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* And how one-sided and biased most of the Western Orientalists are may
be seen by reading carefully “The History of Indian Literature,” by
Albrecht Weber—­a Sanskrit scholiast classed with the highest
authorities.   The incessant harping upon the one special string of
Christianity, and the ill-concealed efforts to pass it off as the
keynote of all other religions, is painfully pre-eminent in his work. 
Christian influences are shown to have affected not only the growth of
Buddhism and Krishna worship, but even that of the Siva-cult and its
legends;  it is openly stated that “it is not at all a far-fetched
hypothesis that they have reference to scattered Christian
missionaries!”  The eminent Orientalist evidently forgets that,
notwithstanding his efforts, none of the Vedic, Sutra or Buddhist
periods can be possibly crammed into this Christian period—­their
universal tank of all ancient creeds, and of which some Orientalists
would fain make a poor-house for all decayed archaic religions and
philosophy.  Even Tibet, in his opinion, has not escaped “Western
influence.”  Let us hope to the contrary.   It can be proved that Buddhist
missionaries were as numerous in Palestine, Alexandria, Persia, and even
Greece, two centuries before the Christian era, as the Padris are now in
Asia.   That the Gnostic doctrines (as he is obliged to confess) are
permeated with Buddhism.   Basilides, Valentinian, Bardesanes, and
especially Manes were simply heretical Buddhists, “the formula of
abjuration of these doctrines in the case of the latter, specifying
expressly Buddha (Bodda) by name.”
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Leaflets from Esoteric History

The foregoing—­a long, yet necessary digression—­will show that the Asiatic scholar is justified in generally withholding what he may know.  That it is not merely on historical facts that hangs the “historical difficulty” at issue; but rather on its degree of interference with time-honoured, long-established conjectures, often raised to the eminence of an unapproachable historical axiom.  That no statement coming from our quarters can ever hope to be given consideration so long as it has to be supported on the ruins of reigning hobbies, whether of an alleged historical or religious character.  Yet pleasant it is, after the brainless assaults to which occult sciences have hitherto been subjected—­assaults in which abuse has been substituted for argument, and flat denial for calm inquiry—­to find that there remain in the West some men who will come into the field like philosophers, and soberly and fairly discuss the claims of our hoary doctrines to the respect due to a truth and the dignity demanded for a science.  Those alone whose sole desire is to ascertain the truth, not to maintain foregone conclusions, have a right to expect undisguised facts.  Reverting to our subject, so far as allowable, we will now, for the sake of that minority, give them.