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 CHINA (LANGUAGE AHD LITERATUBE) 473 as genuine. The evidence now seems to be in its favor. It contains a full account of the government organization during the Chow dy- nasty, giving a catalogue of the officers with the functions of each. It is divided into six sections, entitled respectively by the names of heaven, earth, and the four seasons, the last of which, the winter section, was never recover- ed after the burning of the books, and has been supplied by another ancient document, called the K'aou Tcung ke, or " Artificer's Kec- ord." In the Chow-le is found the type of the present six administrative boards at Peking. About 60 works have been written in reference to this book. (French by Biot, Paris, 1851 ; English by Gingell, " The Ceremonial Usages of the Chinese, B. 0. 1121," London, 1852.) The E-le appears also to be of very remote origin. The subject matter consists of rites of a more private and domestic character. The book is now little studied or read, although there are about 40 works on record treating it in detail. The Sze-shoo, or "Four Books" par excellence, having long held their place as secondary classics, are now far better known and incomparably more read than any of those above mentioned, being the class books of the schools all over the empire. Foreigners fre- quently designate them the " Canonical Four Books." The first of these, named the Ta- Jieo, originally formed part of the Le-Tce, but was separated from it by Choo He, who arranged the collection as it now stands. It consists of 11 chapters, the first of which is called the classic text, being the words of Confucius on the fundamental principles of ruling a kingdom, which he traces to the source of personal self-government. The remaining 10 chapters are by his disciple Tsang Ts'an, amplifying by quotations from history the sen- tentious text of the sage. Several versions of the Ta-heo have been published, generally in collections : in Latin, by Ignatius a Costa (with the Chinese text, Keen-chang-foo, 1662; with- out, Paris, 1687) ; in English, by Morrison (London, 1812), by Marshman (with the Chi- nese and a praxis, Serampore, 1814), and by Legge (in "The Life and Teachings of Confu- cius," London, 1869) ; and in French, by Pau- thier (Paris, 1837). The (Jhung-yung is the work of Tsze-sze, the grandson of the sage, and is the most profoundly philosophic of the four. It treats of the moving principles of hu- man action, and illustrates the practice of vir- tue by an ideal perfect man. When all the passions and affections are held in perfect equilibrium, the heart is said to be correct. Besides other editions and translations, the Ghung-yung has been published by R6musat in Chinese and Mantchoo, with Latin and French versions (Paris, 1817) ; and in English by Legge (London, 1869). The Lun-yu con- sists of a collection of pithy sayings and de- tached dialogues between Confucius and his disciples and others ; apparently reminiscences of the sage and his teachings. There is much in the doctrines laid down calculated to fortify men in the practice of virtue, and we even find the golden rule of Christ expressed by Confu- cius more than once, though in a negative form. There are some things in it, however, sanction- ed by this great teacher, to which a Christian cannot assent. There is a Latin translation in Confucius Sinarum Philosophw (Paris, 1687) ; German, in Schott's collection (Halle, 1826); English, by Marshman (first half, Serampore, 1809), and by Legge (London, 1869). The fourth of the " Four Books " is known by the title of Mang-tsze, that being the name of the author, which in European works is Latinized into Mencius. He is said to have been a pupil of a disciple of Tsze-sze, the author of the Chung- yung, and flourished during the 4th century B. C. He had much intercourse with the prin- ces and grandees of his time, and appears to have been lively in his character and ready- witted in conversation, ever ready to frown down oppression and tyranny by cutting sar- casm and well-timed parables. His work, which is larger than the three others put together, contains a record of his sayings and dialogues with various characters with whom he had come in contact ; the main object of his teach- ing being to commend the practice of benevo- lence and integrity. He takes occasion also to aim his shafts at several of the heresiarchs of his time. Although, like many other philoso- phers in that age, he had a numerous company of disciples, he does not appear to have occu- pied that high position in the mind of his con- temporaries which subsequent generations have accorded him. His work is said to have es- caped the general burning, as being considered extra-classical ; and it was not for several cen- turies that it was promoted to the honored rank it now holds. The Chinese text, with a Latin translation by Julien, was published at Paris in 1824. It has been translated into English by Legge (Hong Kong, 1861). There are 170 or more exegetical works on the " Four Books," and by far the most popular is Choo He's commentary, which is read in the national college of Peking. There is a Latin version of the whole, together with the Heaou-Mng and the Seaou-heo, by Noel (Prague, 1711 ; trans- lated into French by Pluquet, Paris, 1784). The " Four Books " have been translated into English by Collie (Malacca, 1828), and into French by Pauthier (Paris, 1841). The Heaou- Tcing is a tract extolling the virtue of filial piety and inculcating its practice, and is reckoned one of the secondary classics. It professes to be a conversation between Confucius and his dis- ciple Tsang Ts'an, recorded by another disciple. Grave doubts are entertained as to its authen- ticity by many scholars. They say neither the style nor the doctrine is in keeping with its pretensions. Thirty or more exegetical works have been written on it. Besides the Latin and French translations before mentioned, there is a French one in Memoires concernant lea Chinoia (Paris, 1779), and an English one by