Shanghai, in Friday's teapreasion, makes The Chinese newspaper, Shin-pao, of the following interesting remarks with reference to the discovery by the Chinese Envoy to Japan, of the ancient book called Hwang K'an's Edition of the Analects of Confucitis," in the Ashikaga College.
This ancient book was spoken of by everybody, but no one had ever seen it. Tt was lost in China, as totally lost as if it had been burned in the Great Burning of the Books Tsin Shi Hwang, and now it haa been found in Japan,—and who knows what further literary treasures may yet be found there? Japan has had own literature. for over 2,000 years (1,600 would be nearer the mark)'; in point of antiquity the literature of European countries cannot be mentioned on the same day with this. In the 28th year of Tain Shi-hwang, corresponding with the 72nd year of the Japanese monarch Ko Rei-Tengd ('Filial Spirit") of the 7th Generation of Emperors, (there have been 122), Si Fuh first arrived in Japan, sent by Tain Shih-hwang, first Emperor of the sin Dynasty, (B.C. 259-210) to find the elixir of life, the ambrosial drug which confers immortality. The Tengo craved of the Chinese monarch the books of the tive Ewperors and the three scholars (or, three samurai, for the character is the same) and Sh Hwang made him the gift. At Kumano Yama, "the Bear's Wild Mountain" Japanese historians relate, is the tomb of Fuh, and the villagers of the surname "Shen" (meaning Hitotsu) are Sit Ful descendants. 'The Three Divine Mountains or Islands spoken of at that time are the present Japanese Mishima, the Three Islan 'The colony of young' men and maidens brought over by Sil Fuh to populate the land brought Chinese books with them, and this was the origin of Chinese litera: ture in Japan.
During the first and second years of the Chinese Emperor Kien Wu, of the Han (25 A.D.) dynasty, corresponding to the ith year of Sui-nin Tengd, of the 11th generation, Japan sent an Envoy to the ian Emperor, which was the beginning of diplomatic intercourse between these two great Oriental Countries, and every Japanese Envoy returned to his country with Chinese books. Thus Shd.mu Tengd, (46th generation) had an Envoy to China who ought back many classical works.
The Buddhist priests Ting-hai (J6-kai), and Tsui Cheng, also came to China, tra: velled there, and collected books. spend their leisure tue or hours of recrea-Envoys to foreign countries may well ton in, amarly worse ways than in eolsting valuable books for the country from whic they are sant. A rentals praise the present, we Chinese give the palm to the past. In the past we had, for instance, better music we make now with our present instruments, which cannot move the heart like foreign music; but when we had the ancient bell, drum, the kin and the seh,*
Instruments of many strings, like the Japanese koto. See Mynheer Van Aalst on ancient Chinese Music, I. M, Customs publi" cation of yellow-book,"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.