MORAL TENETS AND CUSTOMS IN CHINA.* *THis intensely interesting volume

claims to set forth "the -essential notions of the three sects " (in China), the " Literati, Buddhists, and Taoists." These three philosophies have become one, we are given-to understand, in the crucible of the public mind. "The same individual in China is at once a Confucianist, a Buddhist, and a Taoist, and with no sense of incongruity." Our author quotes a sentencefrom A. P. Smith's Chinese Characteristics " to emphasize his point. " Buddhism swallowed Taoism, Taoism swallowed Confucianism, but at last the latter swallowed both Buddhism and Taoism together, and thus 'the three religions are one.' " The meaning of the quotation is plain, though the wording is, to say the least, somewhat involved.

The moral treatises selected from Chinese literature, and here presented to the reader as typical of Chinese ideals, are printed in double columns in Chinese (Roman- Ind character) and in English, while on the opposite page appears the same thing in Chinese characters. The book is profusely illustrated with reproductions of ancient Chinese pictures and photographic scenes representing the life of modern China. The last chapters contain minute descriptions of the various ceremonials which hallow the great events of life—marriage, birth, and death—in northern China. These latter form less attractive reading than the moral disquisi- tions. Every one is interested in ethics, though he may know nothing of moral philosophy beyond what his own tempta- tions can teach him. So true is it that "there are on this earth but two ways, the good and the bad one. All people halt at the branching off." Alien symbolism, on the other hand, finds less echo in the Western mind. China is the land of ceremonial. Without rites man would be little better than an animal, they think.

Filial piety, of course, stands first among the virtues in the Chinese mind. "This law of filial piety flows from the natural goodness that Heaven has shared out to you," we read. Any affection which may for a moment supplant the supreme affection which should exist between parent and child is dreaded by the Chinese moralist. " Alas ! the men of the present day reserve their greatest love for their wives," the preacher complains. " With regard to women, they do not count," he adds bitterly. " A wife is not of the same flesh and blood as her husband. Her family name is not the same as yours." By his own showing, however, they do " count" very much indeed, and all the moralists who touch on the subject of women seem to inveigh against infanticide. Custom and religion both exalt the position of the mother, even though in her capacity of wife the Chinese woman may be technically slighted. "From remote ages there were very good women," is a naïve admission which would seem to be proverbial. If a woman is not to be regarded as belonging to her husband's family, it seems hard that she should have to be wholly sub- servient to her parents-in-law during all the earlier years of her married life. Nothing is to be counted ber own.

No daughter-in-law, without being told to go to her own apart- ment, should venture to withdraw from that (of her parents-in- law). Whatever she is about to do, she should ask leave from them. A son and his wife should have no private goods, nor

Dr. L. Wieger's "Moral Tenets and Customs in China." Translated by D. Davront, B.J. Illustrated. HoArien-fu: Catholic Mission Press. London: Norice, 9 Cecil Court,-W-.C. [tee. net.] animals, nor vessels ; they should not presume to borrow from, or give anything to, another person. If anyone give the wife an article of food or dress, a piece of cloth or silk, a handkerchief for her girdle, an iris or orchid, she should receive and offer it to her parents-in-law. If they accept it, she will be glad ae if she were receiving it afresh. If they return it to her, she will take it as if it were a second gift, and lay it by to wait they may want it."

Growing up, it is evident, gives no emancipation to a young woman in China. She passes from one state of tutelage to another ; but after all her time comes in the end.

"Sons' wives should serve their parents-in-law as they served their own. At the first crowing of the cock, they should dress; when dressed, they should go to their parents and parents-in-law. On getting to where they are, with bated breath and gentle voice they should ask if their clothes are warm or cold, whether they are ill or pained, or uncomfortable in any part ; and if they be so, they should proceed reverently to stroke and scratch the place. They should in the same way, going before or following after, help and support their parents in quitting or entering the apartment. They will bring in the basin for them to wash, . . . they will ask whether they want anything, and then respectfully bring it. All this they will do with an appearance of pleasure to make their parents feel at ease."

There are seven causes of divorce in China—against a wife—

one of which is "loquacity." We should doubt if many young Chinese women have enough spirit left to offend by chatter. Does scolding, we wonder, come under the head of " loquacity " ?

