1000000030

Rive a OlOr! viewof thefe pretenfions, principally

rxtra~td from their oIVn IVrllcrs. llut, IVhen any Ihing is

quoled from Ihe Chincfc I,iflory, it is abfolutdy necetra–

aHend,

1'0 Ihe limes purcly fJbalous and my–

thological ;

2. 1'0

Ihe doublful antl uncertain limes ;

"mi, 3. To Ihe hiflori,.1limes, IVhcn the Chinef. hillo–

ry, fupponed by

indlrpulJbl~

monUlller,IS, betiins to pro–

cecd on lure gronnJs.

l .

Sorne alcribc to Tiene hoang, a hook in eight ehap–

tm, which conlains Ihe origin of

letter~.

They add,

that the

cham~m

uf.d by the Sane hoang were nalur.d,

,,'ilhoul any dtlerminate fOIm, Ihat they were nOlhing but

gold and precious 1I0nes.

Lieou.jou, aUlhor uf Ouai-ki,

f.ys,

that Tiene.hoang

gave names 10 the len

K,!

1:.',

and to the Iwelve

7CH

to determine Ihe pl"e of Ihe'year: this is meaot of Ihe

cyclic char.,9.,s.

Twu:honng

li~nifies emp~ror

of heavcn. T hry eall

him alfo

r¡,,,,

/ÍJ.~,

Ih, inlclligent heal'cn;

Tlu

jl/II,

Ihe foo \\ho nourilhes and adorns alllhings; aoJ linally

'leho"g-liwe-bollng-lulU,

Ihe fuprelne king of Ihe n;irl–

nle heaveo,

tic.

This Tieoe·hoang fucceeded r OUaOt–

eou.

The Ouai -ki fa)'s, thal Ti.hoaog (emperor of Ihe

<arlh), Ihe fuccrni,r of -lieoe·l",ang, dl\'idcd Ihe d.y

: nd Ihe

ni~hl,

aod ' prl)inltd Ihiny days 10 make one

moon. T he book Toog li, q"oled io Lopi, a¿ds fur–

Iher, Ih31 Ihis emperor fixed tI,e wioter-folllice to Ihe

c1evtot~.

moon. A proof Ihal Ihe Chioef. year \Vas ori–

r':nally very

incorre~,

and !1m Ihe courfe of il was re–

gulaled only by Ihal of Ihe fe.foos, is, Ihal for a loog

time, 10 exprefs ayear, Ihey faid a chaoge of Ihe

leaves.

This Ti hoaog,

f~y

Ihty, \'las fat her ofTieoe-hoaog,

2nd of

Gioe· h()ao~

v:ho (olluws,

They givc G,ne·hoang (fovereign of meo) oioe bro·

thers, and prtlend, Ihal Ih.y divided Ihe gOI'ernmeol a-

1II00g Ihem. T hcy \Vere nioe brolhers (fays Yuene–

leoa-f,me) \Vho dividcd lhe emh

~mong

Ihe"" aod buill

rllies, which Ihey furrouoded \Vilh walls. h \Vas uoder

l',is prince (fays Lopi), Ihal Ihere firO began 10 hc a

¿iflin~ion

helween rhe fovereígo and Ihe

fubje~

Ihey

~r~ok,

Ihey eal, aod Ihe I\VO fcxes uoiled.

Afler Ihefe Ihree emperors \Vhich we have jufl nOlv

n~me¡!,

Ihey place Ihe period nal\\ed

Ou·/ol/g

(Ihe five

Long or dr.goos) compofcd of five difTereol f.milies.

BUI Ihey do 001lellus Iheir oames, nor Ihe duralioo of

Iheir reigos, In Iheft limes (fays ao alllhor) Oleo dwell

io Ihe boltomof C:lve6, or perched

~poo

rrtes as it were

in oens. This

f.~ conlradi~s

rht' ioveotioo of buildiog

cilles. aod furrouoding Ihem wilh \Valls, which Ihey

place under lhe reigo of

Cioe.ho,

ng; bUI we \ViII Oleel

",ilh m,loy fuch

contradi~ions

io Ihe fecluel.

Thcy fay oOlhing of Ihe Ihird K,. Of Ihe foun h,

named

H. t.,

aod coml'0fcd of Ihret f,mili cs, Ihey fA)',

th~1

Ihe 110-10 I,ugh: r,'eo 10 relire inlo Ihe hollows of

rock5. '1'1115 isalllhtyfay ofil, Ncilher do Ih.yf.yany

Ihing of Ihe fi flh

I~ i .

named

Litn. IMg,

aoJ cvmpClfed

of fix fJmilics ; of Ihe fi xlh Ki, oameJ

lIIing,

aod

comrofc~

of fuur r,.'" ilics.

a folly

I~ dw~1I

upuo Ihe trocha of th& fix Ki

5 )

H 1

oOlhiog is more abfurd , Lopi cites ao .uthor who ge'

oeroully gives IheOl 1,100,750 ye." duwioo ; Lnri

fays him:é:lf, Ihat the five fidl Ki afler Gioe hOJog make

io all )0,000 years.

