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THE CHINA REVIEW.
merit of the work, and yet he does not of- fend against the due reverence for his fore- fathers. How grand the leading idea of the composition at the sacredness of constitu- tional Law How clearly he distinguishes what is essential in the Spirit of Law, and how necessary to adopt the form to the Ie changed conditions of modern times. gives a good account of its sonrees, what is the relation of it to precedent and to other branches of the same great subject. It is interesting to notice how guarded is the language in the declaration, that the work is the faithful reproduction of former times, and yet without a slavish adherence to the mere letter, which would cause a loss of the very spirit of that which should be con- served, and handed down without change of character to posterity. The argument is plain to show that Law is originally founded upon equity, and that the meaning and intention are to be held as more important than the mere letter and outward form. There is also a clear statement as to the wide application of general principles. It would be unfair to withhold the acknowledg- ment that the Imperial writer was sincere in the profession of a desire to be the Father of his Country and a Protector of the rights of all classes of the people. There is certainly a pleasing contrast, as has already been in- timated, between the Emperors of the present dynasty and all who have gone before.
Following the Preface is a List of the off- cials who formed the Committee, who pre- pared the work under Imperial Authority, There are more than two hundred names, the first of which is an Imperial uncle, brother of the Emperor Yung Ching; then fol- low the names of many high officials, Members of Cabinet, Presidents and Vice Presidents of acveral of the Six Boards, and eminent scholars.
Next comes an Imperial Ode by Kin Lung , with a preface, the translations of which appended will suffice to explain their character. Attention will be attracted by the fact of the Emperor's testimony in regard
to the superiority of type to wooden blocks, and his statements in regard to the inven- tion of printing with moveable types. He was pronounced in his preference for what is new, when it was shown to be a real im- provement upon old methods.
An Imperial Ode, with ten rhymes. suspended in the Military Heroes' Hall, in praise of the "Collected Gems" (types) with prefuce.
Au examination of the scattered documents and miscellaneous papers of the Great Statutes of Wing Loh (1403), and a careful search among the libraries that have been preserved in the Empire, shows not less than ten thou- sand varieties. These have been published in the "Complete Works of the Four Libra- ries" (Vide Wylie's Notes on Chinese Litera- ture). The selection of what men seldom see of what is profitable for the instruction of the age, and the hearts of mankind, and worthy of being a mirror for reference, these should be printed and transmitted as excel- lent, to teach all who come to make them a study. But the varieties are very many, and the cutting of the blocks is no easy matter. Kam Kan, the keeper of the Military Reroes Hall, has recommended the use of living characters (types). In that case the trouble of cutting blocks may be avoided. Again there nec be no waste of time by delay. There will be a saving of both time and labor to the advantage of simplicity and dispatch."
"It is found upon, examination that it is recorded in The Pencil Conversatious of Sbam Kút
that during the reign
of Hing Lik (1141) of the Sung dynasty there was a man named Pat Shing who made living blocks (types) out of adhesive clay barat, and in
Luk Sham's
Memoirs of the Gold-
en Tower' it is recorded that there was a man of Pi Lak (a place in the pro- rince of Klang-sú I who made use of lead characters, but these were both inferior to wooden blocks in convenience. This was the beginning of type printing. It is to be
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW OF THE CHINESE EMPIRE.
considered that the body of those made of elay was course, the substance of those cast in lead was soft, and so neither were equal in excellence of workmanship to wooden blocks. Moreover in cutting single cha- racters to the amount of more than 250,000, although the number of varieties of books may be hundreds and tons, all are available for use.
So that it may be affirmed, that in the comparison of excellence, the modern modo is superior to the ancient. But the uame of living character block' is not elegant, therefore in the appended Ode the name is changed to Collected Gems :- "Searching antiquity making researches for the Four Libraries, now all at once there are five carriages !~(1.) Beginning to print, thinking of after ages, there is an accumulation of blocks that might fill a house.
The Collection of the Tong College Chung Tip. The Remains of the age of Leung by Chan-man.--(2.) Both were executed with types, used to print
the Complete Works. Finer in appearance than the Crane's Crest, more abundant than the collection of the shelves of Ip.-(3.)
The contrivance is easy of execution, no need of block-cutters, the work is doubled and without the trouble of copying. Matching shoulder pieces is a matter for precedent; the plan of moulding clay is coarse.-(4.)
Destroying the copper was a inistake to be regretted; cutting in wood, this shames me!-(5.)
Now again the work is completed and care-
fully collected.-((i.) Completed copies are exhibited to those who
come to learn, giving full satisfaction to every desire."
Norrs.-1. Allusion is made here to the facts mentioned in History, that the Han Dynasty had large libraries, enough to
till five carriages when they were removed.
2. Another historical allusion to burge libraries.
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3. The "Crane's Crest" is explained in a note, which says: Last year a book was presented from Kiangnan, which had Crane's Crest characters (that is a fanciful' name for type), but the workmanship of the char- acter was not good, and there were many errors in it. There is still another historical allusion to a large library.
4. "Matching shoulder pieces" refers to the preparation of fur robes made of the thuest pieces of the skins of animals. Some of them are very rare and of fine workman- ship and so very expensive.
a. Another note explains this reference, which says During the time of Kang-hi
(1662) An Imperial Edition of Ancient and Modern Works with lustra- Lions, was printed ou plates formed with copper characters (type). After the printing the types were deposited in the Military Herose' Hall, for a long number of years. It is probable that some of the type had been stolen, and the officer in charge fear- ing that he would be blamed, and just at the beginning of the reign of Kin-Lang
cash was at a high premium at the Capital, so a request was made to destroy the copper type for coinage. This was granted. The gain was but little, and the loss was very great. It was a miserable calculation. Had the copper type still re- mained would not the printing of books at the present time have been performed with half the amount of labor? It is very much to be regretted."
6. Reference is made here to a misprint→→ the lower half of the character omitted, leaving the character fish.
being meaning
It is hardly worth while to delay, to make any extended survey of the Plan of the Fork, and the Report of the Committee to the Throne when the work was finished, but they are not unimportant, and especially the latter is a fine specimen of Chinese thought and style, and would repay a careful study as connected with the subject in hand.
The next matter is the Indez of subjects
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