The Chinese moralists, in spite of their singular absence of what is ordinarily called " religions feeling," appear to base their morality upon inspiration. There is a sentence of four words which the student of morals is exhorted to keep in mind. "Natural goodness, heavenly received." It is a wonderful summing up of a very fine philosophy of life.

But it is not only the plainer virtues which are regarded as "natural." Compassion is specially singled out as a "natural" virtue.

"Every good man has the instinct of mercy and extends it to all that has life under heaven, men and other beings. As in peaches and apricots there is a kernel, and in water-melons a pip, so in man there is an instinctive goodness which is like man's kernel ; it is a puff of warm air which envelops the heart of man and which ho brings with him at his birth."

Do these words really give voice to the aspirations of a people as renowned for cruelty as the Chinese? Again, it is astonish- ing indeed to find so much stress laid upon "sweet reasonable- ness." Stiffness and obstinacy make their thin show on the Chinese face. Half the troubles of life come, we are assured, from the fact that men cannot induce themselves to yield.

"If in your village there are any bad characters, you must avoid them carefully and have little intercourse with them. If you cannot avoid them entirely, you must yield to them in discuss- ing and treating affairs with them. If they should happen to give you a slight offence, pay no heed to it. Acting thus, how could they harm you ? Is it not a popular saying, 'Whilst you may offend ten honest men, avoid offending oven one single scoundrel'? If you do so, you will be reckoned as a man of experience. When one has to deal with bullies, there is no use standing on one's dignity ; when you treat with stupid men you must not be like them. But here comes a busybody who will say, 'If people wrong me and I should overlook it, all my fellow villagers will come thus and annoy me, and life will become impossible for me.' Well, have you forgotten this saying of the ancients, that Those who know how to bear a reverse are also those who know how to overcome it '?"

There is, of course, a good trace of worldliness in all this, but it is not a base but an exalted worldliness, if one may use

such an expression.

The same comment may be made upon the intense reverence for education. "All other things are vulgar; study alone is noble," they declare, and " Among good works there is none which surpasses the establishment of schools." Respect for education is, of course, a democratic principle. " Generals and Ministers do not spring from seed, but from the efforts made by the young man." Riches do not seem to be very greatly respected. " Money clouds the intelligence," accord- ing to Chinese belief. It is an odd point of view, and one certainly unheard-of in the West. On the other hand, riches

are not deprecated on principle, and in fact they are legitimate objects of desire. " As to riches, it is right to have some," is another naive obiter dictum, and the warning to benevolent men not to ask more than 30 per cent. on money lent does not seem very stringent in character. the rich are

not held np to reverence. Men who have inherited money are rather roughly used by the moralists, and are said to be devoid of the finer feelings, fearing nothing but ridicule. Children are taught to have an immense respect for litera- ture. " A book must not be thumbed with unclean hands, a written paper must not be thrown in dirty places ; one must not in a fit of anger tear up a written page." Oddly enough, this exaltation of literature is accompanied by dis- paragement of the arta, especially music and acting. The mind of the past is consulted at every turn. Precedent is sacrosanct, but ordinary antiquarianism gets a side hit which will rouse the sympathy of Philistines. "Heaven hates those who tire the people for the sake of collecting rare objects." In the respect of the moralists husbandry stands almost as high as education. The soldiery are exhorted to protect the peasantry. " Think well on it : whence do you get your monthly pay and rice allowance P The grain you eat, the cloth you employ for your clothes, are given to you by the peasantry who pay the taxes." Turning then to the men who till the soil, the moralist exhorts them thus : " When you see people getting money from business, avoid envying their lot; don't become disgusted with your field work, and seek to go into business. Are you not aware that in olden times traders were generally little thought of ? . The sole gain worth reckoning is the farmer's." Two sayings which shall be our final quotations are typical illustrations of the teaching contained in this summary of Chinese ideals. The first is continually quoted in the West, is universal in its application, and shows the mind of the philosopher ; the second is very like it in meaning, but comes evidently from the common sense of just-minded if provincial country folk. These are they : "In everything let others have their share of the suu." " A good man does not spit in the well."