The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1885-05-06


scholars engaged upon IT, An examination
Of Mr.. Wylie's "Ncies on Chinese Literature"
conveys a vivid impression OF the impression
Of the enormous volume 10 which that litera-
ture musi have grown. These "Notos "a
monument o. learned industry--co1iain list
Of about lTTo works. besides hundreds Ct
others included 10 the Collection q Reprints
many Of which comprise within themselves
whole libraries. The second Emperor Of the
sung dynasty Who began 70 reign A. D. s76,
more than 200 yeArs ago, caused the prepara-
ton 81 an Encyclupedia Of literature, con-
pleied 10 900 tocks and his example was fol
lowed bv his successor. who ordered the CON
pilation Of an Historical Encyclopedia "con-
pretending the details Of al state matters
from the earliest times. chro0oluEicslly ar
ranged Thi. likewise overfoved into 900
books These little brochures, however pale
their Intellectual fires in the presence Of
the work Of Yuug 10, the Third En-
perur Of The Ming dynasty, Whose reign be-
ran IN l803l. who appointed a commission
Of scholars Ito collect in one body the sub
stance oI al the classical historical philosoph-
ical, and literary works hitherto published,
embracing Astronomy, GeoGraPhy, the Occult
Sciences, Medicine, Buddhism, Taoism, and
the Arts The work. executed by i've chiefs
and twenty snh-direcicrs, with 2lp6 subordi-
Mates, contained in al 22,577 books more! A
Lads iu oakland told me that her Chinese cook,
when asked why be did not read English books
replied that tisrr GTr - b11ls "a EHgfsi -
an opinion. Tor which speaking by compar-
son, there was some foundation.
SRI The ps0inp q Gtiacst LucrHirrc
The dcfeats Of Chinese Literature, are great
and striking. There is scarcely any GeoEra-
ply. very little travels, and no Science. worth
the name. From . west point OF view. the
works on natural history, medicine and etc,
arc Alnos, totally worthless. There is 10th
iu- IN the line II theology, which is worse
Than useless The most veneFaied Of all the
Classics, the Book Of Changes may be briefly
described as an attempt to explain The I'm
VERSE a. a whole and az a development, as
well as al the complicated phenomena Of IN
dividual life, by the arrangement OF long and
short straight lincs. II has been spily char
scierized hy Or. Gnstave Schlegel, as "a me
chanical PLAY Of idle distractions Dr. Eitel
has undertaken % show, however, that tins
apparently uumeauinc coErenes OF Compli-
caiei and intricate nonsense. Is an reality like
The ruiimCutafy toes Of the horse, aud the 70.
5imeniary legs Of the serpent, are 50 UIclu-
sivelv "rudimeniary." that il takes a very ex-
l.srt auatnmisi % observe them, even wnsn
they are pointed oui' The principal merits Of
the most influential works OF Chinese liiera-
iure. are twofold. negative add positive.
Their irerirm irum descriptions Of impuriiy.
and Iire-tiuusrrss. and allusious of The Chi
uasg classics, which should not l-c overlooked.
Chinese literature contains enough, indeed. 10
ppIIut- even The mind Of the heather, but It's
scum has become IT, sediment; and li;tle OF
nothing can be found "a the writings that are
most highly piized, which will not bear peru
sal by auy ia any country Every one &C
7uainte5 wiih the writings Of Hindu, Greek
and Roman ppeis. knows the glowing descrip-
iIuus ui rhl amours 81 the gods aud cuddesses
which on their pages, and the purity Of the
Chinese canouical books iu this respect must
he considered as remarkable" mid. King.
Vol ], D.. G6i.) TIE positive virtue Of the
Chinese classics, IL the inculcaiion OF COM
paraiiyely high standard OF morality. The
leading features Of the philosophy OF Couiu-
cius. are suhardinatiau TO supor1Ts. and a
kifd upright dealing with our fsil0w-men.
destitute 81 reference 10 an unseen Power. TO
whom all men are accountable, they look only
90 this wnrid for their sanctions and make the
monarch himself PARTIAL amenabie 10 a higher
tribunal AZ favorable specimen Of the
political morality taught, take the following
extract from the Great Learning, work
which is regarded as epitomizing al that i
necessary for ruler O. know, In order 10
govern well his stale The aucisuts. who
wished toillustraie renovatiuE virtue through
out the Empire FIRST ordered well their own
states. Wishing to order well their states,
they first regulated their own families Wish
ing 20 regulate their families, they fins,
cultivated their persons. Wishing 10 cult
FHru Ed. 81
hearts. Wishing TO rrctify their hearts. they
FIRST sought 90 be sincere in their Thoughts.
