ANCIENT CHINESE ASTRONOMY AND| stars and the zodiacal spaces, and so to de GOVERNMENT. FROM THE CHINESE CLASSICS. Examining into antiquity, we find that the emperor Yaou was called Fang-heun. He was reverential, intelligent, accomplished and thoughtful naturally and without effort. He was sincerely courteous and capable of all complaisance. The display of these qualities reached to the four extremities of the empire and extended from earth to heaven. He was able to make the able and virtuous distinguished, and thence proceeded to the love of the nine classes of his kindred, who all became harmonious. He also regulated and polished the people of his domain, who all became brightly intelligent. Finally, he united and harmonized the myriad states of the empire; and, lo! the black-haired people were transformed. The result was. universal concord. Thereupon Yaou commanded He and Ho, in reverent accordance with their observation of the wide heavens, to calculate and delineate the movements and appearances of the sun, the moon, the * The book of T'ang. The canon of Yaou. liver respectfully the seasons to the people He separately commanded the second brother He to reside at Yu-e, in what was called the Bright Valley, and there respectfully to receive as a guest the rising sun, and to adjust and arrange the labors of the spring. "The day," he said, "is of the medium length, and the star is in Neaou; you may thus exactly determine midspring. The people begin to disperse, and the birds and beasts breed and copulate." He further commanded the third brother He to reside at Nankeaou and arrange the transformations of the summer, and respectfully to observe the extreme limit of the shadow. "The day," said he, "is at its longest, and the star is Ho; you may thus exactly determine midsummer. The people are more dispersed, and birds and beasts have their feathers and hair thin and change their coats.' He separately commanded the second brother Ho to reside at the west, in what was called the Dark Valley, and there respectfully to convoy the setting sun, and to adjust and arrange the completing labors of the autumn. The night," he said, "is of the medium. length, and the star is Heu; you may thus exactly determine midautumn. The people begin to feel at ease, and birds and beasts have their coats in good condition." He further commanded the third brother Ho to remain in the northern region, in what was called the Sombre Capital, and there to adjust and examine the changes of the winter. "The day," said he, "is at its shortest, and the star is Maou; thus you may exactly determine midwinter. The people keep their 58 ANCIENT CHINESE ASTRONOMY AND GOVERNMENT. cosey corners, and the coats of beasts and birds are downy and thick." The emperor said, "Ah, you, He and Ho, a round year consists of three hundred sixty and six days. By means of an intercalary month do you fix the four seasons and complete the determination of the year. Thereafter, in exact accordance with this, regulating the various officers, all the works of the year will be fully performed." The emperor said, "Oh, you chief of the four mountains, I have been on the throne for seventy years. You can carry out my appointments; I will resign my throne to you." His Eminence said, "I have not the virtue; I should only disgrace the imperial seat." The emperor said, "Point out some one among the illustrious, or set forth one from the among poor and mean." All in the court said to the emperor, "There is an unmarried man among the lower people, called Shun of Yu." The emperor said, "Yes, I have heard of him. What is his character?" His Eminence said, "He is the son of a blind man. His father was obstinately unprincipled; his stepmother was insincere; his half-brother Seang was arrogant. He has been able, however, by his filial piety to live. in harmony with them, and to lead them gradually to self-government, so that they no longer proceed to great wickedness." The emperor said, "I will try him. I will wive him, and then see his behavior with my two daughters." On this he gave orders, and sent down his two daughters to the north of the Kwei, to be wives in the family of Yu. The emperor said to them, "Be reverent !" Translation of JAMES LEGGE, D. D. A GIRL PLAYING THE FLUTE. Thou breath'st the flute; some murmured air, Some sweet wild note, Zenophyle! Pan's own Arcadian harp is there, And how, then, should I fly from thee? The loves have hemmed me round and round, Nor let me breathe a moment's space; Thy shapely form has winged a wound; Thy minstrel tune; thy motions grace; Thy- Oh, what words can serve my turn? For all of thee-for all-I burn! Translation of WAKEFIELD BLAND. SELECTION FROM MENCIUS. FROM THE CHINESE CLASSICS. in MENCIUS, or Mang-tsze, was born the principality of Tsow, China, about 371 B. C. He lived to the age of eighty-four. His father died when he was quite young, and little is known about him; but his mother is famous in China, and is held up to the present time as having been all that a mother should be. Plato, Aristotle, Zeno, Epicurus, Demosthenes, and other great men of the West, were his contemporaries; and when we place Mencius among them, he can look them in the face he does not need to hide a diminished head. He was, and still is, held in high esteem by the people of China. The rulers frequently sent for him to listen to his words of advice. In the kingdom of ten thousand chariots the murderer of his sovereign shall be the chief of a family of a thousand chariots; in a kingdom of a thousand chariots the murderer of his prince shall be the chief of a family of a hundred chariots. To have a thousand in ten thousand and a hundred in a thousand cannot be said not to be a large allotment; but if righteousness be put last and profit be put first, they will not be satisfied without snatching all. There never has been a man trained to benevolence who neglected his parents. There never has been a man trained to righteousness who made his sovereign an after-consideration. Let Your Majesty also say, 'Benevolence and rightWhy must you use that word 'profit '?" eousness, and these shall be the only themes.' Translation of JAMES LEGGE, D. D. KING HWUY OF LEANG. Mencius went to see King Hwuy of Leang. The king said, Venerable sir, since you have not counted it far to come here-a distance of a thousand le-may I presume that you are likewise provided with counsels to profit my kingdom?" Mencius replied, เ 'Why must Your