356 PROBLEMS OF HUMAN EVOLUTION 



is impossible to doubt this, but Chinese history seems to contain 

 no record of such a period. In 2085 B.C., according to Confucius, 

 the Emperor Yao came to the throne and " led all men to him," 

 before he became " a guest on high." Enlightenment according 

 to Confucius comes from enlightened despots. But there are 

 good reasons for declining to accept his account of the matter. 

 Even in his own day unruly princelings troubled the waters of 

 Chinese life, and it is not unreasonable to assume that semi- 

 independent nobles were preceded by independent sovereigns. 

 In the free life of independent states, jostling one another, 

 trying experiments and learning by their own and their neigh- 

 bours' experience, and often bringing the merits of novel systems 

 to the test of war, must have arisen the great bulk of Chinese 

 wisdom, of which Confucius himself was the collector, not the 

 originator. 



Contact When centralisation was completed, when Hwangti reduced 

 Europe t ^ ie feudal princes, the immediate gain was enormous, but the 

 great stimulus to progress had been removed. After that there 

 is contact mainly with barbarian or half barbarian tribes. 

 European influence, it is true, makes itself felt to some extent. 

 In 1275 A.D. Marco Polo arrived in China and was received with 

 favour at court. It seemed that China might awaken. After 

 this the Jesuits obtained a footing in the Celestial Empire, grew 

 strong in the sun of imperial patronage and showing a liberal 

 spirit towards the existing beliefs and ways of the people seemed 

 likely to exert a widely felt and lasting influence. Then came 

 the great dispute as to the Chinese word to be used to translate 

 the word God. The aged Pope in Browning's Ring and the Book 

 pathetically laments the ruinous controversy. 



Alas! 



The converts use as God's name not Tien Chu 

 But mere Chen or else plain Shangti 

 As Jesuits seem to fancy politic, 

 While say Dominicans it calls down fire. 



Here is polemical violence with a vengeance ! The question 

 was whether a word was to be used which meant merely heaven 

 or one which represented the Deity as a person. Without 



