Directory_and_Chronicle_1845 — Page 353

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No.

1

Reigo.

B. C.

33

6. THE TSın Dynasty.

Year of Cycle.

3 249 39:49

Cotemporary Events.

The sea-fight at Drepanum in Sicily, and the Romans defeated by Adherbal.

Note. It may be remarked here, once for all, that the object of the writers of the History Made Easy is to give, in this concise form, only what they regard as the true imperial line; consequently, all the minor and cotemporary states are omitted; but in the body of their work they supply the details.

7. THE AFTER TSIN Dynasty.

7

No.

Reign.

Year

B. C. of

Cycle.

Cotemporary Events.

246|39:52 Hamilcar passes with an army and his son Hannibal to Spain, 237. The temple 40: 29 of Janus at Rome closed, 235.

1

37

2

7

200

4.

Plautus, Eyander, Zeno, Ennius, Epi- cydes, flourished about this time.

Chi kwángti, the First Emperor, and entertained the vain and am- bitious purpose of obliterating the names of all those who had pre- ceded him.

The building of the great wall, and the order for destroying all the sacred and classical books in the empire, are the principal acts that give character to his reign. The first was achieved at an amazing expense, and will remain among the wonders of the world down to the end of time. How far the other was executed it is impossible to determine. It was an iron rule that could draw forth men and means sufficient to erect, in the course of a few years, that immense pile which stretches along the whole northern frontier of the empire; a power that could do all this, would be able, we may suppose, to achieve almost anything in the range of possibilities. The emperor caused great numbers of the literati to be put to death; and he commanded all the sacred and classical books to be burnt, but it seems to us impossible that such a decree could be obeyed. Over so great an extent of territory thousands of copies had been multiplied; and on the promulgation of decrees, it were easy for the admirers of the classics to conceal them in secret places, utterly beyond the reach of the public authorities. However, many of the Chinese believe that no entire copy remained undestroyed.

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