Transcriber's Note

Italic text is indicated by underscores. Non-italic text in italic blocks is marked by ~swung dashes~.

A HISTORY OF CHINESE LITERATURE

HERBERT A. GILES, M. A., LL. D. (ABERD.)

PROFESSOR OF CHINESE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE AND LATE H. B. M. CONSUL AT NINGPO

NEW YORK AND LONDON D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 1927

Printed in the United States of America

PREFACE

This is the first attempt made in any language, including Chinese, to produce a history of Chinese literature.

Native scholars, with their endless critiques and appreciations of individual works, do not seem ever to have contemplated anything of the kind, realising, no doubt, the utter hopelessness, from a Chinese point of view, of achieving even comparative success in a general historical survey of the subject. The voluminous character of a literature which was already in existence some six centuries before the Christian era, and has run on uninterruptedly until the present date, may well have given pause to writers aiming at completeness. The foreign student, however, is on a totally different footing. It may be said without offence that a work which would be inadequate to the requirements of a native public, may properly be submitted to English readers as an introduction into the great field which lies beyond.

Acting upon the suggestion of Mr. Gosse, to whom I am otherwise indebted for many valuable hints, I have devoted a large portion of this book to translation, thus enabling the Chinese author, so far as translation will allow, to speak for himself. I have also added, here and there, remarks by native critics, that the reader may be able to form an idea of the point of view from which the Chinese judge their own productions.

It only remains to be stated that the translations, with the exception of a few passages from Legge’s “Chinese Classics,” in each case duly acknowledged, are my own.

HERBERT A. GILES.

CAMBRIDGE.

CONTENTS

BOOK THE FIRST--THE FEUDAL PERIOD (B.C. 600-200)

CHAP. PAGE

I. LEGENDARY AGES--EARLY CHINESE CIVILISATION--ORIGIN OF WRITING 3 II. CONFUCIUS--THE FIVE CLASSICS 7 III. THE FOUR BOOKS--MENCIUS 32 IV. MISCELLANEOUS WRITERS 43 V. POETRY--INSCRIPTIONS 50 VI. TAOISM--THE “TAO-TÊ-CHING” 56

BOOK THE SECOND--THE HAN DYNASTY (B.C. 200-A.D. 200)

I. THE “FIRST EMPEROR”--THE BURNING OF THE BOOKS--MISCELLANEOUS WRITERS 77 II. POETRY 97 III. HISTORY--LEXICOGRAPHY 102 IV. BUDDHISM 110

BOOK THE THIRD--MINOR DYNASTIES (A.D. 200-600)

I. POETRY--MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE 119 II. CLASSICAL SCHOLARSHIP 137

BOOK THE FOURTH--THE T‘ANG DYNASTY (A.D. 600-900)

I. POETRY 143 II. CLASSICAL AND GENERAL LITERATURE 189

BOOK THE FIFTH--THE SUNG DYNASTY (A.D. 900-1200)

I. THE INVENTION OF BLOCK-PRINTING 209 II. HISTORY--CLASSICAL AND GENERAL LITERATURE 212 III. POETRY 232 IV. DICTIONARIES--ENCYCLOPÆDIAS--MEDICAL JURISPRUDENCE 238

BOOK THE SIXTH--THE MONGOL DYNASTY (A.D. 1200-1368)

I. MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE--POETRY 247 II. THE DRAMA 256 III. THE NOVEL 276

BOOK THE SEVENTH--THE MING DYNASTY (A.D. 1368-1644)

I. MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE--MATERIA MEDICA--ENCYCLOPÆDIA OF AGRICULTURE 291 II. NOVELS AND PLAYS 309 III. POETRY 329

BOOK THE EIGHTH--THE MANCHU DYNASTY (A.D. 1644-1900)

I. THE “LIAO CHAI”--THE “HUNG LOU MÊNG” 337 II. THE EMPERORS K‘ANG HSI AND CH’IEN LUNG 385 III. CLASSICAL AND MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE--POETRY 391 IV. WALL LITERATURE--JOURNALISM--WIT AND HUMOUR--PROVERBS AND MAXIMS 425

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE 441

INDEX 443

A History of Chinese Literature

PREFACE✦

PREFACE