Page:The Spirit of the Chinese People.djvu/172

126 this Dr. Giles says. "It is incorrect to translate shih (士) as soldier; that is a later meaning." Dr. Giles further says, "in its earliest use the word shih (士) referred to civilians."

Now the truth is just on the other side. In its earliest use, the word shih (士) referred to gentlemen who in ancient China, as it is now in Europe, bore arms, —the noblesse of the sword. Hence the officers and soldiers of an army were spoken of as shih tsu (士卒).

The civilian official class in ancient China were called shi (史)—clericus. When the feudal system in China was abolished (2nd cent. B.C., [sic]) and fighting ceased to be the only profession of gentlemen, this civilian official class rose into prominence, became lawerslawyers [sic] and constituted the noblesse of the robe as distinguished from the shih (士) the noblesse of the sword.

H.E. the Viceroy Chang of Wuchang once asked me why the foreign consuls who were civil functionaries, when in full dress, wore swords. In reply I said that it was because they were shih (士) which in ancient China meant not a civilian scholar, but a gentleman who bore arms and served in the army. H.E. agreed and the next day gave orders that all the pupils in the schools in Wuchang should wear military uniform.

This question therefore which Dr. Giles has raised whether the Chinese word shih (士) means a civilian or a military man has a great practical interest. For