The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-10-24

genial, while the dark races inhabit
the hot regions along the coast.-[San
Francisco Chronicle.
THE CHINESE ENCYCLOPEDIA.
A single Work of 5000 Volumes
The C0dificatiOn Of a Nations
Literature.
The greal Chinese Encyclopedias re-
Gently purchased for the British mu.
scum certainly ought to be bargain.
We cannot do for it as Macauley once
did by somebody's book-give its di-
mensions and its weight avordupois-
but 5000 volumes for FL, 500 certainly
looks cheap. 1t no doubt would have
been good deal dearer but for the
peculiar circumstances under which 1t
was purchased, Mr.. Mayors, our sec
retary of legation at Pekin, had, it ap-
pears, to carry on negotiations not
only with the utmost secrecy as re-
garding the Chinese people, but had
carefully to guard the facts of its hav-
ing been sold to foreigner from the
knowledge of even the vender him.
self.
The purchase was completed many
months ago, but the transportation of
this curious literary treasure had to
be deferred on account of the setting
in of winter, and not until two or
three weeks ago was it received in
Bloomsbury, where it is now in course
of arrangement in the presses of the
Chinese library, under the supervision
of Mr.. Douglas, the Chinese librarian.
That it is a great acquisition seems
to be very generally the opinion ofall
who know, Or profess to know, any,
thing of Chinese affairs, and if it
really is what it purports to be, it
cannot but be so. 1t is work due to
the wisdom and energy of Kang-he,
whom all historians of China extol as
the greatest and wisest of the Chinese
emperors. He conceived the plan of
great Chinese dictionary, and also
set about the really remarkable UNDER
taking now represented by 1920 vol
umes at the British museum. He
was, it appears, great admirer of an
cient Chinese literature, and was
deeply grieyed to perceive that extern
sive corruptions were everywhere
creeping into the texts of ancient
works that were reproduced. To put
a stop to this, he determined to put
together in one authoritative work the
entire mass of Chinese literature from
the earliest time until his own day.
1t was vast design, and was carried
out with the ability for which Kang-he
was conspicuous. A learned commits
a On was appointed to collate and ver-
icy all Chinese works, and the Jesuit
missionaries were simultaneously en-
lioyed in casting a vast fount of cop
per type. The collection and examine
ation occupied the commission for
forty years, and before it was fully
completed the wise old monarch died
leaving the completion of his great
design to Yung- Ching, his successor,
who signalled his accession by dis
missing the missionaries as a danger
GUS and traitorous set-all but a few,
who were retainud at court as indis-
pensible to the carrying on of Kang-
he's encyclopedias, the printing of the
almanac, and SO on. He seems to have
taken up the great literary scheme
with keen interest, and Mr.. Douglas
tells us that it was his hand which
wrote the preface of the work when
it was published. The commissioner
professed to have taken all works from
about 1000 B. e. to 100 A. D., and it
is supposed that the whole Chinese
literature of any Importance between
these dates is TO be found embodied in
these 5000 volumes. The subjects are
classified under six headings. under
which are arranged writings relating
to the heavens, the earth. mankind,
inanimate nature, philosophy and po-
litical economy. Very little seems to
be actually known about the work,
even the purchaser, Mr.. Mayors, hay
ing, as it would seem, had to buy
the books without having any
opportunity of examining them. even
though they do not prove to be all that
they are supposed to he. The work,
however, is probably all but unique.
Tradition affirms that only 100 copies
were originally printed, and that the
type was broken up. No doubt the
majority of the copies have long ago
perished, ana il cannot but be a matter
for congratulation that one has been