_The King's Messengers, by the Rev. W. Adams._--Ought it not to be
remarked, in future editions of this charming and highly poetical book
(which has lately been translated into Swedish), that it is grounded on one
of the "examples" occurring in _Barlaam and Josaphat_?"
In the third or fourth century, an Indian prince names Josaphat was
converted to Christianity by a holy hermit called Barlaam. This subject was
afterwards treated of by some Alexandrian priest, probably in the sixth
century, in a beautiful tale, legend, or spiritual romance, in Greek, and
in a style of great ease, beauty, warmth, and colouring. The work was
afterwards attributed to Johannes Damascenus, who died in 760. In this
half-Asiatic Christian prose epic, Barlaam employs a number of even then
ancient folk-tales and fables, spiritually interpreted, in Josaphat's
conversion. It is on the fifth of these "examples" that Mr. Adams has built
his richly-glittering fairy palace.
_Barlaam and Josaphat_ was translated into almost {136} every European
dialect during the Middle Age, sometimes in verse, but usually in prose,
and became an admired folk-book. Among the versions lately recovered I may
mention one into Old-Swedish (a shorter one, published in my _Old-Swedish
Legendarium_, and a longer one, not yet published); and one in
Old-Norwegian, from a vellum MS. of the thirteenth century, shortly to
appear in Christiania.