Page:A history of Chinese literature - Giles.djvu/406

 394 CHINESE LITERATURE

and girls were educated. . . but now the books used no longer exist, and we know not the details of the system. . . . The education of a woman is not like that of her husband, which may be said to continue daily all through life. For he can always take up a classic or a history, or familiarise himself with the works of miscellaneous writers ; whereas a woman's education does not extend beyond ten years, after which she takes upon herself the manifold responsibilities of a house- hold. She is then no longer able to give her undivided attention to books, and cannot investigate thoroughly, the result being that her learning is not sufficiently ex- tensive to enable her to grasp principles. She is, as it were, carried away upon a flood, without hope of return, and it is difficult for her to make any use of the know- ledge she has acquired. Surely then a work on the education of women is much to be desired."

This is how one phase of female virtue is illustrated by anecdote :

"A man having been killed in a brawl, two brothers were arrested for the murder and brought to trial. Each one swore that he personally was the murderer, and that the other was innocent. The judge was thus unable to decide the case, and referred it to the Prince. The Prince bade him summon their mother, and ask which of them had done the deed. ' Punish the younger/ she replied through a flood of tears. ' People are usually more fond of the younger/ observed the judge; 'how is it you wish me to punish him?' 'He is my own child/ answered the woman; 'the elder is the son of my husband's first wife. When my husband died he begged me to take care of the boy, and I promised I would. If now I were to let the elder be punished while

�� �