LAO-TSEU AND CONFUCIUS. (Vol. II, p. 363.) and Confucius one and the same person, or two?

Were Lao-Tseu
STUDENT.

The two are sometimes confounded together. They were two different persons, but were contemporaries.

Lao-Tzu (formerly written Lao-Tse) was one of the most remarkable men of the Chinese Empire, the author of the book, "Tao-teking," and founder of the religious sect known as Taoists. He was born in the kingdom of Tsu B. C 604; his family name was Le (a Plum); in his youth he was called Urh (an Ear), on account of the size of his ears. When he became to be known as a philosopher he was called Pe-yang, and was surnamed Lao-tzu (Old Boy), or Lao-kun-tzu (Old Prince), from his having gray hairs at birth and looking somewhat like an old man; he is said to have been gifted with speech at birth, and mounted nine paces in the air, and being poised, pointed up with the left hand and down with the right, exclaimed, "Heaven above, earth below-only Tao is honorable." There is no authentic account of the time or manner of his death, though the date assigned is B. C. 523, making his age 73 years. He was connected with the government of Chow, and Szu Ma-chien, in recording his retirement from service, simply says, "he went away, and no one knows his end." The book, Tao-te-king, contains 5,000 characters, is full of short sentences, often enigmatical and paradoxical. The word Tao means "a path, or way," i. e. reason, doctrine, principle, which existed before heaven or earth. French and English writers translated it "reason." The Chinese translations of the New Testament contains the word Tao in the place of the Logos (the Word) of the evangelist John, (1, 1), “In the beginning was Tao, and Tao was with God, and Tao was God." Lao-Tzu's account of the origin of the universe is: "Tao begot one, one begot two, two begot three, and three begot the material universe." He says: "When things have luxuriated for awhile, each returns home to its origin. Going home to its origin is called stillness. It is said be a reversion to destiny. This reversion to destiny is called eternity. He who knows (this) eternity is called bright. He who does not know this eternity works his own misery. He who knows eternity is magnanimous. Being magnanimous, he is catholic. Being catholic, he is king. Being a king, he is heaven. Being heaven, he is Tau (Tao). Being Tau, he is enduring. Though his body perish, he is in no

danger."

Confucius (Latinized from Con-fu-tse, or Koong-foo-tse) a Chinese

reformer and moralist, was born about B. C. 551 at the village of Tusu-se, in the kingdom of Lu; he died B. C. 479, making his age 72 years. He was a descendant of Hoang-ti, who reigned B. C. 2600. He was connected with the courts of the kingdom of Lu. At the age of 30 he began his public teachings which made him many enemies ; he completed and arranged his work, with the assistance of some of his chosen disciples, in retirement, and called the doctrines Y-King (the Books) which have been for 2,000 years at the head of the sacred books of the Chinese. Confucius was a teacher of morals, but not the founder of a religion. His philosophy teaches :

"Out of nothing there cannot be produced anything; that material bodies must have existed from all eternity; that the cause or principle of things must have had a co-existence with the things themselves; that, therefore, this cause is also eternal, infinite, and indestructible.

His object was to reëstablish the ancient cultus of China, and establish a general and uniform code of rites, which he called the Li-ki. His celebrated one-hundredth maxim, the crowning of all others was "Do unto another what you would he should do unto you; and do not unto another what you would not should be done unto you."

This maxim was quoted by Jesus (Matt. vII, 12), and is now denominated the "Golden Rule." Other maxims of Confucius were: "He who offends against Heaven has none to whom he can pray." "There is a Heaven that knows me."

"The images and idols of China belong to other faiths." "He has returned to his family." (When a person dies).

THOMAS A KEMPIS'S "IMITATION OF CHRIST." (Vol. II, p. 639.) Which works have passed through the more editions of the two following authors: "The Imitation of Christ," by Thomas à Kempis; or the works of Shakespeare? I have heard it stated the former, which seems incredible. WANT TO KNOW.

Milman, in his work, "Latin Christianity" (VI, 482,) says that "In The Imitation of Christ,' by Thomas à Kempis are gathered and concentrated all that is elevating, passionate, and profoundly pious in all the older mystics. No book after the holy Scriptures, has been so often reprinted; none translated into so many languages, ancient and modern," extending even to Greek and Hebrew, or so often retranslated. Sixty distinct versions are enumerated in French alone, and a single collection formed at Cologne, within the present century, comprised, although confessedly incomplete, no less than 500 distinct

editions. After the death of Thomas à Kempis, a controversy arose between the Canons Regular of St. Augustine and the Benedictines as to the real author of "The Imitation of Christ," the former claiming á Kempis, and the latter asserting that the work was the production of the celebrated John Gerson, chancellor of the University of Paris, who died in 1429. The Canons claim that á Kempis, whose chirography was excellent, only copied Gerson's work. Even after that dispute a third claimant appeared. The French writers favored the opinions of the Benedictines; but the preponderance of testimony is in favor of à Kempis. Barbier and Leroy say that "à Kempis was an excellent copyist, and his copy of the Bible the labor of fifteen years—was thought a masterpiece of calligraphic art." The oldest manuscript of de Imitatione Christi now known is in the Bourgogne Library, Brussels, and numbered 15,137. THREE BAD KAPPAS. (Vol. II, p. 639.) Cilicia, and Crete called by the Greeks the

Why were Cappadocia, "Three Bad Kappas "? WILLIAM JOHNS.

Cappadocia (Greek Kappadocia) bore, among the ancients, the character of volatility and faithlessness, and was made the subject of sarcastic remark. Their moral character is severely satirized in the old epigram, which states that "a viper bit a Cappadocian, but died itself from the poisonous and corrupt blood of the Cappadocian!"

