Page:The passing of Korea.djvu/403

 Korea and China for the last two or three thousand years; namely, to memorize them one after the other without regard to similarity of shape or sound. In the last analysis it comes to a matter of pure memory, and the antipodal character of the methods which have been devised to make it easy shows that such attempts are largely futile. The excessive use of the memory in the learning of the mere shapes of the characters has a deadening effect upon the purely ratiocinative faculty. This is evidenced in the very character of Chinese and Korean literature. Historical narrative of the baldest kind, without any attempt to generalise, holds a most conspicuous place. In the West the historian analyses the material which historical records put in his hands; he searches for the causes of things, and frequently epitomises the salient features of a whole era in a few sentences. Such a thing as this is absolutely unknown in the dusty annals of the Far East. The scientific ability to deduce principles from mere statements of historical fact seems to have been utterly adumbrated. In his poetry the Korean is hampered rather than helped by the character. A large part of his effort is expended in the nice balancing of characters with reference to their sound, just as if a Western poet were to consider rhyme, assonance and alliteration the main elements of true poetry. And yet it must be confessed that the character has had a less deleterious effect upon the poetical faculty than upon the logical.

It may be said with considerable truth that the whole literature of Korea, as of China, is history and belles lettres. The practical side of life is hardly touched upon. To be sure, there are countless aphorisms, and moral essays of an academic character are most common, but these in their practical bearing on the Chinese or Korean mind are no more than mere polite literature, and are always perused as such.

As for scientific literature, the government now and again publishes a ponderous work in a score of volumes on some subject like farming, astronomy, medicine or law. A few wealthy gentlemen and officials can afford to secure a copy, but as for practical