Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 245

A Chinese Chrestomathy

427

of the phrases in this chapter are selected from those maxmnis and short sayings, for which the Chinese language is remarkable. Such are the following. The eye is the best index of a man's character.' 'Words may act a deceitful part, but the eye cannot play the rogue.'

Bitter words are good medicine.'

From the mouth come peace

•

and war; peace is mild, war is destructive; thus from the words of the mouth, are these two diverse effects: how greatly ought such springs of evil and of good to be feared.'

Chapter 3d comprises phrases relating to the Kindred Relations.' The following is an extract from the fourth section selected for the Chrestomathy from the Memoirs of Distinguished Women. "In the education of females, the first object of their attention is their virtue ; the second is their language; the third is their deportment; and the fourth is their appropriate work. Confucius said, let the woman be in subjection to the man.' Therefore, she has no part in the direc- tion of affairs; but there are three whom she must obey while under the paternal roof, she must obey her father; after marriage, she must obey her husband; and when he is dead, she must obey her eldest son: in no case may she presume to follow her own will. There are seven causes for putting away a wife; namely, disobedi- ence to her parents, barrenness, wantonness, jealousy, incurable disease, loquacity, and thievishness. There are five things which may prevent a woman from being taken as a wife; if she belong to a vicious family, a rebellious family, to one whose members suffer- ed capitally, to one afflicted with incurable disease, or if she be the elder child, and has no brother.' In the last section of this chapter are collected most of those terms which are in common use to desig- nate near and distant relations among the Chinese; 149 are enume- rated, and others might have been added.

19

Chapter 4th gives a collection of phrases appropriate to different classes of men—sages, worthies, heroes, bards, &c. Although there are no castes in China as in India, still there are several classifica- tions worthy of notice. Among the ancients, all were divided into four classes-scholars, husbandmen, mechanics, and merchants. They have also a threefold division. They say, "men of the highest order are good without instruction; men of the middling class are good after they have been instructed; while those of the lowest grade are bad in spite of instruction." In the several sections of this chapter there are also collected a variety of maxims, of which we give a specimen or two. The purpose of the hero is that which cannot be moved by muste

beauty on gam The genius of the poet never