Majesty use that word 'profit'? What I am likewise' provided with are counsels to benevolence and righteousness, and these are my only topics. If Your Majesty say, 'What is to be done to profit my kingdom?' the great officers will say, 'What is to be done to profit our families?' and the inferior officers and the common people will say, 'What is to be done to profit our persons?' Superiors and inferiors will try to snatch this profit the one from the other, and the kingdom will be endangered. ANGER, AND ITS REMEDIES. FROM THE LATIN OF LUCIUS ANNEUS SENECA. LL our senses are to be brought to a conformity. By nature we are patient if our mind cease to corrupt them, which is daily to be drawn into an account. This did Sextius, who, when the day was spent and he retired himself to rest, was wont to examine his mind after this manner: What infirmity in thee hast thou healed this day? What vice hast thou resisted? In what part art thou bettered? Anger will cease and become more moderate if she knows that every day she must appear before a judge. What, therefore, is more laudable than this custom, to examine our daily actions? What sleep followeth after this scrutiny! how quiet, pleasing and free is it when the mind is either praised or admonished, and, being a watchman and secret censor of himself, examineth his defects! I use this I use this power and daily plead before myself when the candle is taken from me; and my wife holdeth her tongue, being privy to my custom. I examine the whole day that is past and ruminate upon actions and words. I hide nothing from myself, I let slip nothing. For why should I fear any of mine errors, whenas I may say, See thou do this no more; for this time I pardon thee. In that dispute thou spakest more rashly; see that hereafter thou contend not with such as are ignorant; they will never learn that never learned. Thou hast more freely admonished such a one than thou oughtest, and therefore thou hast not amended him, but offended him. In regard of the rest, see not only whether it were true which thou spakest, but whether he to whom it was spoken can endure to hear truth. A good man rejoiceth when he is admonished; a wicked man cannot brook a reprover. At a banquet some men's bitter jests and intemperate words have touched thee to the quick; remember to avoid the vulgar company: after wine men's words are too lavish, and they that are most sober in their discourses are scarce modest. Thou sawest thy friends displeased with the porter of a councillor's chamber or some rich man because he would not suffer him to enter, and thou thyself, being angry for this cause, growest in choler with the scullion. Wilt thou therefore be angry with a chained dog, who when he hath barked much will be satisfied with a piece of bread? Get farther off him and laugh. He that keepeth his master's door and seeth the threshold besieged by a troop of soliciters thinketh himself no small bug, and he that is the client thinketh himself happy in his own opinion, and believeth that so hard an access into the chamber is an evident testimony that the master of the same is a tune. man of great quality and a favorite of forBut he remembereth not himself that the entry of a prison is as difficult likewise. Presume with thyself that thou art to endure much. If a man be cold in winter, if he vomit at sea, if he be shaken in a coach, shall he marvel hereat? The mind is strong and may endure all that whereunto he is prepared. If thou hast been seated in a place scarce answerable to thine honor, thou hast been angry with him that stood next thee, or with him that invited thee, or with him that was preferred before thee. Fool as thou art, what matter is it in what place thou art set at the table? A cushion cannot make thee more or less honest. Thou wert displeased to see such a one, because he spake evil of thy behavior. By this reckoning, then, Ennius, in whose poetry thou art no ways delighted, should hate thee, and Hortensius should denounce war against thee, and Cicero, if thou shouldest mock his verses, should be at odds with thee. When thou suest for an office, dost thou not peaceably entertain those that give their voices to the election, although they nominate not thyself? Some man hath disgraced thee; what more than Diogenes the Stoic was, who, discoursing one day very effectually upon the subject of anger, was scornfully spat upon by a froward young man? This injury entertained he both mildly and wisely. "Truly," saith he, "I am not angry, yet doubt I whether I ought to be angry." But our friend Cato demeaned himself better, whom, as he pleaded a cause, Lentulus, that factious and seditious fellow in the time of our forefathers, similarly insulted. For in wiping his face he said no other thing but this: "Truly, Lentulus, I will now maintain it against all men that they are deceived who say thou hast no mouth.” Now, my Novatus, we are already instructed how to govern our minds, either to feel not wrath or be superiors over it. Let us now see how we may temper other men's ire; for not only desire we to be healthful ourselves, but to heal others. We dare not attempt to moderate and pacify the first anger by persuasion, for she is deaf and mad; we will give her some time: remedies are best in the declination of fevers. Neither will we attempt her when she is inflamed and in fury, for fear lest in striving to quench we enkindle the same. The like will we do in respect of other passions: repose healeth the beginning of sicknesses. How much, sayest thou, doth thy remedy profit if it pacify Anger when of herself she beginneth to be pleased? First, it is the cause that it ceaseth the sooner; then will it keep her lest she fall again. It shall remove all instruments of revenge; it shall feign displeasure to the end that, as a helper and companion in her sorrow, it may have more authority to counsel her; it shall coin delays, and while she seeketh greater punishments defer the present. It shall by all means give rest and remission to fury; if she be more vehement, it shall induce either shame or fear in her, against which she shall not be able to resist; if she be weak, it shall invent discourses either grateful or new, and wind her away with a desire of knowledge. It is reported of a physician, when he had a king's daughter in cure and could not perform the same without the means of a lancet, that whilst he gently handled her pap that was greatly swollen he conveyed his |