according to the common Chinese chronology. "The wondrous tower," "the wondrous park," and "the wondrous pond," are all famous in Chinese books ;-see what Mencius says about them, I. i. II.

1 When Wan to build his wondrous tower began,
Of all its plan a scheme he drew.

To do the work, in crowds the people ran,
And as by magic, lo! it grew.

"Be not in haste: ". -so kindly said the king,
But all as to a father help would bring.

2 The king was walking in his wondrous park,
Where lay the does, all sleek and clean.
'Twas sweet to him their restfulness to mark,
And see the white birds' glistening sheen.
Then to his wondrous pond he took his way,
To view the fish their bounding life display.

3 Right in the middle of a circling pool,
His hall, the place of joy, he reared.
For music there he made provision full.
'Twixt pillars finely carved appeared
Face-boards, with tops of finest tracery,
'Neath which large drums and bells were hanging free.
4 On these the blind musicians did their part.
Of lizard skin the drums were made.
The eyeless men displayed consummate art;
In perfect unison they played.

The music loud resounded through the hall.
What rapture did the festive throng enthral!

IX.

The Hea woo; narrative. IN PRAISE OF KING Woo, WALKING IN THE WAYS OF HIS FOREFATHERS, AND BY HIS FILIAL PIETY SECURING THE THRONE TO HIMSELF AND HIS POSTERITY.

1 Kings die in Chow, and others rise,
And in their footsteps tread.

Three had there been, and all were wise;
And still they ruled, though dead.

T'ae, Ke, and Wan were all in heaven,
When Woo to follow them was given.

2 Yes, Woo to follow them was given.
To imitate his sires,

And to obey the will of Heaven,
He ardently desires.

Through all his course this aim endured,
And this the people's trust secured.

3 Yes, Woo secured the people's faith,
And gave to all the law

Of filial duty, which till death
Shining in him they saw.
Such piety possessed his mind;
Such pattern did he leave behind.

4 Thus the one man was Woo,—the One,
The king, whom all did love.
They saw in him the pattern son ;
Such sons to be they strove.
The filial aim in him bright shone;
In him were seen the dead and gone.

5 In Woo his sires were thus brought back.
The kings that from him spring,
Continuing in his steps to walk,

Upon themselves shall bring,

Through myriad years, to Chow still given,
The blessing of impartial Heaven.

6 Ah! yes, Heaven's blessing will descend,
And men their names shall bless.
Thousands from Chow's remotest end,
Their praises shall express.

Their sway through myriad years shall last,
Nor helpers fail, strong friends and fast.

X.

THE

The Wăn wang yëw shing; narrative to the last stanza, which is allusive. THE PRAISE OF KING WAN AND KING Woo: HOW THE FORMER DISPLAYED HIS MILITARY PROWESS ONLY TO SECURE TRANQUILLITY OF THE PEOPLE; HOW THIS APPEARED IN BUILDING OF FUNG AS HIS CAPITAL CITY; AND HOW THE LATTER ENTERED, IN HIS CAPITAL OF HAOU, INTO THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE KINGDOM WITH THE SINCERE GOOD WILL OF ALL THE PEOPLE,

THE

Wǎn's capital of Fung was, probably, what had been the chief city of the State of Ts'ung, mentioned in ode VII. The Fung water lay between Fung and Woo's capital of Haou having the former on the west, and the latter on the east. Haou was a new city, built by Woo, and hence we have the account of his divining about the site and the undertaking, while nothing of the sort is related of Wån in regard to Fung.

1 Oh! the praise of king Wan
Shall for ever endure.
For the people he sought,

How their rest to make sure.
And his work he beheld

Made complete and secure;
And our Wan was a sovereign true!

2 'Twas the gift of high Heaven
That the throne did bestow.
What success Wan achieved,

When great Ts'ung was laid low!
Fung he called it, and moved

There, his grand state to show;
And our Wan was a sovereign true!

3 He repaired its old walls,

And the old moat he cleared.

As his sires had oft done,

So his new seat he reared.

Not in haste did he build,

And the son more appeared;

And our prince was a sovereign true!

4 Oh! how brightly those walls
Did his merit display!
From all quarters they came,
And would not be said nay.
For to Fung they repaired,

Their true homage to pay;
And our prince was a sovereign true!

5 East from Fung flowed the stream

That the same name did bear.

'Twas the work of great Yu

Made the water flow there.

And to Fung the States came,

Woo their king to declare;
And our king was a sovereign true!

6 Then to Haou Woo removed,

And the pool-circled hall
There he built, and received

The submission of all.
East, west, north, and south,

Him their monarch they call;
And our king was a sovereign true!

7 Having thought of the site,
By the shell Woo divined.

As the shell answer gave,
So the site was assigned.
Thus king Woo dwelt in Haou,
Where his city we find;

And our Woo was a sovereign true!

8 Where the Fung water flows,
Is the white millet grown.
In the men Woo employed
How his merit was shown!
To his sons he would leave

His wise plans and his throne;
And our Woo was a sovereign true!

BOOK II.

DECADE OF SHANG MIN.

I.

The Shang min; narrative. THE LEGEND OF HOW-TSEIH :-HIS CONCEPTION; HIS BIRTH; THE PERILS OF HIS INFANCY; HIS BOYISH HABITS OF AGRICULTURE; HIS SUBSEQUENT TEACHING OF AGRICULTURE, AND HIS FOUNDING OF SACRIFICES; THE HONOURS OF SACRIFICE PAID TO HIM BY THE HOUSE OF CHOW.

Evidently this piece was designed to do honour to How-tseih, as the founder to whom the princes of the House of Chow traced their lineage ; -see the note to I. i. I. After they obtained the sovereignty of the kingdom, he was made "the assessor of Heaven" at the border sacrifice, as being the one man by whom the benevolent intention of the Supreme Power for the nourishment of the people by means of the fruits of the earth had been realized; and of course he had his place at certain times in the seasonal sacrifices.

We really know nothing more about Këang Yuen than what we are told in the She. It is assumed that she was a daughter of the House of T'ae; but who her husband was we cannot say; though as the Chow surname was Ke, he must have been one of the descendants of Hwang-te. What is said about the circumstances of How-tseih's conception-the toe-print of God, &c., is merely the legend intimating that How-tseih's conception was præternatural. How-tseih's name was K'e, though the two-fold denomination, which did not belong to him, till he had grown up, and was appointed minister of agriculture and lord of T'ae, is really equivalent to a name, and that by which he is known.

Who exposed the child in the manner described in st. 3 we cannot tell, nor for what reasons he was so exposed. Tae was a principality in the present district of Woo-kung, Keen Chow, Shen-se. How-tseih would be invested with it by Yaou, whose minister of agriculture he had become, about 2300 years B.C.

1 'Tis to the famed Keang Yuen we trace
The earliest of our favoured race;

And how this happened, let my verse
The ancient story now rehearse.
With offering pure and sacrifice,
And look directed to the skies,

She prayed that Heaven would take away