The Chinese Classics | Page 6

Han, the emperor Hsiao Hui [3], in the fourth year of
his reign, B.C. 191, and that a large portion of the Shu-ching was
recovered in the time of the third emperor, B.C. 179-157, while in the
year B.C. 136 a special Board was constituted, consisting of literati,
who were put in charge of the five Ching [4].
4. The collections reported on by Liu Hsin suffered damage in the
troubles which began A.D. 8, and continued till the rise of the second
or eastern Han dynasty in the year 25. The founder of it (A.D. 25-57)
zealously promoted the undertaking of his predecessors, and additional
repositories were required for the Books which were collected. His

successors, the emperors Hsiao-ming [5] (58-75), Hsiao-chang [6]
(76-88), and Hsiao-hwo [7] (89-105), took a part themselves in the
studies and discussions of the literary tribunal, and
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5 顯宗å-明皇å¸.
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7 å-和皇å¸.
the emperor Hsiao-ling [1], between the years 172-178, had the text of
the five Ching, as it had been fixed, cut in slabs of stone, and set up in
the capital outside the gate of the Grand College. Some old accounts
say that the characters were in three different forms, but they were only
in one form; -- see the 287th book of Chu I-tsun's great Work.
5. Since the Han, the successive dynasties have considered the literary
monuments of the country to be an object of their special care. Many of
them have issued editions of the Classics, embodying the commentaries
of preceding generations. No dynasty has distinguished itself more in
this line than the present Manchau possessors of the empire. In fine, the
evidence is complete that the Classical Books of China have come
down from at least a century before our Christian era, substantially the
same as we have them at present.
6. But it still remains to inquire in what condition we may suppose the
Books were, when the scholars of the Han dynasty commenced their
labors upon them. They acknowledge that the tablets -- we cannot here
speak of manuscripts -- were mutilated and in disorder. Was the injury
which they had received of such an extent that all the care and study

put forth on the small remains would be of little use? This question can
be answered satisfactorily, only by an examination of the evidence
which is adduced for the text of each particular Classic; but it can be
made apparent that there is nothing, in the nature of the case, to
interfere with our believing that the materials were sufficient to enable
the scholars to execute the work intrusted to them.
7 The burning of the ancient Books by order of the founder of the Ch'in
dynasty is always referred to as the greatest disaster which they
sustained, and with this is coupled the slaughter of many of the Literati
by the same monarch.
The account which we have of these transactions in the Historical
Records is the following [2]:
'In his 34th year [the 34th year, that is, after he had ascended the throne
of Ch'in. It was only the 9th year after he had been acknowledged
Sovereign of the empire, coinciding with B.C. 213], the emperor,
returning from a visit to the south, which had extended
1 å-éˆçš‡å¸.
2 I have thought it well to endeavour to translate the whole of the
passages. Father de Mailla merely constructs from them a narrative of
his own; see L'Histoire Générale de La China, tome ii. pp.
399-402. The 通鑑網目 avoids the difficulties of the original by
giving an abridgment of it.
as far as Yueh, gave a feast in his palace at Hsien-yang, when the Great
Scholars, amounting to seventy men, appeared and wished him a long
life [1]. One of the principal ministers, Chau Ch'ing-ch'an [2], came
forward and said, "Formerly, the State of Ch'in was only 1000 li in
extent, but Your Majesty, by your spirit-like efficacy and intelligent
wisdom, has tranquillized and settled the whole empire, and driven
away all barbarous tribes, so that, wherever the sun and moon shine, all
rulers appear before you as guests acknowledging subjection. You have
formed the states of the various princes into provinces and districts,
where the people enjoy a happy tranquillity, suffering no more from the

calamities of war and contention. This condition of things will be
transmitted for 10,000 generations. From the highest antiquity there has
been no one in awful virtue like Your Majesty."
'The emperor was pleased with this flattery, when Shun-yu Yueh [3],
one of the Great Scholars, a native of Ch'i, advanced and said, "The
sovereigns of Yin and Chau, for more than a thousand years, invested
their sons and younger brothers, and meritorious ministers, with
domains and rule,