earth, roam at will through the three worlds, and enter the golden gate."

In the preceding piece, there are several indications of Budhist influence, which tend to nullify its claims to antiquity. While part of the phraseology is taken from the Tau-teh-king, the more metaphysical portion-where the existence of the mind, of form, of all things, of vacancy itself, is denied—is clearly Budhist. So also "the ocean of misery," "the floating on the rough sea of life and death," and the term "gods and men," (for devas and men) are manifestly Budhist. While these circumstances oblige us to place the date of this production later than it professes, it is still in other parts framed on the early Tauist model, and is a good exemplification of the style of thinking then prevalent among the professors of that school.

In contrast with this, a short treatise, altogether in the Budhist manner, will now be translated to illustrate the later Tauist literature. It is called

THE WONDERFUL BOOK ON THE REMOVAL OF CALAMITIES AND PRESERVATION OF LIFE.

After a preface of several verses, resembling the Kih or Gátha of Budhist books, it begins :

"At that time, Yuen-shï-t'ian-tsun (the first person in the San-tsing, or Tauist trinity) was in the five palaces in the grove of the seven precious stones, attended by innumerable sages, all radiating boundless light, which shone on boundless worlds. They were looking down on numberless human beings, suffering numberless evils, passing hither and thither in the world, enthralled by

the metempsychosis in the successive births and deaths, tossed on the waves of the river of desire, driven about in the sea of passion, and immersed in the tide of material sensations." "From beginning to end they are in darkness, unable to understand, and hopelessly deceived.

"The honored one of heaven then addressed them: Ye living beings, having your being from what is not being, having your nothingness from what is not nothing, know ye that what is does not really exist, and what is not is not really non-existent. He who knows that emptiness is not emptiness, and that form is not form, has gained wisdom. He can then enter the various paths of knowledge. His mind will grow enlightened. He will be freed from doubts. He will not rest on the deceiving sensations of the corporeal frame. He will escape from all pernicious notions, and hindrances to virtue. I therefore address to you the instructions of this excellent book, which, to save mankind, is given them for constant recitation. Then there will be flying Devas, and spirit kings, the unconquerable (Ki-kang-wang-the four kings of Devas) destroyers of evil, wonderful boys who protect religion, and sages who save from suffering: each of them will be attended by myriads of followers, who will guard this book. Wherever it is honored, evils will be avoided, and multitudes saved."

This piece, which, on account of the poverty and tautology of its conceptions, is given here in an abridged form, is almost entirely borrowed from the sister religion. T'ian tsun, honored one of heaven, is copied from the title of Budha Shi tsun, honored one of the world. The scene of audience resembles one of the Hindoo heavens. The assembled disciples radiate light to an interminable

distance, just in the manner of the Budhist books. The metempsychosis, the essential misery of existence, the deceptions of sense, and the doctrine of universal emptiness, clearly indicate the source from which the writer has drawn his ideas. The salvation of crowds of living beings, as the result of writing and reciting this book, the mention of the Devas and the Diamond King, (kiu kang wang) are other illustrations of the same fact.

The invocations to the three persons in the Tauist trinity, commonly used in the Tauist daily service, contain several Budhist expressions. That to the third, Lau-kiün, reads in the following manner: Thou who everywhere spreadest thy teaching, through successive kalpas saving mankind; instructor under various assumed titles of emperors and kings, establisher of the doctrine of heaven, of earth, and of man; keeping secret what is profound, and revealing what is simple; on whom attend twelve hundred ministers and chiefs; who embracest in thy grasp myriads of folds of Fan-ki (Brahman vapor); reformer of times, ancient and modern; writer of the 'book on Reason and Virtue' in five thousand words; who holdest light and darkness in thy hands, who commandest the darkness, and presidest over the mystic numbers nine and five: most merciful, most wise, T'aishang-lau-kiün, Tau-teh-t'ian-tsun."

In this extract, the words kalpa, (a long period of years) and Fan, (Brahma) are both Sanscrit. The notion that Lau-kiün assumes various names, and appeared in the world at certain times from the earliest mythological period and downwards to the time in which he really lived, must have originated after the doctrine of metempsychosis was brought to China.

TABLET LITERATURE.

Inscriptions on stone tablets are numerous in China, and many of these tablets are very ancient. Foreign students in the language become much interested in the study of them. These inscriptions, set up by the roadside, in the temples, and other places of public resort, must exert a powerful influence upon the people.

The specimen which we give, and for which we are indebted to the "Transactions of the China Branch of Royal Asiatic Society," Part V, 1855, page 66, was copied from a stone tablet in Shanghae, and is also found on a tablet in a Confucian temple in Sing-keang, written both in Chinese and Mongul.

"The sacred will of the emperor by the decree of High Heaven is hereby made known to the various authorities, government officers, officials, and others in the metropolis and provinces :

"The doctrine of Confucius having been given down as a standard for all ages, ought to be honored by the ruling families of the State. In accordance with the sa

cred will of the emperor She-tsoo,* regarding the sacred temples, seminaries, and colleges at Keuh-fow Lin-meaou,† the upper metropolis,‡ the great metropolis, § and all the provincial, prefectural, and chief and secondary district cities, let the officers, commissioners, and gentry be strictly prohibited making appropriations of the edifice, either permitting assemblages for inquiring into judicial causes, holding wine entertainments, setting on foot public works, or depositing therein any government chattels. The produce of the land pertaining to the seminaries, and the benefices of the graduates, must not be appropriated to private use; but let the grain raised thereon be applied to furnish the sacrifices on the two Ting|| days, at spring and autumn respectively, and at the times of new and full moon; as also for the maintenance of the teachers and graduates, the distribution of rations among the destitute, the aged, and the infirm; and graciously

*Kubla Khan. This edict was issued by Timor, the grandson and successor of Kubla Khan, in the year 1294, and was published throughout the empire.

†The burial-place of Confucius,

+ Peking.

§ The present Ching-tih heen.

||The days on which Confucius is sacrificed to, being the first days which occur in the 2d and 8th months, with the character Tin ̧ in the cycle of sixty. In the great cycle of sixty years, each year has its peculiar designation. In the cycle we find six years marked with Ting the4th, 14th, 24th, 34th, 44th, 54th, and called Ting Mau, Ting Chau, Ting hoi, Ting yau, Ting Mae, and Ting Chí. Each ten years has a Ting year; each twelve months has a Ting month; each ten days has a Ting day; each day with its twelve divisions (one division equal to two hours) has one Ting division. Ting has reference to fire, one of the Five Elements.