found among the Manchus, nor did there seem to be any reason to doubt
the intention of the regent--if he retained power--to guide the nation
through the troubled period of transition into an era of constitutional
government and the full development of the resources of the empire.
(X.)

PLATE I.

[Illustration: FIG. 1.--KU K'AI-CHIH. TOILET SCENE. (British Museum. 4th
Cent. A.D.).]

[Illustration: FIG. 2.--ATTRIBUTED TO WU TAOTZUe. SAKYAMUNI. (8th Cent.)]

[Illustration: FIG. 3.--CHAO MENG-FU, AFTER WANG WEI (8th CENT.). SCENE
ON THE WANG CH'UAN. (Dated 1309. British Museum.)]

[Illustration: FIG. 4.--HSUe HSI. BIRD ON APPLE-BOUGH. (10th Cent.)]

[Illustration: FIG. 5.--CHIEN SHUN-CHU. THE EMPEROR HUAN-YEH. (15th
Cent.)]

[Illustration: FIG. 6.--KIU YING. COURT LADIES. (British Museum. 15th
Cent.)]

[Illustration: FIG. 7.--EAGLE. By LIN LIANG. (15th Cent. British
Museum.)]

Figs. 2, 4, and 5 are reproduced by permission of the Kokka Company,
Tokyo.

PLATE II

[Illustration: FIG. 9.--TEMPLE VASE (c. 1200 B.C.).]

[Illustration: FIG. 10.--WINE VASE (c. 1000 B.C.).]

[Illustration: FIG. 11--WINE VASE (c. 600 B.C.).]

[Illustration: FIG. 12.--INLAID VESSEL (C. 500 B.C.).]

[Illustration: FIG. 13.--WINE VESSEL (c. 100 B.C.).]

[Illustration: FIG. 14.--INLAID VASE (c. 200 A.D.). In possession of
C.J. Holmes.]

[Illustration: FIG. 15.--VASE (c. 1450 A.D.).]

[Illustration: FIG. 16.--WINE VESSEL (c. 1450 A.D.).]

[Illustration: FIG. 17.--TEMPLE VASE (c. 1700 A.D.).]

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE.--Knowledge of the ancient history of China is
necessarily derived from the native writers on the subject.
Fortunately, the Chinese have always regarded the preservation of the
national records as a matter of supreme importance. Confucius set an
example in this respect, and has preserved for us in the _Spring and
Autumn Annals_ and the _Shu-king_, or _Book of History_, records of
his country's progress during the past and then present centuries. The
celebrated emperor Shih Hwang-ti, in establishing the empire,
attempted to strengthen his cause by destroying all works on the
national history. But so strongly was the historical sense inculcated
in the people that immediately on the death of the tyrant the
nation's records were again brought to light, and have been carefully
preserved and edited since that time. Prof. Legge's translation of the
_Spring and Autumn Annals_ and the _Shu-