Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, first edition - Volume II, C-L.pdf/211

C H I Tang-hie, who, according to your own, did not flourish till the ninth period? However this may be, See-hoan (ay ome romancers) knew to form the moment he was. He was endowed with great widom, &c. After he had received the Ho-tou, he viited the outh, went upon mount Yang-yu, and topped on the bank of the Lo. A  carrying blue  upon his, delivered them to him: then See-hoang penetrated all the changes of  and ; above he oberved the various  of the s; below he examined all the marks he had een upon the ; he viewed the  of s, he took notice of the s, and of the s which flow from them, and of all this he compoed. Some very learned Chinee think, that this was the ancient kind of named Ko-teou-chu, which continued (ay they) to the reign of the  Suene-ouang, that is, to the  827 before

But Cong-yng-ta very well oberves, that though the external figures of the have changed everal times in ome things, the ix rules on which Tang-hie formed them, have never uffered any change.

Then (continues Lopi) there was a difference between the and the, relation between the father and the on, ditinction between the precious and the vile; s appeared, s and  reigned. were inflicted with vigour. Thus See-hoang laid the foundations of good, he appointed officers for each affair, the mallet did not ecape him; and thus and  arrived at their full perfection.

They ay nothing of the ucceor of See-hoang which has any relation to our ubject; but they ay, that, under the reign of Tchong-hoang-chi, the third of this period, they till ued lender  for.

From this we come at once to Hiene-yuene, the 12th in order of this period, becaue nothing is aid of his predeceors.

We find a great many things under the reign of this, because he is the ame with Hoang-ti, or at leat they have confounded thee two s together.

They acribe to Hiene-yuene the invention of s. He joined two pieces of together, the one placed upright, and the other acros, to the honour of the. It is from this he is called Hiene yuene. The piece of placed acros is called hiene, and that which is placed upright is called yuene. Hiene-yuene truck, and made ue of the  to determine the  of things. By this means he ruled the in peace. Ho ignifies in general. Formerly they wrote imply hoa, which ignifies. Thee (ay they) conited in, kine, in , yu, in , tchi, in , pi, in ed , tuene, and in , pou, &c.

They then denominated (as is done till) by the name of the reigning family. That of Hiene-yuene was one even lines, and weighed twelve tchu, [the tchu is the 20th part of a yo, and a yo weighs 1200 little grains of ]. They then  on their  (as in till done at preent). It is for this reaon that ven tee,, ignifies alo a piece of, which is called likewie kini, and tuene, and tao.

Tcho-jong (16th of the 9th period) hearing, at Cane-tcheou, the  of s, compoed a  of union, whoe  penetrated everywhere, touched the intelligent pirit, and calmed the  of man, in uch a manner, that the external  were ound, the  in equilibrio, and the life very long. He called this Tie ouene, that is to ay, temperance, grace, and beauty.

But the deign, and in ome ort the only aim of the ancient of the Chinee, according to their authors, was the harmony of the s, the moderation of the paions, elegance of manners, and, in a word, every thing that can contribute to the perfection of a good and wie, &c. For they were peruaded that  was capable of working all thee s. It is difficult for us to believe them in this, epecially when we conider the  which is at preent ued among them. But we appeal to the, who related as atonihing effects from this agreeable invention, whilt the modern , like mot part of the , have no but a wretched and contemptible monotony.

The 17th of the 9th period is named Hao-yng. In his time they cut down the branches of s to kill with. Men were few. Nothing but vat forets were every where to be een, and thee frightful woods were filled with wild. How contradictory is this, and how incompatible with the times in which this is aid to have reigned!

The 18th of the 9th period is called Yeou-tao-chi. We have een in the preceeding period, a of the ame name. The Ouai-ki places this at the beginning of the lat ki, and gives him for ucceor Soui-gine. At this rate, nine entire periods, or ki, mut have elaped before men knew how to s, or had the ue of. Lopi follows another method: he has ranged Yeou-tao-chi and Soui-gine in the preceeding period; and although the we are now peaking of bears the ame name, he peaks of him quite differently.

The 19th of the 9th period is named Tchu-iang-chi.

They ay, that he commanded See-kouei to make a kind of with five trings named e, to remedy the diorders of the, and preerve every thing that had life.

The 20th of the 9th period is named Yne-khang-chi.

In his time, the s did not flow, the s did not purue their uual coure, which occaioned a great number of.

Yne-khang intituted the s called Ta-vou (grand dances), with a view to preerve : for, as Lopi ays, when the body is not in motion, the have not a free coure; matter is amaed in ome part, from whence come, which all proceed from ome obtruction.

The Chinee alo imagine, that a man's s may be known by his manner of touching the and drawing the, &c.

Thus the Chinee make s as well as have a reference to good ; and the Liki ay, No. 38.