42fi Mr. Davis on the Poetry of the Chinese. 



in wliich they were held. In modern China, if odes are expressly com- 

 posed for great court ceremonials, we have not yet met with any — such 

 ceremonials are frequently accompanied by music, but that there are words 

 to the music has not been so clearly ascertained. 



There is a common species of composition called Ked, which cannot be 

 better rendered than by Song, or Rhapsody. Its structure is as wild as 

 the thoughts and imagery which it generally contains, the lines being of 

 every length, but distinguished by recurring rhymes at intervals. Here 

 follows a specimen. 



^t )i. fr ?^ 7 ^ ^ ^ * ^ 

 ^/^ ^ # Q ^ J;^ 1^ # «■ lii 



^ /<! M, -tR > AP- B5 i # 



# ^ # -m it. -ftj y$- ^ -^ ^ 

 m ■^ # # 4 1"^ % fl- ft > 



# J)i 7. vL ^ M. ^ ^ /A 'f^ 

 J^ JL J| ^ ,1, IE ^« ^« '4 



3^ T ^ Af ;^i ^ ^ ^i^ 4 il: 

 j}^ *A ^ M ^ ^% ^f SL s^ 



" In my wanderings of a fhoiisaiid leaffiies. how many raoumful tlioiicrlits afflict me 

 on the road — I behold yon cloudy moimtains piled one upon the other, — the emblem* 

 of my accumulated sorrows. — Arouud me the dropping- leaves produce an autumnal 

 souud — In the vast expause, the solitary wild-fowl adds to my silent grief — 1 brood 

 over my cares, and my tears descend — Lookin;; back towards the base of Matiiy Hill, 

 an involuntary melancholy fills my breast — I see the waving banners intercept the 

 setting sun — their shadows dancing in th« breeze* — My horse has stopped at the pre- 



• This alludes to a tragical event in history, which occurred at the above-mentioned place. 

 The emperor Yuentsoong (A.D. 702) had a mistress named Yangkoei, who was discovered 

 carrying on an intrigue wfth a Tartar prince or noWe, called Ganloshan. The emperor 

 abstained from punislring the gorl'ty female, which led to remortstrances on the part of his 

 ministers ; but instead of attendfng to them, he complied wrth the request of Yangkuei, and 



