Ixxxviii INTRODUCTION

graded conception of the nature of woman current in early Christianity could not be traced to either Jewish or classical influence. It is one of the many instances in which the legend and doctrines of Christianity and Bud- dhism show such a remarkable resemblance that we are tempted, on folklore principles, to assume some Indian influence. These are all the Parabpiles of Barlaam which seem to me to require special comment, beyond the information given in the notes to Appendix II. The resemblance of one of the remaining parables to the Ballad of King Cophetua, and of another to Dryden's Gimon and Iphigenia^ are merely casual, and are of only secondary interest from the folklore standpoint. But these, and others given in Appendix II., will not be found uninteresting by readers who care for good stories. I cannot flatter myself that anything I can say will be as interesting to the reader as the text of the parables given in Appendix II. After reading them the reader will be able more fully to understand their widespread popularity throughout mediaeval

Europe, to which we now turn.