belief to one conversant only with the courtesy, justice, purity, and sincerity of Christian governments and society; and yet we think they are equal to the old Greeks and Romans, and have no more injustice or torture in their courts, nor impurity or mendacity in their lives.

CHAPTER IX.

Education and Literary Examinations.

AMONG the conservative influences in the Chinese system, the general diffusion of education and respect paid to literary pursuits, growing out of the mode of obtaining office by literary examinations, holds an important place. Although the powers of mind exhibited by the greatest writers in China are confessedly inferior to those of Greece and Rome for genius and original conceptions, yet the good influence exerted by them over their countrymen is far greater, even at this day, than was ever obtained by western sages, as Plato, Seneca, or Aristotle. The thoroughness of Chinese education, the purity and effectiveness of the examinations, or the accuracy and excellency of the literature, must not be compared with those of modern Christian countries, for there is really no common measure between the two; they must be taken with other parts of Chinese character, and comparisons drawn, if necessary, with nations possessing similar opportunities. The importance of generally instructing the people was acknowledged even before the time of Confucius, and practised to a good degree at an age when other nations in the world had no such system; and although in his day feudal institutions prevailed, and offices and rank were not attainable in the same manner as at present, yet magistrates and noblemen deemed it necessary to be well acquainted with their ancient writings. In the Book of Rites is said, "that for the purposes of education among the ancients, villages had their schools, districts their academies, departments their colleges, and principalities their universities." This, so far as we know, was altogether superior to what obtained among the Jews, Persians, and Syrians of the same period.

The great stimulus to literary pursuits among the people generally is the hope thereby of obtaining office and honor, and the only course of education followed is the classical and historical

one prescribed by law. Owing to this undue attention to the classics, the minds of the scholars are not symmetrically trained, and they disparage other branches of literature which do not directly advance this great end. Every department of letters, except jurisprudence, history, and official statistics, is disesteemed in comparison; and the literary graduate of fourscore will be found deficient in most branches of general learning, ignorant of hundreds of common things and events in his national history, which the merest schoolboy in the western world would be ashamed not to know in his. This course of instruction does not form well balanced minds, but it imbues the future rulers of the land with a full understanding of the principles on which they are to govern, and the policy of the supreme power in using those principles to consolidate its own authority. The isolation of the people, the nature of the language, and the want of an aristocracy, combine to add efficiency to this system; and when the peculiar. ities of Chinese character, and the nature of the class-books which do so much to mould that character, are considered, it is impossible to devise a better plan for insuring the perpetuity of the government, or the contentment of the people under that government.

It was about A. D. 600, that Taitsung of the Tang dynasty, instituted the present plan of preparing and selecting civilians by means of study and degrees, but education has always been highly esteemed, and exerted a dominant influence on the manners and tastes of the people. According to native historians, the rulers of ancient times made ample provision for the cultivation of literature and promotion of education in all its branches. They supply some details to enable us to understand the mode and the materials of this instruction, and glorify it as they do everything ancient, but probably from the want of authentic accounts in their own hands, they do not clearly describe it. The essays of M. Édouard Biot on the History of Public Instruction in China, contains all the information extant on this interesting subject, digested in a very lucid manner. Education is probably as good now as it ever was, and its ability to maintain and develop the character of the people as great as at any time; and it is remarkable how much it really has done to form, elevate, and consolidate their national institutions. The present monarchs were not at first favorably disposed to the system of examinations, and

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frowned upon the literary hierarchy who claimed all honors as their right; but the spirit of the people prevailed under Kienlung to procure their restoration.

Boys commence their studies at the age of six or seven with a teacher; for, even if the father be a literary man he seldom instructs his sons, and very few mothers are able to teach their offspring even to read. Maternal training is supposed to consist in giving a right direction to the morals, and enforcing the obedience of the child; but as there are few mothers who do more than compel obedience by commands, or by the rod, so there are none who can teach the infantile mind to look up to its God in prayer and praise. On the contrary, the example of both parents is bad, and through the conversation of all around it, the mind of the child is debilitated by the polluting influences in which it grows up, and its heart and passions become ́thoroughly debased.

The general plan and purposes of education may be learned from the Book of Rites. There are many compilations and treatises for the guidance of teachers and parents in the nurture of youth, one of which, called the Siau Hioh, or Juvenile Instructor, has exerted almost as much influence as the classics themselves. When establishing the first principles of education, it is recommended to fathers to "choose from among their concubines those who are fit for nurses, seeking such as are mild, indulgent, affectionate, benevolent, cheerful, kind, dignified, respectful, and reserved and careful in their conversation, and make them governesses over their children. When able to talk, lads must be instructed to answer in a quick, bold tone, and girls in a slow and gentle one. At the age of seven, they should be taught to count and name the cardinal points; but at this age, should not be allowed to sit on the same mat nor eat from the same table. At eight, they must be taught to wait for their superiors, and prefer others to themselves. At ten, the boys must be sent abroad to private tutors, and there remain day and night, studying writing and arithmetic, wearing plain apparel, learning to demean themselves in a manner becoming their age, and acting with sincerity of purpose. At thirteen, they must attend to music and poetry; at fifteen, they must practise archery and charioteering. At the age of twenty, they are in due form to be admitted to the rank of manhood, and learn

additional rules of propriety, be faithful in the performance of filial and fraternal duties, and though they possess extensive knowledge, must not affect to teach others. At thirty, they may marry and commence the management of business. At forty, they may enter the service of the state; and if their prince maintains the reign of reason, they must serve him, but otherwise not. At fifty, they may be promoted to the rank of ministers; and at seventy, they must retire from public life."

Another injunction is, "Let children always be taught to speak the simple truth; to stand erect and in their proper places, and listen with respectful attention." The way to become a student," is, with gentleness and self-abasement, to receive implicitly every word the master utters. The pupil, when he sees virtuous people, must follow them, when he hears good maxims, conform to them. He must cherish no wicked designs, but always act uprightly; whether at home or abroad, he must have a fixed residence, and associate with the benevolent, carefully regulating his personal deportment, and controlling the feelings of his heart. He must keep his clothes in order. Every morning he must learn something new, and rehearse the same every evening." The great end of education, therefore, among the ancient Chinese, was not so much to fill the head with knowledge, as to discipline the heart and purify the affections. One of their writers says, "Those who respect the virtuous and put away unlawful pleasures, serve their parents and prince to the utmost of their ability, and are faithful to their word;—these, though they should be considered unlearned, we must pronounce to be educated men." Although such terms as purity, filial affection, learning, and truth, have higher meanings in a Christian education than are given them by Chinese masters, the inculcation of them in any degree certainly has no bad effects.

In their intercourse with their relatives, children are taught to attend to the minutest points of good breeding; and are instructed in everything relating to their personal appearance, making their toilet, saluting their parents, eating, visiting, and other acts of life. Many of these directions are trivial even to puerility, but they are perhaps none too minute for the Chinese, since they now form the only basis of good manners, as much as they did a score of centuries ago; and it can hardly be supposed that Confucius would have risked his influence and popu.