JNTUODL'CTION. X5C1 



The emperor governed 1000 Ly or Chinese miles; the dukes and barons each a 100 Ly; the 

 earls 70, and the baronets 50 Ly. Q) At present the 5 degrees of nohility are Duke, marquis, 

 earl, viscount and baronet. ( 2 ) 



Five were the founders of the political Hungleague: they have 5 banners, 5 lodges etc. 

 The diploma of the society given by Milne, is pentagonal. The diploma gi ven by us, is octogonal; 

 the number 8 being equally sacred, as we will later explain. 



The numbers 5 and 7 are in China the numbers of the woi^ld : either that the number 5 

 refers only to the 5 planets Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus and Mercury, without the sun and 

 moon, when they are called //The 5 planets," ( 3 ) or that they refer to the five planets with 

 sun and moon, in which case they are called //the seven miers." ( 4 ) The week of the old Chi- 

 nese was derived from the seven planets. ( 3 ) Confucius spoke of the week of seven days, and 

 every seventh day was destined by him for the reflection on the faults and sins committed du- 

 ring the week. ( G ) In the Yih-king it is said: //Thou shalt come to worship from seven to 

 seven days." So, too, it is said in the annals of Sze-ma-tsian that the emperor offered a sacri- 

 ïiee to the Suprème Unity, Tai-y, every seven days. ( 7 ) Before sacrificing to Heaven and Earth 

 the princely man abstained himself 7 days and fasted 3 days. ( 8 ) 



The 7 is, especially, the number of death, and in the ceremonies of mourning the number 7 

 returns at every moment. On the bottom of the Chinese coffms is a plank in which are bo- 

 red 7 holes, and which is named the //seven-star-plank." ( 9 ) Seven days after the decease a Budhist 

 priest is asked to pray a mass for the dead. After 3 >< 7, or 21 days the corpse is buried, 

 if a lucky place has been found. 7x7 days are the 49 days of mourning, called the seven 

 weeks. ( 10 ) During the Chau-dynasty (B. C. 1122 — 255) the body of the Emperor remained 

 above earth during seven months, that of a vassal five months, that of a minister t/tree months, 

 and that of an officer one month. ( n ) 



So we find back in the old Chinese doctrines the ideas of Creation, existence and destruc- 

 tion expressed by the numbers 3, 5 & 7. //In a masonic view", says Dr. Schauberg ( ] ~), ,/the 



l 1 ) Hia-meng, !|j| ^ Part, II. Cliap. II, 3. 

 O <&• «. «. ^. M 



( 3 > ^ M ^ ~fc $k 



( 5 ) Bailly, Histoire de 1' Astronomie ancienne, p. 493. Gaubil, Mémoires, T. XVI, p. 3S2. 



( fi ) Gaubil, Lettres édifiantes, p. 368. 



( 7 ) Tai-y (-fc £, ) Mémoires concernant les Chinois, T. IX, 381. 



( 8 ) Jfc £} 3ji/ =£ R 7ö£ Commentary on the Lun-yü, Book III. 



( 9 ) ~fc M * n -t iï] 



( n ) X : ï'-bM.mföftM>J<:Ji=.M'±töiJi>* x t,;( 



Tso-chüen, Ife fë) Records of Tso-khiu-ming / ^ Jj|$ (#) ), 



( 12 ) Symb. d. Freim. II, 338. 



