New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-03-26
CHINESE CLASSICS.

fIIF CHINESE CLASSICS; A Translation by JAMES
LFGGE, ID. d.. of the London Missionary Society.
Part l., COnfucius. Part IL, Menclus zNois Ill olc'
$40. Pr. lG3, 2l9. Hurd Houghton'
Although portions of the most famous writings OF
the ancient Chinese sages have been at various umes
turned into English, we believe there has hitherto
been no attempt to present in Ourlanguage regular
collection of Chinese classical literature. Dr. Legge
has therefore rendered an important service, fol
which not only the philosopher but the general stu
dent and the curious reader will heartily thank him.
In the English edition his translation will probably
extend when completed, TO ten royal octave vol
umes two of which will make one of the American
reprint We have here the first nstallment: Confu-
cius, who ranks with the great religious teachers OF
the world and whose system of ethics has exerted a
more powerful in1uenceupon mankind than any Other
except the teachings of the Holy Scriptures and per-
haps the Koran; andi Mencius, or Mengtse, who
lived two centuries later that is to say, in the fourth
century b. C.) and whose bold, eloquent, and ener
getc writings for the instruction Of princes and the
regulation of human actions generally, hold place
in the estimation of his countrymen almost as high
as the revered books of COnfucius himself OF the
writings of he elder sage, the conversations taken
down from his lips by his disciples, Dr. Legge gives
Us the "Analects' in twenty books the Great
Learning" treating of government by means of self
conquest, and the Doctrine of the Mean" Tor medi-
um coursel The works Of MencuS consist of seven
Books of conversations
The American edition is not strictly reprint of
Tie English except 1--WE supposed in the body OF the
text and we are not certain who is to blame for its
small defects The copyright is in the name of u.
Baker to whom we are probably indebted for the
weak and unsatisfactory introductions. The first
Of them contains transcript the life OF ConiucluS
from Chambers Encyclopedia" and three or four
4ha hll Taf
OF the sage, Mr. Baker taking q view very
different from DIR. Legge's. The second is an
abridgment of DR.. LegQe's life of Mencius,
which the American editor would apparently
not have used only as he frankly tells u.s. he could
find no other. DR.. Legges prefaces we have not
seen. but we are confident they must be better
finn MI Bakers. and it seems TO US great pity
they were not reprinted. AT any rate we ought to
have had some account OF the works which are trans
lated some explanation Of the manner in which they
, ave come down TO u.s. some statement as 10 the
donLtful CHAPTERS and a clearer distinction De
tween those portions which represent the phllos
opbers' own language, and those which merely EN-
body the traditions of their schools we should
have been told for instance what the Coniucial
Analects are and why they are so named, and WhC
was Tsze-sze the reporter of The Doctrine OF th'
Mean" The was the grandson of Confuclus). It's IN
timated that a supplementary volume VIII contain
"such special notices Of authors and text as may DE-
necessary TO proper understanding OF each WORK
whether this is to he Dr. Legge's or Mr. Bakers does
not appear 1t would have been much more conve
nient TO have the notices with the texts to whlcf
they refer.
As the book comes from the Riverside press, II II
almost unnecessary TO say that it is elegantly printed
II is on thick laid paper and well bound in clotl
sides with leather backs.