. The world's inhabitants; or, Mankind, animals, and plants; being a popular account of the races and nations of mankind, past and present, and the animals and plants inhabiting the great continents and principal islands. nese f^i^^^e whicli deal with facts. Still, theii* Book of Odes includes poetry, compositions dating back earlier than any other works, and breathing, as Professor Douglas says (Encyclopadia Britannica, Vol. Y.), a quiet calm and patriarchal simplicity of thought and life. . We THE CHINESE. 375 have brouglit before tlie minds ej-e the lowly cottage where dwell afamily united
. The world's inhabitants; or, Mankind, animals, and plants; being a popular account of the races and nations of mankind, past and present, and the animals and plants inhabiting the great continents and principal islands. nese f^i^^^e whicli deal with facts. Still, theii* Book of Odes includes poetry, compositions dating back earlier than any other works, and breathing, as Professor Douglas says (Encyclopadia Britannica, Vol. Y.), a quiet calm and patriarchal simplicity of thought and life. . We THE CHINESE. 375 have brouglit before tlie minds ej-e the lowly cottage where dwell afamily united by the bonds of affection and of- duty. Even whereoppression is hinted at, the remedy sought is flight, not rebellion; andthe essence of the people seems to have been, then as now, a strictsubordination and patience. In later poetry, after the time of Confucius,superstition takes the place of monotheism, turbulence of , when the Chinese arms spread far in conquest, there was anotherflourishing period of poetry; but, after all, it does not reach any truegreatness. Neither epic nor dramatic poetry has flourished among them ;but plays are written in prose, and are very abundant. The stories are. RECEPTION ROOM IN A CHINESE HOUSE. rarely such as we find interesting, and are not illustrated by two actors occupy the stage at one time. Chinese religious and philosophical books are on the whole disappoint-ing, mostly composed of disjointed sentiments or statements ; and some ofthem may be summed up in the sentence, Walk in the old The Book ofpaths. The Book of Rites prescribes behaviour and ceremony ^^*®^-for every minute circumstance of life; and one of the chief Boards atPekin is occupied with seeing that its directions are faithfully carriedout. Indeed, it has been said that the Book of Eites is the most exactand complete monograph the Chinese nation can give of itself. Its I 376 THE INHABITANTS OF ASIA. affections are satisfied by ceremonial; its du
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectcivilization, bookyea
