built expressly for operatic purposes, was the Abbé Perrin, who was both a poet and a musician; and the second was M. Lulli, who had already distinguished himself as a composer. The letters patent granted to the latter are still extant, bearing the date of March 29, 1672, and as the document is curious as well as interesting we transcribe such extracts from it as will give a sufficient idea of its character, giving the original at the bottom of the page." "In order to induce them (the directors) to attain greater perfection, we have honored them with marks of our esteem and good wili; and as among the liberal arts music holds one of the first places, we had, in that design of making it thrive with all its advantages, by our letters patent of the 28th of June, 1669, accorded to the Monsieur Perrin permission to establish in our good city of Paris, and others of our kingdom, academies of music, for the purpose of singing in public theatrical pieces, as has been the practice in Italy, in Germany, and in England during the last twelve years; but having been informed that the trouble and care which the said M. Perrin has bestowed on this establishment have not fully seconded our intention, and elevated music to the point which we had hoped, we have concluded, in order to succeed better in it, that it would be proper to give the direction of the affair to a person whose experience and capacity were known to us, and who had sufficient ability to train pupils, as niuch to sing and act well upon the stage, as to tune violins, flutes, and other instruments. For these causes, being well informed of the intelligence and great knowledge of the science of music which has * Luther's Table Talk, vol. i. p. 72. Lulli was the author of the following operas, some of which remain popular to this day: Les Fétes de l' Amour et de Bacchus, Alceste, Thésée, Cadmus, Isis, Proserpine, Armide, Persée, Aytus, &c.. been acquired by our dear and well-beloved Jean-Baptiste Lulli, of which he has given, and gives daily, very agreeable proofs, during the several years he has been attached to our service, we have given and accorded to the said M. Lulli, we give and accord by these presents signed by our hand, permission to establish a Royal Academy of Music in our good city of Paris, which shall be composed of such a number and quantity of persons as he will consider to be right; we will choose and decide upon the report which he will make to us, in order to produce representations before us, when it shall please us, of pieces of music, which shall be composed in French as well as in foreign languages. And to indemnify him for the great expense he will incur in making the said representations, we permit him to give to the public all the pieces which he will have composed, even those which will have been represented before us; making express prohibition and interdiction of all persons of whaterer quality and condition they may be, even to the officers of our household, of entering without paying. We wish, and it will please us, that all young gentlemen and ladies may sing in the said Royal Academy of Music, without its being considered derogatory to their dignity, or to their privileges, positions, rights, and immunities. Given as mandate to our beloved and faithful counsellors, the people holding our court of parliament, etc., etc., etc., for such is our pleasure, in order that this may be a deed, firm and fired forever. Pour les obliger davantage à s'y perfectionner, dit sa majesté, nous les avons honorés des marques de notre estime et de notre bienveillance; et comme entre les arts libéraux la musique y tient un des premiers rangs, nous avions, dans ce dessein de la faire réussir avec tous ses avantages, par nos lettres patentes du 28 Juin, 1669, accordé au sieur Perrin une permission d'établir en notre ville de Paris et autres de notre royaume des académies de musique, pour chanter en public des pièces de théâtre, comme il se pratique en Italie, en Allemagne et en Angleterre, pendant l'espace de douze années; mais ayant été informé que les peines et les soins que ledit sieur Perrin a pris pour cet établissement n'ont pu seconder pleinement notre intention, et élever la musique au point que nous nous l'étions promis, nous avons cru, pour y mieux réussir. qu'il étoit à propos d'en donner la conduite à une personne dont l'expérience et la capacité nous fussent connues, et qui eût assez de suffisance pour former des élèves, tant pour bien chanter et actionner sur le théâtre qu'a dresser des bandes de violons, flútes et autres instruments. A ces causes, bien informé de l'intelligence et grande connoissance que s'est acquises notre cher et bien aimé Jean-Baptiste Lulli au fait de la musique, dont il nous a donné et donne journellement de très-agréables preuves depuis plusieurs années qu'il s'est attaché à notre service.... nous avons audit sieur Lulli permis et accordé, permettons et accordons par ces présentes signées de notre main, d'établir une Académie Royale de Musique dans notre bonne ville de Paris, qui sera composée de tel nombre et quantité de personnes qu'il avisera bon être, que nous choissirons et arrêterons sur le rapport qu'il nous en fera pour faire des représentations devant nous, quand il nous plaira, des pièces de musique qui seront composés tant en vers français qu'autres langues étrangères. Et pour le dédommager des grands frais qu'il convient de faire pour lesdites représentations, nous lui permettons de donner au public toutes les pièces qu'il aura composés, mêmes celles qui auront été representées devant nous; faisant très-expresse inhibition et défense à toutes personnes de quelque qualité et condition qu'elles soient, même aux officiers de notre maison, d'y entrer sans payer. Voulons et nous plaît que tous gentilshommes et demoiselles puissent chanter auxdites pièces et représentations de notre dite Académie Royale de Musique, sans que pour ce ils soient censés déroger audit titre de noblesse, ni à leurs priviléges, charges, droits et immunités. Le donnons en mandement à nos aimés et féaux conseillers, les gens tenant notre cour de parlement, etc., etc car tel est notre plaisir, afin que ce soit chose ferme et stable à toujours."