X. The EASTERN TSIN is the same house as the last, but Yuen tí having moved his capital from Lohyang to Nanking, his successors are distinguished as the Eastern Tsin. Eleven princes reigned during a period of 103 years, down to A. D. 450. Budhism was the chief religion at this time, and the doctrines of Confucius were highly esteemed; "children of concubines, priests, old women, and nurses, administered the government," says the indignant annalist. During this period, Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire in 328, and the nations of northern Europe under Attila invaded Italy in 410.

XI. The SUNG, or Northern Sung, Dynasty was founded by Liu Yu, who commanded the armies of Tsin, and gradually subdued all the opposing states. Displeased at the weakness of his master, Ngan tí, he caused him to be strangled, and placed his brother Kung tí upon the throne, who, fearing a like fate abdicated the empty crown, and Liu Yu became monarch under the name of Kautsu, A. D. 420. Eight princes held the throne till A. D. 479, when Siau Tauching, duke of Tsí, the prime minister of the weak successors of Liu Yu, recompensed them as their ancestor had those of Tsin.

XII. Tsí Dynasty. The new monarch took the name of Kau tí or High emperor, but enjoyed his dignity only four years. Four princes succeeded him, the last of whom, Ho tí, was besieged in his capital by a faithless minister, assisted by the prince of Liang, who overthrew the dynasty, A. D. 502, after a duration of 23 years.

XIII. LIANG Dynasty. The first emperor, Wu tí, reigned 48 years, and reduced most of his opponents; he was so great a devotee of Budhism that he retired to a monastery like Charles V., but being persuaded to resume his crown, employed his time in teaching those doctrines to his assembled courtiers. Three successors occupied the throne, the last of whom, King tí, was killed, A. D. 557, after surrendering himself, by the general of the troops, who then seized the crown.

XIV. CHIN Dynasty. Three brothers reigned most of the time this house held its sway. During this period, and that of the three preceding families, the kingdom of Wei ruled over all the northern parts of China from A. D. 386 to 534, under eleven monarchs, when it was violently separated into the Eastern and Western Wei, and other smaller states. One of the sovereigns

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had given his daughter in marriage to Yang Kien, the prince of Sui, one of his ministers, who, gradually extending his influence, took possession of the throne of the north and all the petty principalities, and then extended his conquests southward, overthrew the imbecile scion of Chin at Nanking, and once more reunited all China under his hand, A. D. 589, after it had been divided nearly four centuries.

XV. SUI Dynasty. The successors of Kautsu, as Yang Kien called himself, fell into the same idleness and vice as their predecessors of other dynasties, and after holding the reins of government for 31 years, the last one, called Kung tí, resigned in favor of Lí Yuen, A. D. 618, a descendant of the house of Liang, named the prince of Tang.

XVI. TANG Dynasty. This celebrated line of princes began its sway in peace, and during the 287 years they held the throne China was probably the most civilized country on earth, and the darkest days of the West, when Europe was wrapped in the ignorance and degradation of the Middle Ages, formed the brightest era of the East. Lí Chímin, the son of the founder, was one of the most celebrated monarchs in the Chinese annals; like HaJun Al Raschid, he was famed alike for his wisdom and nobleness, his conquests and good government, his temperance, cultivated tastes, and patronage of literary men. While still prince of Tang, he contributed greatly to his father's elevation in place of the imbecile princes of the family of Sui, and to the extension of his sway over the regions of Central Asia. When the house of Tang was fully acknowledged, and all rival aspirants overcome, the capital was removed from Lohyang back to Sí-ngan in Shensí, and everything done to compose the disordered country, and reunite the distracted state under a regular and vigorous administration. Feeling himself unequal to all the cares of his new office, Kautsu resigned the yellow in favor of his son, who took the title of Tai-tsung, a. D. 627, and still further extended his victorious arms. One of his first acts was to establish schools, and institute a system of literary examinations; he ordered a complete and accurate edition of all the classics to be published under the supervision of the most learned men in the empire, and honored the memory of Confucius with special ceremonies of respect.

He drew up a code of laws for the direction of his high offi

cers in their judicial functions, and made progresses through his dominions to inspect the condition of the people. During his reign, the limits of the empire were extended over all the Turkish tribes lying west of Kansuh, and south of the Tien shan as far as the Caspian sea, which were placed under four satrapies, or residencies, those of Kuché, Pisha or Khoten, Harashar, and Kashgar, as their names are at present. West of the last, many smaller tribes submitted, and rendered a partial subjection to the emperor, who arranged them into sixteen governments under the management of a governor-general over their own chieftains. His frontiers reached from the borders of Persia, the Caspian sea, and the Altai of the Kirghis stepp, along those mountains to the north side of Cobi eastward to the Inner Hingan. Sogdiana and part of Khorassan, and the regions around the Hindu-kush, also obeyed him. The rulers of Nipal and Magadha or Bahar in India sent their salutations by their ambassadors, and the Greek emperor Theodosius sent an envoy to Sí-ngan in 643 carrying presents of rubies and emeralds, as did also the Persians. The Nestorian missionaries also presented themselves at court. Taitsung received them with respect, and heard them rehearse the leading tenets of their doctrine; he ordered a temple to be erected at his capital, and had some of their sacred books translated for his examination, though there is no evidence now remaining that any portion of the Bible was done into Chinese at this time.