T he fCI'enlh Ki is nal11ed

Sunejti,

aod comprrheods

tweotY- Iwo familics. HUI they fay nOlhiog uoder all

thefe reigos Ihal has'aoy relation 10 lhe arts or

ieoces.

Ooll' under lhe tweoty· fccood and lafl, named

r¡ú·che–

ehi,

Ihey.fay, Ibal il was 001 liIIlhen meo ceafed 10

dwell io caves. Is it nOI a palpable abfurdilY, IhH after

fa maoy :lges, aod uoder kiogs of whom Ihey rtl.ale fo

maoy

wono~rs,

Ihey had 001 yel found OUI Ihe

art

buildiog huls 10 fhelter them from Ihe winds and raios

T he eighlh Ki, named

rll,-li,

coolaios Ihimen fami–

lies or dyoaflies. Tchioe.fang-chi, Ihe (¡rn of Ihis pe–

riod, reignctl afler T fee·che-chi, aod founoed Ihe fi rn

fam¡ly. r hey fay, Ihat al Ihe beginoing meo covered

rheir bodirs wilh leaves aod hcrbs; fe rpenls aod bcaOs

\'Ierc

very

numclous; Ihe walers which Ildd overOowcd,

\Vc,'e 001 yel reluroed in10 Iheir chaooels; aod Ihe n,i–

fer)' of mankiod was extreme. Tchioe-faog laughl meo

10 prepare Ocios, 10 uke off Ihe hair wilh rollers 01' woorl,

ano ufe Ihem ag.infl Ihe wiods and frofl which incom–

morletl Ihe", ,'ery mucho He laught IhCOl alfo 10 make

~iod

of ,'.'eb of Iheir hair, to ferve Ihem as a co"eriog

10 Iheir heads agalol! Ihe raio. T hey obtyed him \Vilh

joy; he called his

fubje~s

pe.ple

clolhed ,.ith

/kmJ;

reigoed 350 years. ToTchioc-faog.chi fucceeded Chou–

chane·chi, IhenHai-kouei-chi, of \Vhom Ihey fay oOlhiog

\Vhich has aoy relalion 10 our

fubje~.

The founh prioce, \Vho

~Ifo

fnccceded Hai·kouei.chi,

was named

H~.."e-tune;

he founded Ihe fou' lh dynafly,

(for each of Ihefe prioct;-'which we h3ve jufl oow meo–

tioned, was Ihe founder of a family ordynafly.) In Ihe

hiflory of Ihis kiog, Lopi quoles Lao·cheoe'lfee, who

fpeaks Ihus:

.. Tlle ao6eot kiogs wore Iheir hair din,evelled, wilh–

out aoy oroameOI upon lhei .. he.'¡s, They had neilher

fceptre nor crowo, aod Ihey gOI'eroed Iheir people in

peace. Reiog of a beneficeol dirpofilioo, Ihey cherifhed

alllhing!, anO pUl 00 perfoo lOdmh . AIIVays giving,

aod nel'cr recei l'ing

~oy

Ihing, Iheir

fubje~s,

\Vilhout

drcAdiog Iheir po\\'cr

a!l

maflers, revered Iheir vinue in

their heam,

Th~o

heaveo aod earth obferl'ed a motl–

bcauliful order, aod cvery Ihing OouriOlcd in a furpritiog

m~noer.

T he b"ds buih thtir oells fa 10IV, that Ihey

mighl be reached wilh Ihe hand; all Ihe aoimal crealion

lamcly rubmined

Ihe \ViII of mao. Then Ihe jun

medium \Vas obferveo, aod harmony reigned over all.

They did nOI reckoo Ihe year hy Ihedays, Thcre was 00

diflinélino belIVeen withio aod IVilhoUI, belweeo mioe

and Ihinc, lo Ihis maoner reignerl !inene-Iuue, DUI

\Vheo maokind had degeneralcd from Ihis happy flate,

birds .nd

be~Os,

inrto.'h lOO ferpenrs, all logclher, and

wcrt' in concert. made \llar

a&.linfi

them ."

To Ihis dynany of

H')~ne-Iunc,

fucceeded Ihat of

Too~·hou· chi,

conlaiog feven kings which ue oot named.

To Ihis liflh dynally fuc-:ceded Ihe fiXlh, whofe founder

\Vas HOJng·lane· chi .

Tht 7,h, Ihe d)'oafly of Ki "l'ng-chi

'fhe 81h, Ihe d)llally of Ki.y.chi '.

The