During Yao's reign a deluge, or an overflow of the great rivers of China, is said to have desolated the land. Prosperity was restored and future inundations guarded against by the energy and engineering skill of a remarkable man, Yu. He cut through mountains and made the gorges by which the mighty waters of the Yang-tze-kiang now reach the sea. Yu was later rewarded, not by the monarch Yao, but by Yao's successor Shun, who made Yu the chief man of the kingdom, the "General Regulator," or king's deputy, and heir to the throne. Hence Yu in time became king.

Each earlier ruler was supposed to have appointed as his successor the ablest man in the kingdom. King Yu changed this plan to the modern one of appointing his own son and holding the kingship as an hereditary property. He thus founded the first continuous Chinese dynasty, that of Hsia; and naturally his descendants kept his memory fully in view. The earliest document of the Shu was probably written in this dynasty of Hsia; because while the book speaks of King Yao it prepares the way for the tabulation of the labors of Yu, which were to bring him to the kingship. Yu himself appears in the next book, which is honored like the first by being called a sacred book or "Canon." None of the later books of the Shu is thus sanctified.

The descendants of Yu soon degenerated. They became evil kings, and were driven from the throne by a revolution. This was headed by Thang, a prince of the family of Shang. So Thang, the "Fulfiller" or "Completer" of the early empire, becomes the next great hero. His deeds and praises occupy much of the fourth part of the Shu. His family, the Shang Dynasty, held rule for six hundred years; then they too were expelled by a revolution brought about, according to the Shu, by their degenerate wickedness.

This brings us to the final part of the Shu, which deals with the Chau Dynasty. Its hero-leaders of the struggle against the Shang tyrants were Duke Wan, who died in the contest, and his son Duke Wu. They were the rulers of the State of Chau, until Wu, by his final victory, became king. Wu then honored his dead father by ranking him also as a king.

By the time of Confucius the power of the Chau kings had almost entirely disappeared. They still retained a nominal leadership, but each little State of their empire was really a separate monarchy, and the dukes or princes warred against one another. As for the ancient histories, preserved from more peaceful days, most of these had perished. The present Shu is the remnant of them, preserved because of the teachings of Confucius.

THE SHU KING

PART I.- THE SACRED BOOK OF YAO

1. Examining into antiquity, we find that the Ti Yao1 was styled Fang-hsun. He was reverential, intelligent, accomplished, and thoughtful - naturally and without effort. He was sincerely courteous, and capable of all complaisance. The bright influence of these qualities was felt through the four quarters of the land, and reached to heaven above and earth beneath.

He made the able and virtuous distinguished, and thence proceeded to the love of all in the nine classes of his kindred, who thus became harmonious. He also regulated and polished the people of his domain, who all became brightly intelligent. Finally, he united and harmonized the myriad States; and so the black-haired people were transformed. The result was universal concord.

2. He commanded the Hsis and Hos, in reverent accordance with their observation of the wide heavens, to calculate and delineate the movements and appearances of the sun, the moon, the stars, and the zodiacal spaces, and so to deliver respectfully the seasons to be observed by the people.

He separately commanded the second brother Hsi to reside at Yu-i, in which was called the Bright Valley, and there respectfully to receive as a guest the rising sun, and to adjust and arrange the labors of the spring. "The day," said he, "is of the medium length, and the star is in Niao - you

"

1 Yao is to us now the name of the ancient ruler so denominated. The character means high," "lofty and grand." It may originally have been an epithet, "the Exalted One." Ti means "the Supreme Lord." It is applied without distinction to the supreme god and to Chinese kings.

may thus exactly determine mid-spring. The people are dispersed in the fields, and birds and beasts breed and copulate." He further commanded the third brother Hsi to reside at Nan-chiao, in what was called the Brilliant Capital, to adjust and arrange the transformations of the summer, and respectfully to observe the exact limit of the shadow. day," said he, " is at its longest, and the star is in Hwo; you may thus exactly determine mid-summer. The people are more dispersed; and birds and beasts have their feathers and hair thin, and change their coats."

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He separately commanded the second brother Ho to reside at the west, in what was called the Dark Valley, and there respectfully to convoy the setting sun, and to adjust and arrange the completing labors of the autumn. "The night," said he, "is of the medium length, and the star is in Hsu; you may thus exactly determine mid-autumn. The people feel at ease, and birds and beasts have their coats in good condition."

He further commanded the third brother Ho to reside in the northern region, in what was called the Somber Capital, and there to adjust and examine the changes of the winter. "The day," said he, " is at its shortest, and the star is in Mao; you may thus exactly determine mid-winter. The people keep in their houses, and the coats of birds and beasts are downy and thick."

The Ti said, "Ah! you, Hsis and Hos, a round year consists of three hundred, sixty, and six days. Do you, by means of the intercalary month, fix the four seasons, and complete the period of the year. Thereafter, the various officers being regulated in accordance with this, all the works of the year will be fully performed."

3. The Ti said, "Who will search out for me a man according to the times, whom I can raise and employ?" Fang-chi said, "Your heir-son Chu3 is highly intelligent." The Ti said, "Alas! he is insincere and quarrelsome; can he do?" The Ti said, "Who will search out for me a man equal to the exigency of my affairs?" Hwan-tau 4 said, "Oh! the merits of the Minister of Works have just been displayed on a wide scale." The Ti said, "Alas! when all is quiet, he talks; but when employed, his actions turn out differently. He is respectful only in appearance. See! the floods assail the heavens!"

The Ti said, "Ho! President of the Four Mountains, destructive in their overflow are the waters of the inundation. In their vast extent they embrace the hills and overtop the great heights, threatening the heavens with their floods, so that the lower people groan and murmur! Is there a capable man to whom I can assign the correction of this calamity?" All in the court said, "Ah! is there not Khwan?" 6 The Ti said, "Alas! how perverse is he! He is disobedient to orders, and tries to injure his peers." The President of the Mountains said, "Well but -. Try if he can accomplish the work." Khwan was employed accordingly. The Ti said to him, "Go; and be reverent!" For nine years he labored, but the work was unaccomplished.

The Ti said, "Ho! President of the Four Mountains, I have been on the throne seventy years. You can carry out my commands; I will resign my place to you." The Chief said, "I have not the virtue; I should disgrace your place." The Ti said, "Show me some one among the illustrious, or set forth one from among the poor and mean." All then said to the Ti, "There is an unmarried man among the lower people, called Shun of Yu." The Ti said, "Yes, I have heard of him. What have you to say about him?"

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