After the Turkish War (1877-1878) I made a series of travels in the
Orient. From the little remarkable Balkan peninsula, I went across the
Caucasus to Central Asia and Persia, and finally, in 1887, visited
India, an admirable country which had attracted me from my earliest
childhood. My purpose in this journey was to study and know, at home,
the peoples who inhabit India and their customs, the grand and
mysterious archæology, and the colossal and majestic nature of their
country. Wandering about without fixed plans, from one place to another,
I came to mountainous Afghanistan, whence I regained India by way of the
picturesque passes of Bolan and Guernaï. Then, going up the Indus to
Raval Pindi, I ran over the Pendjab--the land of the five rivers;
visited the Golden Temple of Amritsa--the tomb of the King of Pendjab,
Randjid Singh, near Lahore; and turned toward Kachmyr, "The Valley of
Eternal Bliss." Thence I directed my peregrinations as my curiosity
impelled me, until I arrived in Ladak, whence I intended returning to
Russia by way of Karakoroum and Chinese Turkestan.
One day, while visiting a Buddhist convent on my route, I learned from a
chief lama, that there existed in the archives of Lhassa, very ancient
memoirs relating to the life of Jesus Christ and the occidental nations,
and that certain great monasteries possessed old copies and translations
of those chronicles.
As it was little probable that I should make another journey into this
country, I resolved to put off my return to Europe until a later date,
and, cost what it might, either find those copies in the great convents
or go to Lhassa--a journey which is far from being so dangerous and
difficult as is generally supposed, involving only such perils as I was
already accustomed to, and which would not make me hesitate at
attempting it.
During my sojourn at Leh, capital of Ladak, I visited the great convent
Himis, situated near the city, the chief lama of which informed me that
their monastic library contained copies of the manuscripts in question.
In order that I might not awaken the suspicions of the authorities
concerning the object of my visit to the cloister, and to evade
obstacles which might be opposed to me as a Russian, prosecuting further
my journey in Thibet, I gave out upon my return to Leh that I would
depart for India, and so left the capital of Ladak. An unfortunate fall,
causing the breaking of a leg, furnished me with an absolutely
unexpected pretext for returning to the monastery, where I received
surgical attention. I took advantage of my short sojourn among the lamas
to obtain the consent of their chief that they should bring to me, from
their library, the manuscripts relating to Jesus Christ, and, assisted
by my interpreter, who translated for me the Thibetan language,
transferred carefully to my notebook what the lama read to me.
Not doubting at all the authenticity of this chronicle, edited with
great exactitude by the Brahminic, and more especially the Buddhistic
historians of India and Nepaul, I desired, upon my return to Europe, to
publish a translation of it.
To this end, I addressed myself to several universally known
ecclesiastics, asking them to revise my notes and tell me what they
thought of them.
Mgr. Platon, the celebrated metropolitan of Kiew, thought that my
discovery was of great importance. Nevertheless, he sought to dissuade
me from publishing the memoirs, believing that their publication could
only hurt me. "Why?" This the venerable prelate refused to tell me more
explicitly. Nevertheless, since our conversation took place in Russia,
where the censor would have put his veto upon such a work, I made up my
mind to wait.
A year later, I found myself in Rome. I showed my manuscript to a
cardinal very near to the Holy Father, who answered me literally in
these words:--"What good will it do to print this? Nobody will attach to
it any great importance and you will create a number of enemies. But,
you are still very young! If it is a question of money which concerns
you, I can ask for you a reward for your notes, a sum which will repay
your expenditures and recompense you for your loss of time." Of course,
I refused.
In Paris I spoke of my project to Cardinal Rotelli, whose acquaintance I
had made in Constantinople. He, too, was opposed to having my work
printed, under the pretext that it would be premature. "The church," he
added, "suffers already too much from the new current of atheistic
ideas, and you will but give a new food to the calumniators and
detractors of the evangelical doctrine. I tell you this in the interest
of all the Christian churches."
Then I went to see M. Jules Simon. He found my matter very interesting
and advised me to ask the opinion of M. Renan, as to the best way of
publishing these memoirs. The next day I was seated in the cabinet of
the great philosopher. At the close of our conversation, M. Renan
proposed that I should confide to him the memoirs in question, so that
he might make to the Academy a report upon the discovery.
This proposition, as may be easily understood, was very alluring and
flattering to my _amour propre_. I, however, took away with me the
manuscript, under the pretext of further revising it. I foresaw that if
I accepted the proposed combination, I would only have the honor of
having found the chronicles, while the illustrious author of the "Life
of Jesus" would have the glory of the publication and the commenting
upon it. I thought myself sufficiently prepared to publish the
translation of the chronicles, accompanying them with my notes, and,
therefore, did not accept the very gracious offer he made to me. But,
that I might not wound the susceptibility of the great master, for whom
I felt a profound respect, I made up my mind to delay publication until
after his death, a fatality which could not be far off, if I might judge
from the apparent general weakness of M. Renan. A short time after M.
Renan's death, I wrote to M. Jules Simon again for his advice. He
answered me, that it was my affair to judge of the opportunity for
making the memoirs public.
I therefore put my notes in order and now publish them, reserving the
right to substantiate the authenticity of these chronicles. In my
commentaries I proffer the arguments which must convince us of the
sincerity and good faith of the Buddhist compilers. I wish to add that
before criticising my communication, the societies of _savans_ can,
without much expense, equip a scientific expedition having for its
mission the study of those manuscripts in the place where I discovered
them, and so may easily verify their historic value.
--_Nicolas Notovitch_