-Lettres Patentes que furent délivrés à Lulli, p. 442. In the archives of the courts of Vienna, Berlin, Madrid, and Lisbon, as well as London, similar documents are to be found. Even in Russia mere fiddlers would try in vain to get charge of any of the principal opera-houses as they do with us; they might as well apply to the czar for a seat on the bench or in the senate. When the illustrious Duke of Saxe Wiemer, who was the friend and patron of Goethe, Schiller, Herder, and Wieland, was applied to for the management of his opera-house, while the regular conductor was unwell, he said: "My dear sir, I would appoint you mayor of my capital much more readily, while knowing as little about you as I do now; for an incompetent mayor could do far less harm than an incompetent director of the opera." This may seem to exaggerate the importance of the position of director, but in point of fact it does not; until we learn to take the same idea of it, the opera will never succeed with us. As already observed, now is the time to take this into consideration. If the state, less liberal and less paternal than despotic monarchs, will give no encouragement to an art declared by the most illustrious thinkers to exercise a refining and elevating influence on the mind, at least let the trustees of the Academy pass a resolution that no mountebanks of the old stamp need apply for the direction of it. Should they fail to do so, and continue to make such arrangements as would imply that their sole object is to make money, we shall take the liberty of criticising them just as freely as we do the directors; for it is our intention to allow no "season" to pass in future without giving our impressions of its character; criticising or commending both artists and director, precisely as we think either deserve, one or the other. ART. V.-1. History of Buddhism in India and China. By REV. J. E. NASH, F.R.S. London, 1865. 2. Asiatic Researches. By SIR WILLIAM JONES. London. 3. The History and Doctrine of Buddhism. By E. UPHAM. London. 4. Mélanges Asiatic. 3 vols. 8vo. Par ABEL REMUSAT. Paris. THE proverbially speculative turn of the Indo-Germanic mind, together with the wonderful philosophical and religious systems brought to light by the labors of Asiatic scholars within the last fifty years, has awakened the curi osity of Western nations to sound the depths of Indian literature, and to study the operations of the human mind among a people widely separated from Europeans, by climate, customs, and social institutions. The dreamy transcendentalism of the Hindoos; their grand, though vague, ideas of the Divinity, in whom, according to them, all substances are absorbed, and in whom alone there is all being; the practical applications of this severe pantheism to all their institutions, to art, poetry, and philosophy; their subtle and profound theories on the soul of man and on the universe, bespoke a character of mind well suited to grapple with the knotty problem of human life, and to reach a solution which, if not correct, might at least be found well deserving the serious attention of philosophers. We need not, then, wonder at the ardor wherewith scholars versed in Eastern languages and lore entered on this new and arduous career of discovery, though we ought to be duly grateful for the harvest of precious information reaped by their labors. The mysteries of Brahmanism have been elucidated; the treasures of the Vêdas have been unlocked; the world-old systems of philosophy have been examined, and unexpected light thrown on the history of a people once the masters of the intellectual world, now effete, morally and mentally paralysed. The history of philosophy offers no more substantial truth than the valuable agency of religious and philosophical ideas in the explanation of historical events, wars, revolutions, and changes of dynasty. The history of Greece and Rome, of Western Asia, and of the medieval epoch, is best understood when scanned by the light of the philosophical systems of those places and times. The light shed on Brahmanism by the labors of Abel-Remusat, Anquetil-Duperron, and Sir William Jones has enabled us to explain many events of Hindoo history which otherwise would have taxed the ingenuity of an Edipus. Later researches also have given us the means of thus subjecting to the ordeal of a critical analysis the history of three hundred and fifteen millions of people united in the profession of one religious faith, the offspring of a system of morals and metaphysics created by pure reason, to which the supernatural became accreted only after a long lapse of time. Buddhism was long recognised by Eastern travellers and scholars as the religion of the inhabitants of the high tableland north of the Himalaya, as far as the boundary of Siberia, of the Chinese, of the inhabitants of Ceylon, of the Indians beyond the Ganges, of the dwellers in the Indian. Archipelago, and the empire of Japan; but, owing to the paucity of the records which history and research brought within their reach, little was understood of the living thought which underlay and kept alive this wide-spread creed. Fanciful and extravagant notions, gathered from the then unintelligible practices of the Buddhists, together with a few disconnected, and therefore valueless, facts, gleaned by observant travellers, constituted, less than fifty years ago, all the knowledge relative to a religious system, which is interesting not alone because of its great antiquity, and of the hundreds of millions who live and die in its practice and profession; but more still because of the startling points of resemblance which it presents to the liturgical and ascetic discipline of the oldest Christian church. The first important discoveries, which opened the way to numerous others, were made in 1821, by Mr. Hodgson, the political agent of the East India Company at Nepal, who collected sixty volumes in the Sanscrit language, and two hundred and fifty in Thibetan, and presented them to the Bengal Asiatic Society. These documents stimulated philologists and archæologists to understand those rare indexes of a hitherto comparatively unknown creed, and to swell their number by continued research. The consequence was the steadily increasing discovery of new evidences, which constantly grow in interest, and which leave but little to desire in order to render our knowledge of the religion of Buddha complete. The great discrepancy of authorities of equal value as to the date of origin and the birthplace of Buddhism rendered it difficult to decide this primary question; nor would the enquiry have given other than a barren result, were it not for the critical acumen and the great erudition of those who devoted themselves to the study of the question, and which has given us an approximative answer, built, so far as it goes, on the most unequivocal proofs. The Buddhists themselves admit the priority of Brahmanism, being the more disposed to do so no doubt, by reason of the high antiquity claimed by the latter, which places it beyond the possibility of competition in this respect. But the Buddhists of Thibet assume an origin 1877 years earlier than that contended for by the Ceylonese, the former assigning the year 2420, and the latter the year 543, before Christ, as that in which their founder lived and propagated his doctrines. Though this is the widest difference in date, yet minor ones exist, and Bohlen gives |