CHINESE LITERATURE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 503, 10 May 1909, Page 9

CHINESE LITERATURE.

LECTURE MY MIJ HWANG*

• -A' cloud of, popular'inisconcoptiona;'might, bo,:dispelled'from 'careless'uiimls by a,series of subh dddresses'.nsthe. Chin'esb- Consul, Mr. >• gave;V ; m:; .';'jthe' : .>Wesloy Church Bcboblrobrii,;' Tdraria'kt:,,,Street,";: :bn ..Friday eveningl-By' leyan • liiterary: arid.Debating Society asked ,MK : Hwailg: tbinaugurate its.'.Beas'on .with a ''lecture-' bii' "Tbb.Migian:-ahd;:LiWraturo. of, '-.'fho result :;.waiF a -thoughtfuljscholarly,', and- iitfpriilativo : address, ■■• which 'touch. imprcissethtß'tf.llUinorous;hearers.- :. • '■• -.-An■'•■Ateicnfi'jftrfessor. had ' stated that .fbligl'oit'.fras;thb"[Jfbdubt-bf.:the.:.East; ' "I find/' said: Mr. :Hwangiv."from my-study of the Wees that ■liumaiiityis',everywljefo ttJli-tSiPus.'-'-Befbro tliedays->-flf jCbitfucianisin, Uuddhisia; or Taoism; 'tilebld-.Cliuiese> bldssics d'.■'divine" : being-cXist-ihg in heaven abbye-human'l&ihgs. But'thfcidea wastoo Vast-'for. thbsb aribi'ont .pcbple;vwhp weto, led :Wiriiagino : ,spirits/of the mobnt'airr'anuiriyor, moon arid - stars'—mere- •nature ;.-worßhip:: Bucldhism.'wliichbamb.frbmludla, taught" the diffei'ebcb'>etye6n;fight-and,AvroiigV ; aUiJ introduced- the 1 ' ideas .••of.;' their reward and puhiahnient—rbf -'heaven vahd/llell. But'-tlio Supreme God iiyas hot; yet; mado; sufficiently clear,- arid erroneous v and superstitious notions ,w.ere;h'aaded.doym"tb' ldtergenerations. .'Con.fuciahismy'.tb mind, was/riot a religion' at ali/but a''school ..of moral., philosophy,- pblitical...philosophy,' .atld ,the-' highest .'and,.best.,liteiatb'rb:'iii'KChma,:. -Yet''th"e!.inciphl!iufluehc'b ; in',Chlfliiirbm , :I >itß first prtfpav nation'.till >tho: -iiresent /.timbj*indeed,f v Sir. J'ol'd hintt-hiit;jts.lriflu'bhbe : liad'b'e'b&.more.felt sW:■ the'. .Chinese.', ■than--:the '.'innuehco•' of, Christianity 'hadfbbbh- -Western: h worlO.' -.-Iri'-.the; Westorn: ivbrld' riot everybody: was; a Christian'or -believed/in.Christ; it dp-■ Reared:as'if fnuhy : Occideritals'-'bad no' belief !-iti'jXnSrtliibg; bfeSfond ; the material,.'.but, every' ■.Chinese',:- bo". lib.'; scholar or .labourer, Was-, in-, 'fluenced by Confucianism,: anil'knew-some of :■ !th'e great;'pdiiits'.of ; itJ.teaching>'-;'Tho ; ;reasdn' was .that to the .edubated rind 'uriMlucaredi-thero-wos-:iH) thing mysterious' .or.'very,;deep abbilJ.itUudtfothihg beybii'd ; ono's''poh;erctp.practi3e. ; : .T)ib ; lecturer: Oxelliplifi.bd 'th'egb^bnifac^risticg,.by- -quota; tlblis frbm-.the Sage 1 . ■But CoilflteiliSj : llbcjiiiiitilibd,-did not.bl.aiW tb :.bb: ; m'pro* than irrianj'-^anji-a'oirlgtlunE'.'^lligiief -than, his, bf God and^bfißisidovb/fbr^matii-^^i'!i.:; -■;*,Traditibli:';taUght'■ ' that^ithfc'inventor- of'' Cllin6Bo;tettefßUiv6d):abbut;:3oDa;B,C " Chinese;: scliblars, ,-.oir-'.^hich- ; .tho:; .first,'.'.was. .•.wnl&ri^ob'dufcM^ -:_bf;,ChillesbV words;-' had .sba'rcblyVchanged ; : froni.thc'mbsti'nnoieh't ti'mes'tihtil w-day,-'and' .boiread.ilow : .\ritlirjiit"'dLfficu 1 ty.'.The Book of.. Xtereinbiiies, •■ .written kover a. thbitSilild ; years; ibefbro the:.C]iris.tiait.erb, (sot ''.forth' tub -rites atld bef Used oiV{almb3t all' bb-:', cdßibns,' dhd-'with! - few,- cxbeptibuß'-these were ■ •.not;abflartedfrb^^ rribyemerit-'and'.spirit ,b£ .English' verse .were. -labkih'g'.iii;thb:.Chihbsb,;poetry };this was fery •iiotice4ble' : .t6;,tne Ispeafeer'jinrtf anslations- of ,En^lis^ : -sliohld 'have, .their,{'bwhqiynvhs '[ if they -were going : .tb.fe 'bbrab:.d : great..Christian:nation.;: : rMr. Hwang, referred 'to othors'of-the Chinese ;classics,;and. 'stated';''that ithesb. aiicien.t.'works vrpre'.very obeaUtjfUl,;artd'tliQiigh the.Chifteso/exdmind-' ■tio'ns :.h'ad ;hbbn. : idcfeasod-';^ycß^rd'.:clem^ht'i-in.6du£atibiii < 'it' 'wbuldvbejaiigreat^losj.:if Chinese : scholdrß should Wer'iieKleet thblr old literature. •-The

Hhbgreat .wall, had tie-: Btrby'ed; ii'yAstMiinnbcf-Ofjlio tiSi-titneiYblltl aftferVbis , ;\death' I th€to, was'-a' 'activity. Many; of j'.lhe fbl3.v,b'obkii >*ere- fd-writtpii: from ihehidVy,' ih'n, lOjOOO .was jcdinplled t •; arid ;■ othSr,;.rehlarkable". works. ■.i*eFd;prddukMi#Jt;iwt)lil(i : i)() s'ebii that; the 'Ghihfesc MM was;Sofcililis;tkat M 'tno'-'Afti--. dbSpite-thdil-. Mg&\', tjo.fe'.lq' iiSiinlilatavthb:;lmbwjedgband' Wodeiftiyhflußnoo in China'.'Was'greater,than .tliß ; .isfiueiic6 of 'Nappleon' Bismarck, bbjc^usp;.ifc}A\voul(l :'6U€ttV4oo; million sotilsj'-.a, iftbrtltjiirtiWHhdjhumaniraOd.;:;' \'-' -•'*-: '-, K!^;HeaM^^Wtiof J tliaiiks' to' 'the .lecturer .was ! Jia'S3e^^tn'icclaniation, and.cbnveyed to ;Mr;irflwaßß?by itneßOT^SJJ;;Scrp6ll,,cliair;itian :of' tire: Mooting; in: words which' heartily" Expressed the general a'ppfeOiatioil"of.\iys',ad-