CHINESE MUSIC.

(j

of

much

of

music do not agree

in their theories,

who then wrote on

Moreover, the authors

time being devoted to music.

and

have confused the

their successors

During the present dynasty the Emperors K'ang Hsi and Ch'ien
bring music back to

successful.

total

its

old splendour, but

to

cannot be said to have been very

their efforts

they have changed, and so radically that the musical

which formerly always occupied the place of honour,

man

different systems.

Lung have done much

change has taken place in the ideas of that people which has been every-

where represented as unchangeable

art,

the subject

There

can profess.

is

in

still

Romans had

of Rites (just as the

is

now deemed

the lowest eaUing

Peking a Board of Music connected with the Board

a college of flute-players), but

tlie officers

seem

Httle anxious

to distinguish themselves.

Serious music, which according to the classics

of education,

is

totally

and

or the yiln-lo,

still

Very few

abandoned.

considered a necessary complement

is

Cliinese are able to play

fewer are acquainted with the theory of the

Chinese music must be divided into two different kinds

is

passably sweet, and generally of a

The populace,

Who

scientific study.

character

as every foreigner in

uoise of the gong, accompanied

no

mmor

lils.

of the clarionet;

perform

it

in the deafening

and such music requires

has not met a funeral or a wedding procession where four or

accompaniment of di'ums and gongs

They do everything

themselves,

"

not even as

amateurs."

five

Let

in music

Only they do not find

they are born, they worship, they marry, and they die in music.
to

which

theatrical or popular music.

not be thought that the present Chinese do not like music.

dignified

the sheny,

di'in,

ritual or sacred music,

China has experienced, delights

by the shrieking tones

clarionet-players blow their souls out with furious

it

and the

on the

The

streets

are

it

continually

paraded by bands of two, three, or four musicians, mostly blind men, who go from gate to gate
>

iffering their services.

Western musi;;
for

being

still

so far

not at

is

back

other branches of science.

possible of their

all

The Chinaman seems to pity

when we have showTi our superiority in

appreciated in China.

in this particular line

It

may

own music, but

it

us
all

be very patriotic for the Chinese to liave the best opinion

wiU not prevent foreigners finding

it

monotonous, noisy,

and disaOTceable.

ON THE

LtJS.

The las (Ifl^ g) are a series of bamboo tubes, the longest of which measures 9 inches,
and which are supposed to render the 1 2 chromatic semitones of the octave.
The discovery of the lils is somewhat fabulous. Huang Ti is reputed to be the inventor

Huang Ti
he arranged them according to the pa-kua,^ or mysterious symbols of Fu Hsi. sent one of his ministers. Ling Lun, to a place called Tahsia (which has been identified with
Bactria, the

mother of

The /^ iK

cities,

from

its

(pa-lcua) are eight diagrams

unrivalled antiquity and splendour), situated west of

drawn by the Emperor Fu

(who believe that they represent the nKinitord changes which take place
purposes of divination.

Chaos, or primitive existence,

is

(See Morrison'.? book,

"A

View

H.si,

and

Nature and

a\

hich are used by the Chinese

in

the affairs of the world) fur

One divided becomes two

unity:

these figures, one whole line and one divided, placed above each other
the eight diagrams were fanned.

in

"
(

of China,''

etc., p.

118.)

From

etc.),