Wishing tn be siucerciu their thoughts, they
first extended their knowledge to the utmost.
Such extension 81 knowledge lay in the iuves-
iis4ti1n Of things Things being investigated.
knowledge became complete; knowledge being
complete, their thoughts were sincere. their
thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then
rectifcl: their hearts heinc rcctife3, their per-
sons were cultivated; their persons being uul-
'ivaied, their families were regulated: families
being. regulated, States we're nightly governed.
and States beiu. rightly governed. the Empire
was made tranquil. From The Son OF Heaven
10 the man Of the people, all must consider the
cultivation oi the person the foundation 2
Compared with the precepis Of Grecian and
Roman sarcs' observes DR.. Williams, "Ihe
general tendency uf the writings uf Couiucius
Is good, while IN adaptation o. The society in
which Doe lived. and their eniucnilv practical
character, they UNcecd those Of western plilos-
ophcrs There is 10 the Chinese classics. a
great amount of prevalent, uuass1rted. and
even trivial matter, vet there Is no doubt that
tie sarus who composed them, thoroughly uu-
stood ihc nature Of the Chinese Coufucius
did not "deal much IN sublime and una;tain-
able descriptions 81 virtue, hut rather taught
how the commun intercourse Of life is 10 be
maintained, how children should conduct
themselves 90 parents, when a man should Gu
ter uu Office, when to marry, etc, etc, which,
although they appear somewhat tridinC % us,
were probably well calculated for the times
and people amoUg whom he lived" The doc
triue OF iliai piety, which from an Occidental
standpoint is greatly exaggerated, and balanced
by no teaching 40 TO the duties o. parents to-
ward their children. has exerted an effect on
the Chinese social life, which to be appreciated.
must he seen. Il is a high honor TO Coufneius.
an honor which It is not to the credit of advo-
Gates OF Christianity to bclittle-that be taught
the Golden Rule in its negative form, and II has
been truly aud well said mid King. ]. D. 662)
tiia, 1T s0ould he hard TO overestimate the IN
duencC of Coutucius, in his priDcely Tor idesD
scholar, and The power for good over his race.
which this conception has ever since cxerted.
TIE Unreasonable influence ia after ages, %
the character tlrus portrayed, proves how lofty
was his pvu standard. and the national con-
science, has ever since assenied 20 the justice
81 the portrait.
While il is duubtlcss true that Chinese liter
allure cJntaius comparatively little that is in
icresiinr 90 foreign scholars, Tor It's own sake.
and thai iis interest is mainly dCpeudeut up1n
it, extraordinary effects, 10 is not the less true
thar such mighty and a1cicui works, are on
iudrz Eud exponent Of a mighty and aucien,
civilization, which cannot be understood except
ty the study o' these works.
rTL gHrNEsT TrrekTEuy-
Closely connected with tllc subject of Chi
uesc Literature, b that of Chinese Education
10 b. tarouEh their exclusive HsC as text books
Boz oil schools. flt mary hundred ycars. and
On ihg competitive civil service examination.
ihai iht infuencc of tit ciassics has bear rrr-
pc,uairi By thus influencing the countless
millions 0i successive ages, thtr have dome
much u unity ihs NATIONAL mind. r1is srsIrr
0f education, liss made respect Or F,e1turs
universal BOZ China, and has uroltet ans la,-eIa-
ped b revc-eucr for tIl classics, as Che cn-
l.eiimeHf AND acnl Of human and 5vira
utsdau. rcverrhcg rara'Ioiea rry ty itl
rdaIatv. witi viiel tlt Iesrs recorded tHe
"I There are indeed. susnv points c
similarity between tle aueIsni ic-s ard Ii.
Chinese. nH' uHIy - fitfr iu-rliratc -tycren.a
f.- theirs s-ss ari their u-iincs. hui disa be-
fsair ~anze-ransn- a1l tdc blind lrra.-r
eI'e.-lefu- fr r'.- Inherently u th1se rlr