CONFUCIANISM.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTORY.

CONFUCIUS was not an original thinker. To quote his own words, "he was a transmitter, and not a maker ;" and in order therefore rightly to understand his teachings, and the effect they have produced, it is necessary to glance at the early history of the Chinese people, and to gain some acquaintance with the sources from which Confucius drew his inspiration.

The earliest records of the Chinese which have been handed down to us represent them as a small tribe of wanderers camping in the primeval forests which then covered the district which is now known as the Province of Shanse. That they were not natives of the soil, but were pilgrims and strangers in the land, is abundantly proved by incidental references to their foreign origin in the writings of the native historians, and by their ethnological characteristics. Numerous theories exist as to the position of the original cradle of the race, but as yet no evidence has been forthcoming to warrant the assumption of any definite conclusion in the matter. All that we can assert is that at some distant period in the dim past they wandered eastward from Western

Asia; probably along the southern slope of the Teenshan range, until they reached the northern bend of the Yellow River, in latitude 41°. Here, after a weary journey through the Mongolian Desert, they entered upon a rich and productive land. In this extraordinarily fertile district scarcely any labour was demanded by the soil from the emigrant. To loosen the surface and cast in the seed were all that was required to secure abundant crops, while the rain, attracted by the tree-clad mountains, fell in regular and temperate showers upon the growing grain.

This "garden of China," as it has been called, was then the first home of the Chinese in the "Middle Kingdom." But they were far from being allowed to take possession of the land unopposed. Like the Israelites of old, they found a land flowing with milk and honey, but also, like them, they had to fight their way, step by step, against the tribal possessors of the soil. The barbarous weapons and disjointed action, however, of the "Hordes of the North," "of the South," "of the East," and "of the West," who were their foes, were unable to resist the superior civilization and cohesion of the Chinese, and gradually as these advanced on to the plains the retreating "barbarians" sought shelter among the mountains. But in the presence of even such enemies it was necessary that the settlement of the country should be undertaken with caution, and as the main body pushed on, colonies were planted at strategical points on its course under the direction of chiefs, or "Pastors of Men," as Mencius calls them.

The native records of events at this early period are not to be treated as history, and it is not until we reach the reign of Yaou (2356 B.C.) that we exchange the purest fable for even doubtful history. It is at this point that the Shoo King, or "Book of History," edited by Confucius, commences. "Anciently there was an Emperor Yaou," writes the editor, "allinformed, intelligent, accomplished, and thoughtful;" and if we are to accept the received account of his reign, this description does not do more than justice. to his character. His first care, we are told, was to advance the able and virtuous to offices in the state, and finally he united and harmonized the myriad states of the empire; and, lo! the black-haired people were transformed. He appointed astronomers to calculate and delineate the movements and appearances of the sun, the moon, the stars, and the zodiacal spaces; and he then determined the four seasons and the length of the year. He adopted intercalary months, and the calendar he arranged is that which is still in use in China.

On the death of Yaou, Shun, who had shared his throne for some years, succeeded as sole emperor. Like his predecessor, he was "profound, wise, accomplished, and intelligent. He was mild, respectful, and quite sincere. The report of his mysterious virtue was heard on high, and he was appointed to take the throne." One of his first public acts, after having still further perfected the astronomical calculations of Yaou, was to sacrifice to Shang-te, the Supreme Ruler or God. "Thereafter," we are told, "he sacrificed specially, but with the ordinary forms,

to Shang-te; sacrificed with purity and reverence to the six Honoured Ones; offered appropriate sacrifices to the hills and rivers; and extended his worship to the host of spirits." "'1 This is the first mention we have in Chinese history of religious worship, though the expressions used plainly imply that the worship of Shang-te at least had previously existed. It is to this Supreme Being that all the highest forms of adoration have been offered in all ages. By His decree kings were made and rulers executed judgment. In His hands were the issues of life and death, and he whom He blessed was blessed, and he whom He cursed was cursed. In all probability there was a time when the worship of Shang-te was the expression of the pure monotheistic faith of the Chinese. By degrees, however, corruptions crept in, and though Shang-te always remained the supreme object of veneration, they saw no disloyalty to him in rendering homage to the powers of nature which they learnt to personify, and to the spirits of their departed ancestors, who were supposed to guard and watch over, in a subordinate manner, the welfare of their descendants.

During this reign the empire was divided into twelve provinces, and ministers of agriculture, crime, works, forests, religious worship, and of music were appointed. That the standard of morality was high, even at this early period, appears from the conversations which are reported between Shun's vice-regent Yu and one of his advisers. In answer to the question put by

1 Shoo king. Shun-teen.

Yu, "What are the nine virtues ?" the minister replied, "Affability combined with dignity; mildness combined with firmness; bluntness combined with respectfulness; aptness for government, combined with reverence; docility combined with boldness; straightforwardness combined with gentleness; easiness combined with discrimination; vigour combined with sincerity; and valour combined with righteousness." 1

But though the excellence attributed to the early sovereigns of China appears much overwrought, an argument for its justice may be found in the fact that an equally overwhelming condemnation is reserved for the later sovereigns of the dynasty, which had its origin in the reigns of Yaou and Shun. Gradually the high standard of morality which had distinguished those emperors disappeared under the rule of their successors, until licentiousness, disorder, and anarchy reached their height under the infamous tyrant Këě Wang, who ascended the throne in the year 1818 B.C. This "injurer of men and destroyer of many," as he was called, exhausted both the men and means of his empire by constant wars with the neighbouring states. Under his rule the affairs of government were neglected, and the people cried aloud for relief from the tyranny to which they were subjected. A comparison between the disorder which reigned in their own provinces and the quiet contentment of the people of the neighbouring state of Shang could not but force itself on the unfortunate subjects of Këě,

Shoo king. Kaou-yaou mow.