didates are all examined at Peking, and one instance is recorded of a Chinese who passed himself off for a Manchu, but afterwards confessed the dissimulation; the head of the division was tried in consequence of his oversight. It is the professed policy of the government, to discourage literary pursuits among them, in order to maintain the ancient energy of the race; but when the real power is lodged in the hands of the civilians, it is impossible to prevent them striving for its possession."

We cannot express too strongly the admiration which we feel of this thorough-going system of literary examinations. Notwithstanding all the defects of a Chinese education, and they are many and great,-notwithstanding the puerilities connected with the ordeal, in various ways, natural and necessary results of a state of imperfect enlightenment, we approve, in our deepest judgment, of some such plan of literary trial. We could wish that something equally effective and creditable, modified by our modern and Christian culture, experience, education, and spirit of improvement, could be introduced into our college and other literary examinations. We believe it would be infinitely for the advantage of our literary progress and fame,—a means of raising up far more ripe and accomplished scholars, who should do honor to their country, to literature and to their race. At another time we may speak more fully on this important subject.

This chapter contains many details of the ways in which artful persons, in some instances, gain the honors of learning without its toils, by purchasing forged diplomas, by buying offices for money, which are the proper rewards only of literary merit, by bribing the examiners and putting private marks upon the essays which are to be, for a pecuniary consideration, declared successful, by procuring the previous aid of substitutes, who will either submit, for a given sum, to examination instead of their employers, or write out the essays in full which wealthy but less able candidates commit to memory, and write out verbatim. But the space we have already given to this point will not allow us to pursue it farther.

Chapter X is an account of the structure of the Chinese language. It is able and thorough, and sufficient to satisfy the curiosity of the general scholar.

The next chapter contains a description of the Classical Literature of the Chinese. In taking this general survey,

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Mr. W. follows a work entitled a "Catalogue of all the Books in the Four Libraries." This catalogue is itself a great work. It is comprised in 112 volumes, octavo, of about three hundred pages each, "and probably contains the names of upwards of 20,000 works." The books are arranged into four divisions, Classical, Historical, and Professional Writings, and Belles Lettres. The earliest literature embraced in this extensive field dates back to a period several hundred years before the Christian era. The author gives many specimens of the several works, which indicate a high morality and correct thought. Confucius, the sage of Chinese literature, collected an edition of the classics extant in his age, the completion of which occupied the last years of his life. From the biographical sketch of Confucius and analysis of his philosophy, contained in this chapter, we observe that he died B. C. 479, at the age of 73, "leaving a single descendant, through whom the succession has been transmitted to the present day." After his death, 2,150 years, "there were 11,000 males alive bearing his name, and most of them of the 74th generation, being undoubtedly one of the oldest families in the world. . . The leading features of the philosophy of Confucius are subordination to superiors, and kind, upright dealing with our fellow-men; destitute of all reference to an unseen Power, to whom all men are accountable, they look only to this world for their sanctions, and make the monarch himself only partially amenable to a higher tribunal." He judged that political morality must be founded on private worth; and he made self-knowledge the foundation of all real advancement. It is stated that the Chinese books abound in the praises of literary excellence; they are filled with examples of those who have risen by energy, talent and industry, from abject poverty to stations of honor and trust. We subjoin a single translation from the "Odes for Children," as a specimen of the spirit which pervades their works.

"It is of the utmost importance to educate children;

Do not say that your families are poor;

For those who can handle well the pencil,

Go where they will need never ask for favors.

"One at the age of seven, showed himself a divinely endowed youth, Heaven,' said he, gave me my intelligence;

Men of talent appear in the courts of the holy monarch
Nor need they wait in attendance on lords and nobles.

In the morning I was an humble cottager,

In the evening I entered the court of the son of heaven.
Civil and military offices are not hereditary,
Men must therefore rely on their own efforts.

"A passage for the sea has been cut through mountains ;
And stones have been melted to repair the heavens ;
In all the world there is nothing that is impossible;
It is the heart of man alone that is wanting resolution.

"Once I myself was a poor indigent scholar,
Now I ride mounted in my four-horse chariot;

And all my fellow-villagers exclaim with surprise.'-
Let those who have children thoroughly educate them."

The author describes briefly a magnificent thesaurus of the language, projected by the emperor Kang hi. It was prepared by the united labors of seventy-six literati for eight years, and is published in 130 thick volumes. Another lexicon, published A. D. 150, is still good authority. A lexicon, published A. D. 1397, was the basis of Dr. Morrison's Syllabic Dictionary, which was printed after the lapse of 425 years-so fixed is the lexicography of the Chinese tongue.

