REVIEWS OF RECENT BOOKS 255 



it is, the general reader is left in the dark as to how the emperor 

 proceeded to put into execution his great ideal of "governing for the 

 welfare of the people alone." Indirectly too we should have an 

 insight into the economic life of the people, and, the ruler's constant 

 anxiety lest the Treasury should impoverish the people, by its frequent 

 demands on provincial funds. This defect goes on to the end of the 

 work. Under present conditions this may have been inevitable, and, 

 before the defect can be remedied much work will have to be done 

 on the original sources and fresh material extracted for a complete 

 history of the Chinese people. 



We do not wish by these suggestions to underrate this valuable 

 and monumental work. It will prove a mine of reference and a handy 

 compendium of Chinese history. We heartily congratulate the author 

 on the end of his laborious task. A few of its more detailed excel- 

 lencies may be mentioned. The dynastic lists of reigns with the 

 "nien hao" at the end of each section will be valuable. It is remarkable 

 how thorough the author has been in his work in giving exact days 

 and years. Tables des Matieres are also useful. At the end of the 

 4th volume there is an Index Alphabetique. We could wish that this- 

 were more complete, for many names and references are omitted. 



We have only noticed a few errors in this long book. But amongst 

 these, the following may be mentioned. Vol. 2, page 58, P'ing Yang fu 

 is in Chan Si and not in Chen Si as given. Vol. 2, page 184, T'ai Ping 

 should come under T'ai Tsou and not under Tai Tsoung as given. 

 Vol. 4, page 239, James Huberty should be Huberty James. 



We think also more space should have been given to extra- 

 Metropolian history of the Boxer. There is no adequate mention, that 

 we can find, of the massacres in Shansi, Chekiang, and Manchuria. And 

 the Shansi settlement, by the establishment of a University for the en- 

 lightenment of the people, was a signal mark of foreign goodwill, 

 and should have a place in any record. The work of Protestant 

 Societies should also have found a longer account. 



Our last word is one of congratulation to Author and Publishers, 

 for these attractive volumes. M. 



A Little Garland from Cathay. Being a Translation, with Notes, 



of some Poems of the Tang Dynasty (Cent. VII-IX). By T. 



Gaunt, m.a., Shanghai : printed at the Presbyterian Mission 



Press : 1919. pp. 64. 



Among the multitude of translations of Chinese poems, this little 



volume surely has a place. There are fourteen poems, from eight 



