100. 'Nor shouldst thou be anxious about the separation from thy son and daughter, nor grieve for the loss of thy royal dignity. Before long thy father will come to thee, accompanied by both thy children, and provide his kingdom with a protector, re-establishing thee in thy high rank.' Having said these words, _S_akra disappeared on the spot. And that Brâhman, in consequence of _S_akra's power, brought the children of the Bodhisattva to the very land of _S_ibi. And when the _S_ibis and Sa_m_gaya, their king, heard of the Bodhisattva's performance of the greatest compassion, hard to be done by others, their hearts became soft with tenderness. They redeemed the children from the hand of the Brâhman, and having obtained the pardon of Vi_s_vantara, led him back and reinstated him in his royal dignity. * * * * * [In this way, then, the behaviour of a Bodhisattva is exceedingly marvellous. For this reason such distinguished beings as strive for that state, must not be despised or hindered. This story is also to be adduced, when discoursing on the Tathâgata and when treating of listening with attention to the preaching of the Law.] Vi_s_vantara's birth being the last but one of the Lord, the person of that charitable king is held very high among Buddhists. His largesses are also considered to constitute the highest degree of practising the pâramitâ of charity. In the memorable night which preceded his attainment of the Buddhahood, the _S_âkya prince had but to refer to his actions in the Vi_s_vantara-existence to demonstrate his having fulfilled that pâramitâ. In the Pâli _G_âtaka that existence forms the subject-matter of the longest and last tale of the collection, but since it is the last, it is still unpublished; its contents, however, have been communicated by Spence Hardy in his 'Manual of Budhism' (pp. 118-127 of the second edition). From hence Prof. Kern borrowed his exposition of the tale in his Geschiedenis van het Buddhisme, I, pp. 303-317, to which he added copious notes with the object of exploring and expounding the mythological substratum which underlies it. It is curious to compare the redaction of the Pâli _G_âtaka with that of _S_ûra. The latter omitted purposely, it seems, some particulars, for instance, the name of the old Brâhman, that of the mother of Vi_s_vantara, and the etymology of his name; his narration is different in some slight details. But the main features are the same, likewise in the redaction of the _K_ariyâpi_t_aka, where Vi_s_vantara's story is No. 9 of the dânaparamitâ and is told in 58 _s_lokas. From this version it appears that the earthquake, caused by the great liberality of the prince, is something most essential; or rather the earthquakes, for this miracle occurred seven times, once, when