Chapter XII, the last in volume first, describes the Polite Literature of the tongue. But on this topic, we must not suffer ourselves to linger.

Chapter XIII, the first in volume second, gives an account of the architecture, dress and diet of the Chinese, and chapter XIV, of their social life. The articles of food used by the natives of China embrace a very wide range; but we are happy to learn that the school-geographies, which affirm that kittens, rats and dogs are in common use for the table, have given a very undue prominence to this statement. It is probable that, as a general thing. these viands fall to the lot only of those who are reduced to extreme want. When the first and last of the animals above named are destined for culinary uses, they are nourished with care, and permitted to feed only on rice. These two chapters contain various interesting details, and more satisfactory than we remember to have noticed in any other writer.

nese.

etc.

Chapter XV describes the Industrial Arts of the ChiOne of the chief of these is agriculture. Mr. W. says that the amount of terrace-cultivation in China has been greatly overstated;-the hills being seldom terraced except in rice cultivation, to prevent the washing away of the soil. Agriculture is carried to great perfection. The Chinese, owing to their vast population, are under the necessity of making the soil as productive as in the nature of things can be done. Hence they pay great attention to the cultivation of the earth, the saving of manures, They have also an excessive taste for flowers, which leads them to use every available spot of ground, for beauty or utility. Their most important productions for export are hemp, cotton, indigo, tea, and silk. Sugar is raised in the southern and south-eastern provinces. Many plants are cultivated for their oil. A great multitude of the population obtain their food from the rivers and the The implements used by the Chinese are of an imperfect character, the talent of invention and improvement being apparently out of the circle of their qualifications. They understand working in metals to some extent; but their ingenuity is devoted with the greatest success to the manufacture of porcelain ware, which is associated with the name of China more than any other article. They have a god of porcelain, whose images are commonly formed of this material. The manufacture of silk, as well as of porcelain and lackered ware, is original among the Chinese, and no other nation has been able to excel them. Tea is raised very generally by the farmers, each one cultivating upon his grounds a few of the shrubs. "The annual produce of a single plant is from 16 or 18 to 24 ounces... Three crops of leaves are gathered during the season." The whole subject of the manufacture of tea is minutely described by our author.

sea.

Chapter XVI is on the attainments of the Chinese in mathematics, astronomy, banking, the arts of war, music, painting, chemistry, metallurgy, anatomy, etc. In most of these and kindred sciences, while they have made some advancement, they are palpably behind the western world.

Chapter XVII is an account of the History and Chronology of China; chapter XVIII, of their Religion. Two points distinguish their superstitions from those of

most other pagan nations,-they have never offered human sacrifices, and they have no deifications of vice. Still they have numerous idol temples, and make copious offerings. There are "1,560 temples dedicated to Confucius, attached to the examination halls, and the offerings presented in them are all eaten or used by the worshippers." There are, it is said, 62,606 pigs, rabbits, sheep and deer, and 27,000 pieces of silk, annually presented upon their altars. "Rationalism, (a paganized rationalism,) Boodhism and Lamaism seem to divide the sway of the principal part of China. The learned, however, though they fall in with the prevailing superstitions, seem to have little confidence in them or respect for them. They are emphatically without God and without a religion. "The Chinese collectively spend enormous sums in their idolatry. . . If the daily outlay of each person be estimated at one third of a cent, the total will exceed four hundred millions of dollars per annum."

Chapter XIX contains the History of Missions among the Chinese, in all periods and from all nations and societies, from the earliest records to the present timea minute and beautiful account of the efforts of Christianity, sometimes a pure Christianity, and sometimes a Christianity awfully corrupted, to diffuse itself among those ancient tribes. The alternate successes and defeats of religion, under its various phases, the persecutions it has endured in its followers, the renewed and successful efforts of a purer faith within a few years past to establish in that empire, on a secure basis, the kingdom of God, furnish a most interesting study for the historian and the moralist, the man of the world and the divine. It is an interesting feature of modern times, and full of promise for China, that the eyes of Christendom from every quarter seem to be turned towards it, and that a large number of Protestant societies have their evangelical laborers toiling in its wide and opening fields.

The remaining chapters are on the Commerce of China, Foreign Intercourse with China, the War with England, and the Opening of China, the latter of which are among events so recent as to be fresh in every one's memory.

The events which have occurred in the protracted history of this empire indicate, with a remarkable distinctness, the benefits of Christianity and the overruling hand