Cilicia (Greek Kilicia) was noted in the sea-faring annals of an tiquity for the formidable character of its piratical navy. Cicero says Pompey took 20,000 pirates from Cilicia and settled some in the interior, and removed some to other distant countries, and entirely purged the shores from these nests of robbers.

Crete (Greek Kreta) was an island and held in estimation by some of the invading kings because the Cretans offered their services for hire to such states as needed them, whether Greek or barbarian. Polybius charged them with the grossest immoralities and many hateful vices. Epimenides, one of their own prophets, as stated by Paul (Tit. 1, 12), says: "The Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies."

Therefore, Kappadocia, Kilicia, and Kreta were called by the ancients "Three Bad Kappas."

"IN XANADU DID KUBLA KHAN." Our correspondent "JOHN" will find this to be the first line of a fragmentary poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, claimed to have been composed in a dream.

PRESTER JOHN. (Vol. III, p. 44.) I desire more information relative to Prester John. What work contains a good account of him? Where can his letter in full be found, which he sent to the Emperor of Constantinople, Manuel Comnenus? STUDENT.

We know of no very extended account of this personage, though several works contain chapters concerning him. The following small book of travels has an account of him:

"The Rare and moft vvonderful thinges which Edvvard VVebbe an Englishman borne hath feene and paffed in his troublefome trauailes, in the Citties of Ierufalem, Dammafko, Bethelem and Gallely and in the Landes of Iewrie, Egipt, Grecia, Ruffia, and in the land of Prefter Iohn. Wherein is fet foorth his extreame flauerie fuftained many yeres togither, in the Gallies and wars of the great Turk againft the Landes of Perfia, Tartaria, Spaine, and Portugall, with the manner of his releafement, and comming into Englande in May, 1590."

London, Printed by Ralph Blower, for Thomas Pauier, & are to be folde at his fhop in Corn-hill, at the figne of the Cat and Parrats, ouer againft Popefhead alley, nere the Royal Exchange. Dedicated "TO THE MIGHTY, MY GRATIOVS AND RENOWNED SOVERAIGne ElizaBETH BY YOVR MOST HVMBLE SVBIECT, EDVVARD VVEBBE.

Mr. Webbe gives an account of the kingdom of this Prester, saying: "We went into the land of Prefter Iohn who is a Chriftian, and is called Chriftein de Sentour: that is the Chriftian of the Gerdell. He is a King of great power, and keepeth a very bountifull Court, after the manner of that Country, and hath euery day to ferue him at his Table, fixty kinges, wearing leaden Crownes on their heads, and those ferue in the meat vnto Prefter Iohns Table and continually the firft difh of meat fet vpon his Table, is a dead mans fkull cleane picked and laid in black Earth: putting him in minde that he is but Earth, and that he muft die, and fhall become Earth againe."

Dr. F. V. Kenealy identifies Prester John with Chengiz-Khan (King of Kings), and says his empire at that time, about A. D. 1200, approached near to an universal monarchy. The inscription on his seal, according to Johannes de Plano Carpiri, was Dominus in cælis et Cuynch Chan super terram (Lord in heaven and King of Kings upon earth).

The little work of Edvvard VVebbe is very rare in its early edition, but a reprint of it was made in 1868, edited by Edward Arber.

Previous to "VVebbe's Trauailes" being published, a small work had been printed in French, at Rouen, (1506,) by the single title of "Perrefter Iehan" in which had been published the letter to the Em.

peror of Rome and King of France, which is dated "From our Holy Palace, in the year of our birth 806." It is an epistle of marvel after marvel, so as to render it hardly credible that it was ever seriously believed in. The letter is quite long, (some four of these pages) and will appear in future.

SHORT NAMES AND WORDS. What are some of the shortest names and short-word sentences known? YOUNG MAN. 'YOUNG MAN " has waited a year for his question to appear, and we will give him a chance to be heard; also, we will partially answer his question, leaving it open for others.

Beginning with Bible, he will find it yields quite a number of short names: "Ai is spoiled" (Jer. XLIX, 3); "it hath consumed Ar" (Num. XXI, 28); "called the altar Ed" (Josh. XXII, 34); "Og, the king of Bashan" (Ps. cxxxvI 20); "the son of Ox" (Judith VIII, 1); "the multitude of No" (Jer. XLVI, 25); "priest of On" (Gen. XLI, 45) ; "So, king of Egypt" (11 Kings XVII, 4; "Ur of the Chaldees" (Gen. XI, 28); "the land of Uz" (Job 1, 1). Then there are: Fo, the Chinese Buddha; Io, daughter of Iasus, the priestess of Juno at Argos, and the river Po in Italy.

The compiler of "Melledulcia' (a thousand beautiful extracts) says, "one of the most magnificent passages in Holy Writ is that which describes the death of Sisera" (Jud. v, 27).

Here are 25 monosyllables as commonly pronounced in modern parlance :

"At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down at her feet he bowed, he fell; where he bowed, there he fell down dead."

Coleridge is said to have considered the passage from Ezekiel (XXXVII, 3) as the most sublime in the whole Bible, containing 17 monosyllables, and 3 others:

"And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest."

Pope tells us in his "Essay on Criticism, Part II, line 347:

"And ten low words oft creep in one dull line."

I

In the Fourth Epistle of Pope's "Essay on Man," a specimen selected at random from his works, and extending together to 398 lines, there are no less than 28 lines, (a little more than 1 of every 15), that are made up of monosylables; and more than this, there are 115 which have in them only one word of a greater length; and yet there are very dull creepers among the lines of Pope.