Near the close of his life, Taitsung undertook an expedition against Corea, but the conquest of that country was completed by his son after his death. During his reign, his life was attempted several times, once by his own son, but he was preserved from these attacks, and died after a reign of twenty-three years, deeply lamented by a grateful people. The Chinese accounts state that the foreign envoys resident at his court cut off their hair, some of them disfigured their faces, bled themselves, and sprinkled the blood around the bier in testimony of their grief. Whatever may have been the truth in this respect, many proofs exist of the distinguished character of this monarch, and that the high reputation he enjoyed during his lifetime was a just tribute to his excellences; he will favorably compare with Akbar, Kanghí, Charlemagne, or Harun Al Raschid.

Taitsung was succeeded by his son Kautsung, whose indolent

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imbecility appeared the more despicable after his father's vigor, but his reign fills a large place in Chinese story, from the extraordinary career of his empress, Wu Tsihtien, or Wu hau as she is called, who by her blandishments obtained entire control over him. The character of this woman has, no doubt, suffered much from the bad reputation native historians have given her, but enough can be gathered from their accounts to show that with all her cruelty, she understood how to maintain the authority of the crown, repress foreign invasions, quell domestic sedition, and provide for the wants of the people. Introduced to the hareem of Taitsung at the age of 14, she was sent at his death to the retreat where all his women were condemned for the rest of their days to honorable imprisonment; while a member of the palace, Kautsung had been charmed with her appearance, and having seen her at one of the state ceremonies connected with the ancestral worship, brought her back to the palace. His queen Wangshí also favored his attentions in order to draw them off from another rival, but the charms of Wu Tsihtien soon obtained entire sway over the monarch, and united them both against her; she managed to fill the principal offices with her friends, and by a series of manœuvres, supplanted them both, and became empress. One means she took to excite suspicion against her majesty was, on occasion of the birth of her first child, after the empress had visited it, and before Kautsung came in to see his offspring, to strangle it and charge the crime upon her majesty, which led to her trial, degradation, and imprisonment, and ere long to her death.

As soon as she became empress, Wu began gradually to assume more and more authority, until, long before the emperor's death, she engrossed the whole management of affairs, and at his demise openly assumed the reins of government, which she wielded for twenty-one years with no weak hand. Her generals extended the limits of the empire, and her officers carried into effect her orders to alleviate the miseries of the people. Her cruelty vented itself in the murder of all who opposed her will, even to her own sons and relatives; and her pride was rather exhibited than gratified by her assuming the titles of queen of heaven, holy and divine ruler, holy mother, and divine sovereign. When she was disabled by age, her son Chungtsung, supported by some of the first men of the land, asserted his claim to the throne, and by a palace conspiracy succeeded in removing

to her own apartments, where she died aged 81 years. Her character has been blackened in histories and popular tales, and her conduct held up as an additional evidence of the evil of allowing women to meddle with governments.*

A race of twenty monarchs swayed the sceptre of the house of Tang, but after the demise of the empress Wu Tsihtien, none of them equalled Taitsung, and the Tang dynasty at last succumbed to ambitious ministers lording over its imbecile sovereigns. In the reign of Hiuen-tsung, about the year 722, the population of the fifteen provinces is said to have been 52,884,818. The last three or four emperors exhibited the usual marks of a declining house, and the general of Chautsung rose against his master, and destroyed him A. D. 903, and soon after compelled his son Chau-siuen tí, to abdicate, A. D. 907.

XVII. AFTER LIANG Dynasty. Numerous competitors arose against the regicide, and the new emperor was unable to extend his sway beyond the provinces of Honan and Shantung. After a short reign of six years, he was killed by his brother Liang Chu-tien, who, on his part, fell under the attack of a Turkish general, and ended this dynasty, A. D. 923, after a duration of sixteen years.

XVIII. AFTER TANG Dynasty. The conqueror called himself Chwang-tsung, and his dynasty Tang, as if in continuation of that line of princes, but this mode of securing popularity was unsuccessful. Like many of the Roman emperors, he was killed by his troops, who chose a successor, and his grandson, unable to resist his enemies, burned himself in his palace, A. D. 936, and ended the dynasty after continuing thirteen years.

XIX. AFTER TSIN Dynasty. The Kítan, or Tartars of Liautung, who had assisted in the overthrow of the last dynasty, compelled the new monarch to subsidize them, at his accession A. D. 936; but his nephew Chuh tí who succeeded him, refusing to pay the shameful tribute, was removed A. D. 947 by them, which ended this house, after eleven years.

XX. AFTER HAN Dynasty. The Tartars now endeavored to subdue the whole country, but were repulsed by a loyal general who assumed the yellow, and called his dynasty after the renowned house of Han; he and his son held sway four years, till A. D. 951, and then were cut off.

* Chinese Repository, Vol. III. page 543.