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THE CHINA REVIEW.
examination. A notice is issued, and the students assemble according to magistracies in the provincial Examination Hall (bung yuan), when five successive examinations are held in the following manner. Suppose there are ten thousand in all. After the first boat perhaps ten per cent. are excluded, and the names of the others are hung np outside the Hall, according to magistrasies, the first ten in eacb magistracy heing specially noted. This is continued live times, the Prefect each time excluding about ten per cent. of the least meritorious com- posers. The result of the fifth heat is that about one tenth of the whole number of cach magistracy is selected; the names of the ten best of each of these are specially prominent, and the first in each teu receives the honorary appellation of "Prefect's choice” {fu pi) The advantage gained by the fu pi is thut, as a matter of courtesy, the Literary Chancellor will, as of course, pass him for his Degree. All the other distinctious, con- ecquent upon this quintuple analysis, count for nothing but local and ephemeral honour amongst one's friends. Nearly all candidates are "retained" (li) as eligible for the degree of sin l'ai, as of course.
This takes place generally in the eighth month of the Chinese antumn. The Literary Chancellor has a yumen of his own and receives a Commission for three years. The first two of these are the sui Biao, or years for examination for the degree of sui istai. The subjects are, as in the case of the Magistrate's and Prefect's examinations, prose and poetry, but the Chancellor devotes one day to each. An average of perhaps ten per cent. of candidates obtain a prima facie degree, but before the list of the successful is issued (fa pang), a second test Examination takes place (fu k'ue) in order to guard against imposition, eribbing," prompting, &c., &o. Generally ahent eight per cent. of the succossful serapo through this second ordeal, upon which, after an interval of ten days or so, the list of graduates is suspended outside the Hall.
The next step is to buy an official hat, sur- mounted with a gilt swan in lieu of a button (ho muo), which ornament is only worn upon the hat on this one occasion; flowers are also stuck in each side of the hair (twin hita. The successful ones must then visit the Chancellor, dressed up in their official costume. This visit takes place at his yamen. The graduates first turn to the north and kotow to His Majesty: after that they turn to the Chancellor and koto to him likewise.
The chancellor
addresses to them, collectively, a few valedictory words, after which the students retire and proceed to their respective homes. A visit to the ancestral cemetery is an in- dispensable sequence of having graduated. This ceremony is apparently to establish, before the manes of one's ancestors, this joyful evidence of continuity of honour in the family. The next year a similar ex- amination to that just described takes place, immediately after which the Literary Chancellor holds a second examination (lich a) of the two groups of graduates, for honours (la 4). This is also in two subjects only, prose essay and poetical composition, and lasts but one day. The result is an- nonused, like the result of the Magistrate's and Prefect's Examinations, by the posting of a plai, not, as in the examinations for the degrees of six tatai, chủ jên, and chin shih, by the issue of a pang. The plai, or notice, is less solemn and imposing thau the pang, or official list. The bachelors (siu tsai) of each magistracy are now arranged in three grades (san teng), the first candi- date in the first grade of each magisterial group receiving the title of lin sheng, which enables him to lovy a contribution of about 500 cash front each of the Bachelors of his magistracy who have competed at this ex- amination for honours, and qualifies him to act as the spokesman and introducer (as mentioned above), in all matters interesting the bachelors or undergraduates of his magistracy.
Those two years being endod, study for
NOTES AND QUERIER.
the degree of chü jên is the next step. It mast he mentioned that those graduates who have not reached the standard necessary to become enrolled in one of the three grades for honours are obliged to wait till the second +xamination for a chù jën takes place, to wit, three extra years.
The examination for a che jen is held by the chu k'ao, a special Commissioner appoint- ed by the Emperor to cach Province for each k'o or examination. This functionary is always accompanied by an assistant ex- aminer (u cha kiwo), and occupies the Town Hall (kung kean), of the Provincial Metropolis, not having, like the Chancellor,
This ex- a yamên appropriated to bis use, amination is much more severe than that for a siu s'ai, the duration being nine days, in three bouts of three days each, during each bout of which the candidates are rigidly confined, night and day, to their examina- tion cells. The first three days are devoted to essays upon subjects taken from the Four Books (sz shu); the second three to essays on the Classics (ching); the third to miscel- laneous essays upon subjects chosen at random (ts' lun). The candidates are no longer ranged according to magistracies, nor the date at which they according to graduated as siu tsai. Perhaps two hundred will be a fair average for the number of chi jen degrees allotted to each Province. Under the name of fu pang are ranged those who have reached a high standard, but who by special favour receive a degree over and above the number allotted, owing to their great marit. In about a month the che 'uo issues his list (fu pang), in which the first candidate, among all from the Province, obtains the title of chich yian, the second that of ya yuan, and the third that of ching kusi all purely honorary titles. The rest of the successful ones are termed en fusi. A visit is now first made to the Provincial Governor (fu tai), and afterwards to the chu kioo, by all the graduates who have thus taken their second degree. The ex- aminations about described may be translat-
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ed by the analogous terms, "matriculation," "little go," Bachelor of Arts," "Master of Arts." The third your is spent by the Chancellor in" going sircuit" to ascertain the literary merit of each township.
The examination for the degree of chin- shih takes place at Peking, in the third month of the year succeeding that in which the chi-jen examination was held. A cht- kino, generally an officer of high rank, assisted by a fu-chu-k'uo, are appointed by the Emperor to hold this examination in the Great Hall (Kung-yüan) at Poking. The subjects are the same as for the chi-jên, and the ordeal lasts nine daya. Not more than a dozen or thirty from each Province are successful. The first candidate receives the honorary appellation of hui-yuan. This is succeeded by the tien-shih, ur honours examination, held by the Emperor himself, who selects the themes, which are at once published in the Peking Gazette. The first candidate in the Empire is called a chuang- yüm, the second a pang-yen, the third a t'an-hua, and the fourth a ch'uan-lu, terms which may he rendered by the analogous senior, second, third, and fourth wrang- lers." The remaining chin-shit are ranged in three grades (san-ling-chun), the first grade of which are drafted in the Haulin Academy, the second of which become petty Officers at Court (siao-ching-kuan), and the third of which are appointed by lot to expectant offices in the Provinces (chi-pu), The subjects for the tien-shih are the Five Classics, and five pages of prose composition. Lastly comes the ch'ao-L'av, or vivă vore examination by the Emperor, who puts five questions to each chin-shih (t'si-wên-Wu- tao). According to His Majesty's prepos- session is the candidate marked out for any special duty or office.
The above outline of the Chinese curricu- lum is necessarily incomplete, and is bere- with submitted for correction. Any short- comings which may be pointed out by letter, to the Editor of the China Review, will be noted, and on some futuro occasion an
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