XXVIII INTRODUCTION. 



„like an earth-mound, Wee a welling brook, so that there may be nothing more to be added 



z/to your felicity (May it be) Wee the moon increasing to fullness, Wee the sun rising 



r/to brightness. May you live long Wee the mountain Nan-s7ian which does not get fractured nor 

 z, crumble down; Wee the pine and cypress whose leaves, eternally green, grow ^uninterruptedly/" (i) 



When Confucius asked the boy Hiang-toJi what were the connecting bonds between Heaven 

 and Earth, and what the beginning and ending of the dual powers Yin and Yang , the boy 

 answered; ff Mne multiplied nine times makes eighty one, which is the controlling bond of 

 Heaven and Earth; eight multiplied into nine makes seventy two, the beginning and end of 

 the dual powers." ( 2 ) 72 are the earthly malign stars ( 3 ) or the diamond-stars of earth, that 

 is to say the seventy-two intelligences charged with the administration of the Universe; 

 whilst the 36 Heavenly stars ( 4 ) are the 36 decans of the ancient Egyptian and Chaldean 

 zodiacs, because each section of 10 degrees of the zodiac was under the inspection of a particular 

 genius, who was called Inspector , ep/tonis or decanus. 



The number 12 is sacred because the zodiac is divided into 12 signs or houses, and because 

 the addition of the sacred numbers 5 and 7 gives 12. Likewise the numbers 30 and 360 are 

 also sacred, the first because each sign of the zodiac was divided into 3 sections of 10 degrees 

 each, and the second, because it is the year without epagomenes, or the division of the zodiac 

 into 360 degrees. 



If we may apply the science of the astronomical numbers to this work some important re- 

 sults may be obtained. The 36 peaches and 72 plums in Answer 175 of the Catechism (pag. 

 82) may mean these 36 decans and 72 intelligences which, in fact, settle Heaven and Earth, 

 astronomically speaking. 



The whole number of strokes in the punishments inflicted upon unfaithful and disobedient 

 members of the Hung-league is based upon the numbers. These numbers are 2 x 9 or 18; 

 3 x 7 or 21; 3 x 12 or 36; 2 x 36 or 72; 36 + 72 or 108; 30 x 12 or 360. 



This short digest on the sacred numbers of China will suffice to understand the meaning of 

 the numbers used in the Hung-league. Those who wish to know more about them, may 

 consult in the „ Mémoires concernant les Chinois," the able treatises of Father Amiot on 

 the numbers and the music of the Chinese. 



B*n m tf )W z ■% M « % ^ ® .... 



1mnZ>&1müZfr1m%i\üZm 



( 2 ) Chinese Eepository, Vol. X, pp. 614 U ff. ( 3 ) ^ "p H ^ ^ 



( 4 ) H + ^ % 



IE 



