CONTENTS

BOOK THE FIRST—THE FEUDAL PERIOD (B.C. 600-200)

CHAP.PAGE

I. LEGENDARY AGES—EARLY CHINESE CIVILISATION—ORIGIN OF WRITING3

II. CONFUCIUS—THE FIVE CLASSICS7

III. THE FOUR BOOKS—MENCIUS32

IV. MISCELLANEOUS WRITERS43

V. POETRY—INSCRIPTIONS50

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 WRITERS77

II. POETRY97

III. HISTORY—LEXICOGRAPHY102

IV. BUDDHISM110

BOOK THE THIRD—MINOR DYNASTIES (A.D. 200-600)

I. POETRY—MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE119

II. CLASSICAL SCHOLARSHIP137

BOOK THE FOURTH—THE T‘ANG DYNASTY (A.D. 600-900)

I. POETRY143

II. CLASSICAL AND GENERAL LITERATURE189

BOOK THE FIFTH—THE SUNG DYNASTY (A.D. 900-1200)

I. THE INVENTION OF BLOCK-PRINTING209

II. HISTORY—CLASSICAL AND GENERAL LITERATURE212

III. POETRY232

IV. DICTIONARIES—ENCYCLOPÆDIAS—MEDICAL JURISPRUDENCE238

BOOK THE SIXTH—THE MONGOL DYNASTY (A.D. 1200-1368)

I. MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE—POETRY247

II. THE DRAMA256

III. THE NOVEL276

BOOK THE SEVENTH—THE MING DYNASTY (A.D. 1368-1644)

I. MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE—MATERIA MEDICA—ENCYCLOPÆDIA OF AGRICULTURE291

II. NOVELS AND PLAYS309

III. POETRY329

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 LUNG385

III. CLASSICAL AND MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE—POETRY391

IV. WALL LITERATURE—JOURNALISM—WIT AND HUMOUR—PROVERBS AND MAXIMS425

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE441

INDEX443