Till': c;kkat wall of china. 3 



Imagination changed fear into necessity, and so, imaginary 

 necessity evolved the wall. A tunnel under the Straits of 

 Dov^er would, as a mere output of physical force, be child's 

 play beside such a conception as this. 



Built it was, however, and that in the course of ten years. 

 It would seem from this that they say true who declare it was 

 Init the bringing into one connected whole of a set of isolated 

 fortifications. And it may well be so, for each province would 

 nat<urally have fortified for itself. And the short time occupied 

 in consummating so enormous a work not only points to some 

 such facilit'ation, but shows clearh', moreover, that no forced 

 labor was necessan' to bring it to pass, that the hearts of the 

 people relied upon a wall to part them from their enemies, and 

 that they worked under a stimulus greater than their fear of a 

 despotic ruler. And it is no more than fair to say that Che 

 Wang Te is described in the annals of the Empire as a good 

 and vigorous prince — as good and vigorous princes go in China. 



And there the structure stands to this day, as sound and high 

 and strong as ever. And as useful as it was in the beginning. 



But, right or wrong, the fact is that judgment is pro- 

 nounced upon SAch things according to the ideas of to-day, 

 at whatever point in the world's histoiy to-day may fall. And 

 judged by to-day, the Great Wall of China has no right to an 

 existence. It serves no purpose useful or sentimental. It 

 called out no genius either in war or in art or in mechanics. 

 If it be a record it is one too vague to be regarded. It is a 

 monument of folly and pusillanimity. It is void of beauty, 

 and it is not even ugly. Any portion of it that the eye can 

 take in without movement of the head is entirely commonplace 

 and unattractive. Extend yonder prison wall out of sight in 

 both directions and have about the same mental impression 

 that the Chinese Wall would give. 



It is built of fragile materials, but has lasted 2000 years 

 and more because no one goes near it ; and there is so much 

 of it. It is in nobody's way, and the materials have not yet 

 been found worth carrying off. Not vet — for its virtual 



