26th May. A YEW years ago M. Camille, Huart drew attention to the well-known poet of last century, Yuen ''sz-tsai, and the payer he wrote was published in the journal of the China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. There is a story of the youth of this poet, not mentioned by M. Huart, which illustrates the way in, which the Chinese system works, Many eminent Chinese authors. have been poor at first and without any books but the classics. Among them was the author above mentioned, one of the three most noted poets of Jast century, He belonged to. a family in humble circumstances and he tells how he first got a new book, a selection of ancient Poenie of and before the 'liang dynasty.
was, a boy of nine when one day in the absence of the teacher, a respectable. man brought. this book to the door. There were nineteen poems, in if, the work of unknown. authors of the Han. and other early dynasties. 'I'he visitor said he was much in want ofalittle money and would leave the book in return for it. The boy told his uncle who said to his sister the boy's mother, if the boy wants the volumes have the money he asks. The ey: thusiastic boy studied his four volumes, discriminated the style of the authors ug-heights-which:* pierced heaven Tinie was Jike''shieop's intestines leading by overhanging. cliffs and' steep preci~ and successfully aimed at itnitating pices. 'The highest in command were them, 'This book gave himn,'be said, his ' seen proceeding-on foot. "How different knowledge of the art of poetry. he, from the Shanio plains' where" the Chinese system of examinations stimu-\; mounted troops gallop at: full "speed lates the study of. literature- and: the practice of composition in prose and in were garrisoned caves in the rocks Brerywhere at the narrow parts there poetry. 'I'he examinations are estab li ed in every province; and their ifliience pictasied by wall in front with loop ides out of which spears and stones is' visible in the zeal shown in acquir-were thrown, There being no other ing literary proficiency' by @ -large way for the troops to march: it was class.' ko' effect of the exdniinations necessary to advance' through a shower is Seen in the direction of the' ain of of javelinis and. stones, ° A few tens of school teaching. It is not only to pre- {men occupying for defence such a fort pare for ordinary commercial lite thatjcould keep back ten thousand. lo schools' are 'established in every"con- capture these caves the niéthod was to siderable Village, but to niake a8 far as erect step by stép'a sticéession of barriers sible a nation of readers," If there! to protect our meri and, under cover of anywhere a latent power of intellect these to move guns forward to fire into the forts and force the robbers to retreat it has therefore a chance of developing. his idea of "supplying stimulus generally to the tiation results in this, that.a large part of the governing class is sell-elevated by the force of genius. This was the cas¢ with the poet' here mentioned: He belonged to a poor family that could do no more than pay school bills and purchase a few books and he rose to be one of the three greatest poets of the present dynasty.
Yuen 'I'sz-tsai represented Chekiang. The other two great poets were Chao Yi of Yangchow in the province Kiangsu and Chiang Shih-tsuen "of Kiangsi. The three men were all great scholars and it is quite worth considering how far the system of examinations bad to do with the development of the powers of such men. Here is a speci-mev of the criticism of the Kiangsi jet. He is comparing Buddhism and Taoism with Confucianism and was much impressed with the fact that beggary is a profession with the Buddhists. They hold the doctrine of vacancy and punt and talk of heaven and hell. Yet if you meet 'a Buddhist, it is ten to one that he will say he becanie a priest because he had nothing to eat. 'Such orsons would be robbers if not Buddhists so that it is politically advantageous to encourage Buddhism, lest' they should take' to the road and be outlaws, He does not believe in Buddhis as a religion' or as a' philosophy, but he believes it is useful to the State, in present circumstances. It is remarkable that with all-the fondness the Confucianists have for Buddhist literature they do not adopt Buddhism as a creed. The system of examinations prepares for official life. It is the proper duty ofa literary man to'help in governing the country. The examinations are held to give the emperor good subordinates to act as magistrates. Governing is the scholars' profession and all his literary gifts are'at the disposal of the sovereign.
Tu Chao Yi's account of the campaign in the middle of last century against Chinchuan, " the country of the gold streams," he describes the advance of the army through the narrow mountain paths triable to maintain their ground. hen out men went in after' the gus killed the robbers and destroyed the forts. If there were many paths and' many diffi culties so that a'fort could not be taken the army tried'other'paths. "Where the precipices seemed' impassable with no \hold for the -foot and the robbers were therefore riot prepared for attack, our men when it was dark, or even in the dead of night pulled themselves up by laying hold of stumps and stones and using their hands and feet; like worms laud" monkeys now contracting their bodies and then extending them, they rose higher, till they burst, incon the robbers: from opposite sides. One of guch attacking patties' would be in number' three or' four hundred' and another.x hundred or' two hundred. The robbers waited ambushed in brushwood and deep gorges and if they were only 'a few tens would come rushing out ina body. From the beginning of this campaign there has never been a regular battle with the troops drawn up in rank and file." "This i8 a specimen of this author's style.' Being a poet'he was the better able to make a historical picture. It is true of almost all-the Chinese historious who have achieved fame, that they Pobodeont the poeti¢'gift. ' Pan-koo and Yang-hsin were eminent, as' poets. Han Wen-kung and Ssu Tung-equally at home in prose an poet. were
'The history of Confucius would' huve been much the better for that" poetic spirit in which he was unfortauately rather deficient.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.