XXII INTUODUCTION. 



number 3 appears as tlie number of creation, as the beginning, — the 5 as the number of 

 existence and life, as the middle, — and the 7 as the number of destruction, as the material 

 end and the celestial besinninsc." 



We mention a few examples more to show how important a part the number 7 has in the 

 Chinese institutions. According to the Shi-king the insignia of rank of a regulus in antiquity 

 were sevevfold: he had 7 kind of clothes, 7 kind of chariots etc. ( l ) 



The old Chinese had seven mountains of worship to the presiding spirits. ( 2 ) The works of 

 Mencius consist of7chapters which treat of the foicr virtues; rectitude, virtue, benevolenee and 

 righteousness. ( 3 ) Seven are the reasons for divorce in China, viz: Barrenness, adultery, talk- 

 ativeness, thie'very, disobedience to the husband's parents, bad character or incurable mala- 

 dy. ( 4 ) Boys and girls in China are separated in their seventh year. 



The Chinese count 3 souls and 7 spirits, the latter referring to the energy of the limbs and 

 the 5 senses. ( 5 ) Joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hatred and concupiscence are the 7 passions. ( 6 ) 



The rnandarins, military, literati, priests, labourers, artisans and merchants form the seven 

 classes of citizens. (~) 



// Seven years" said Confucius, //the sage instructs the people," ( 8 ) and the commentary adds 

 that he teaches them a filial, brotherly and faithful conduct. ( 9 ) Likewise the Chinese moralist 

 Lam-luh-chau ( 10 ) mentions a man, named Loh-yang, ( n ) who travelled seven years to improve himself. 



The square means, in the ürst place, the world and was anciently represented by the sym- 

 bol □. ( 12 ) In a narrower sense it means the earth, or state, or kingdom. Hence the altar of 

 earth in Peking is square, whilst the altar of Heaven is circular. Most of the Chinese cities 

 are square, and divided into f o ut parts by two cross-streets running to the four Cardinal 

 points. Likewise the //forbidden city", the inuer part of Peking, the sacred red town, the seat 

 of the Emperor, is square. 



A room or house is called Fang, ( l3 ) a character composed of Uu, ( u ) to protect, and Fang, ( 15 ) 

 a square, — thus a protected or inclosed square. 



( a ) Shi-king. P. Lacharme interpretatione, Pars I, cap. 10, ode 9, at the note. 



( 2 ) Mémoires concernant les Chinois, ï. II, 171. 



( 3 ) ^ ^ tl Ü 



( 4 ) ^ fït ft 1$J LaTVS of the Tsin g- d y aa sty. 



( 5 ) W. Williams. Canton dictionary under éjij| 



O ^f. ï I II f S ® 



(7) Mémoires concernant les Chinois, T. IV, 312. 



( 8 ) ÏT 0' | A t K 't ^ Hia-lün, Book XIII, Chap. 29- 



n m m È ( n ) m m 



p») Mémoires c. 1. Chinois, I, Tab. VI. ( 13 ) ^ (») fi ( 15 ) "}j 



