CHAPTER XXX
LITERARY RELATIONS
Literary relations between vassal states—Confucius set the ball of philosophy a-rolling—The fourfold "Bible" of China—Odes were generally known by heart—Comparison with President Kruger and his texts—Quotations from Odes and Book enable us to fix dates—Books were heavy weights in those days—People trusted to memory—The Rites more exclusively understood by the ruling classes— Comparison with Johnsonian wits—Instances cited, with side proofs—History and Classics corroborate each other-Evidences— Confucius' ancestor composes odes—Political song by the children of Tsin—Another still-existing ode in reference to the Second Protector—Ts'u's early literary knowledge—General knowledge of Odes and History—Ignorance of Ts'in-Ts'in ancient documents the only ones now remaining—First definite notion of abolishing the feudal system—The pivot point 403 B.C.—Ts'in's conquests in north, south, east, and west—The First August Emperor's travels— Lao-tsz's Taoist philosophy becomes fashionable—Ts'in's hatred of orthodox literature, and of the Odes and Book in particular—The Book of Changes escapes his hatred—Revolutionary decree of the First August Emperor-Lost annals of all feudal states but Ts'in— Learned Tartars of Tsin-Confucius used Tsin annals too—Origin of the name Shi-ki, or "Historical Annals"—Further evidence of lost histories—Curious name for Ts'u Annals—Ts'u poetry- Ts'u's knowledge of past history—The term "Springs and Autumns"— Baldness of early Chinese annals.