Chapter I: Preface

This is the first attempt made in any language, including Chinese, to produce a history of Chinese literature.

Native scholars, with their endless critiques and appreciations of individual works, do not seem ever to have contemplated anything of the kind, realising, no doubt, the utter hopelessness, from a Chinese point of view, of achieving even comparative success in a general historical survey of the subject. The voluminous character of a literature which was already in existence some six centuries before the Christian era, and has run on uninterruptedly until the present date, may well have given pause to writers aiming at completeness. The foreign student, however, is on a totally different footing. It may be said without offence that a work which would be inadequate to the requirements of a native public, may properly be submitted to English readers as an introduction into the great field which lies beyond.

Acting upon the suggestion of Mr. Gosse, to whom I am otherwise indebted for many valuable hints, I have devoted a large portion of this book to translation, thus enabling the Chinese author, so far as translation will allow, to speak for himself. I have also added, here and there, remarks by native critics, that the reader may be able to form an idea of the point of view from which the Chinese judge their own productions.

It only remains to be stated that the translations, with the exception of a few passages from Legge’s “Chinese Classics,” in each case duly acknowledged, are my own.

HERBERT A. GILES.

CAMBRIDGE.

CONTENTS

_BOOK THE FIRST--THE FEUDAL PERIOD_ (B.C. 600-200)

CHAP. PAGE

I. LEGENDARY AGES--EARLY CHINESE CIVILISATION--ORIGIN OF WRITING 3
II. CONFUCIUS--THE FIVE CLASSICS 7
III. THE FOUR BOOKS--MENCIUS 32
IV. MISCELLANEOUS WRITERS 43
V. POETRY--INSCRIPTIONS 50
VI. TAOISM--THE “TAO-TÊ-CHING” 56

_BOOK THE SECOND--THE HAN DYNASTY_
(B.C. 200-A.D. 200)

I. THE “FIRST EMPEROR”--THE BURNING OF THE BOOKS--MISCELLANEOUS
WRITERS 77
II. POETRY 97
III. HISTORY--LEXICOGRAPHY 102
IV. BUDDHISM 110

_BOOK THE THIRD--MINOR DYNASTIES_ (A.D. 200-600)

I. POETRY--MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE 119
II. CLASSICAL SCHOLARSHIP 137

_BOOK THE FOURTH--THE T‘ANG DYNASTY_ (A.D. 600-900)

I. POETRY 143
II. CLASSICAL AND GENERAL LITERATURE 189

_BOOK THE FIFTH--THE SUNG DYNASTY_ (A.D. 900-1200)

I. THE INVENTION OF BLOCK-PRINTING 209
II. HISTORY--CLASSICAL AND GENERAL LITERATURE 212
III. POETRY 232
IV. DICTIONARIES--ENCYCLOPÆDIAS--MEDICAL JURISPRUDENCE 238

_BOOK THE SIXTH--THE MONGOL DYNASTY_
(A.D. 1200-1368)

I. MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE--POETRY 247
II. THE DRAMA 256
III. THE NOVEL 276

_BOOK THE SEVENTH--THE MING DYNASTY_
(A.D. 1368-1644)

I. MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE--MATERIA MEDICA--ENCYCLOPÆDIA OF
AGRICULTURE 291
II. NOVELS AND PLAYS 309
III. POETRY 329

_BOOK THE EIGHTH--THE MANCHU DYNASTY_
(A.D. 1644-1900)

I. THE “LIAO CHAI”--THE “HUNG LOU MÊNG” 337
II. THE EMPERORS K‘ANG HSI AND CH’IEN LUNG 385
III. CLASSICAL AND MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE--POETRY 391
IV. WALL LITERATURE--JOURNALISM--WIT AND HUMOUR--PROVERBS AND
MAXIMS 425

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE 441

INDEX 443