58 SURaJiON-GENERAL C. A. GORDON^ M.D., C.B., Q.H.P., ETC., 



of jin semg* or any more costly remedy he furnished it at 

 his own expense ; he thereby saved the Hves of a great 

 number of poor people." From which the fact appears that 

 in China, as elsewhere, charity and philanthropy were 

 personified in the worthy professor of the art of healing. 



Chinese Proverbs. 



Allusion has already been made to some out of many 

 maxims by which the Chinese are supposed to regulate their 

 life and conduct, or to refer to, as in other countries, doubtless 

 for no other purpose than to round a sentence in conversation. 

 A few only cf these may now be given, namely : 



According to Laotse, the Epicurus of China. " Let us drink 

 while we have wine ; the sorrows of tO'^morrow may be borne 

 to-morrow." In other words, " Dum vivimus, vivamus." 

 And yet as a fact the Chinese enjoy the reputation of being 

 temperate as regards both wine and spirits. [Laotse 

 flourished about B.C. 604; Epicurus, B,c. 342-2 7 L Contrast 

 both with St. Luke, A.D. 55-70. See his Gospel, chap. XIT, 

 l6-2LtJ 



" If the blind le^d the blind they wil^ both fall into the pit." 

 Of which a counterpart is to he iijet with among all nations, 

 ancient:^ and modern. 



" One thread does not make a rope., nor one swallow a 

 summer." Identical in respect to the last clause with our 

 common English saying. 



'^ Good iron is not used for nails ; ivory is not made of 

 rat's teeth, nor soldiers of good men.'" The final part of this 

 saying being, as everybody knows, totally inapplicable to 

 those of Britain. 



" To climb a tree to catch a fish." Misdirected labour. 



"Like cuckoo in a magpie's nest." To take unfair advan- 

 tage of another's work. 



"An old man marrying a young wife is like a withered 

 willow sprouting." 



'' When the tree falls the monkeys flee." (Rats leave a 

 sinking ship.) 



" Prevention is better than cure"§ (an univereal proverb). 



* Root of Panax qumquefoHa^ an esteemed and costly drug. 

 t " Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, 

 tliou fool, this ui:j;ht thy soul shall be required of thee." 

 + S<je St. Matthew's Gosjiel, xv, ] 4. 

 § Middh Kingdom, Willinm.s, vol. i, p. 720^ et, srq. 



