erstitions.--During the period under consideration, all kinds of
superstition prevailed; among others, that of referring to the rainbow.
The rainbow was believed by the vulgar to be an emanation from an
enormous oyster away in the great ocean which surrounded the world, i.e.
China. Philosophers held it to be the result of undue proportions in the
mixture of the two cosmogonical principles which when properly blended
produce the harmony of nature. By both parties it was considered to be
an inauspicious manifestation, and merely to point at it would produce a
sore on the hand.

Supernatural Manifestations.--Several events of a supernatural character
are recorded as having taken place under the Chou dynasty. In B.C. 756,
one of the feudal Dukes saw a vision of a yellow serpent which descended
from heaven and laid its head on the slope of a mountain. The Duke spoke
of this to his astrologer, who said, "It is a manifestation of God;
sacrifice to it."

In B.C. 747, another Duke found on a mountain a being in the semblance
of a stone. Sacrifices were at once offered, and the stone was deified,
and received regular worship from that time forward.

In B.C. 659, a third Duke was in a trance for five days, when he saw
a vision of God, and received from Him instructions as to matters then
pressing. For many generations afterwards the story ran that the Duke
had been up to Heaven. This became a favourite theme for romancers. It
is stated in the biography of a certain Feng Po that "one night he saw
the gate of heaven open, and beheld exceeding glory within, which shone
into his courtyard."

The following story is told by Huai-nan Tzu (d. B.C. 122):--"Once when
the Duke of Lu-yang was at war with the Han State, and sunset drew near
while a battle was still fiercely raging, the Duke held up his spear and
shook it at the sun, which forthwith went back three zodiacal signs."

Only the Emperor worships God and Earth.--From the records of this
period we can also see how jealously the worship of God and Earth was
reserved for the Emperor alone.

In B.C. 651, Duke Huan of the Ch'i State, one of the feudal nobles to
be mentioned later on, wished to signalise his accession to the post of
doyen or leader of the vassal States by offering the great sacrifices
to God and to Earth. He was, however, dissuaded from this by a wise
Minister, who pointed out that only those could perform these ceremonies
who had personally received the Imperial ma