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ſtrings, othets 10, and others only 5; (which of them ſhall we believe?) Beſides, others make this inſtrument only three feet ſix inches ſix lines in length.
Fou-hi made this inſtrument, ſay ſome, to ward off inchantments, and baniſh impurity of heart.
He took of the wood of ſang, and made alſo a guitar of 36, or rather of 50 ſtrings. This inſtrument ſerved to adorn the perſon with virtues, and to regulate the heart, &c. Laſtly, he made a third inſtrument of baked earth; after which, ſay they, ceremonies and muſic were in high eſteem.
The money which Fou-hi introduced, was of copper, round within to imitate heaven, and ſquare without to reſemble the earth.
He himſelf made trial of many medicinal plants (This is moſt commonly ſaid of Chin-nong: but it is pretended, that Chin-nong finished what Fou-hi had began.)
This is all we read of Fou-hi. Several contradictions will be remarked in moſt of theſe traditions, eſpecially when we come to ſee in the ſequel, that almoſt all theſe inventions are aſcribed to the ſucceſſors of Fou-hi. From hence may be judged what regard is due to the beginnings of the Chineſe hiſtory.
We have ſtill ſome reigns to examine, before we have done with the fabulous and uncertain times.
They ſay of Koung-koung, that he employed iron in making hangers and hatchets.
They aſcribe to Niu oua (who is the Eve of the Chineſe) ſeveral inſtruments of muſic. The inſtruments ſeng and hoang ſerved her, ſay they, to communicate with the eight winds. By means of kouens, or double flutes, ſhe united all ſounds into one, and made concord between the ſun, moon, and ſtars. This is called perfect harmony. Niu-oua had a guitar (ſe) of five ſtrings; ſhe made another of 50 ſtrings, whole ſound was ſo affecting, that it could not be borne; wherefore ſhe reduced theſe 50 ſtrings to 25, to diminish its force.
The emperor Chin-nong is very famous among the Chineſe, by the great diſcoveries which, they ſay, he made in medicine, agriculture, and even in the military art, ſince they believe, that, in the times of Han, they had a book of this prince on the military art.
A fondness for the marvellous has made ſome ſay, that, at three years of age, he knew every thing that concerned agriculture. The very name Chin-nong, in the Chineſe language, ſignifies, the first of huſbandry. Chin-nong took very hard wood, of which he made the coulter of the plough, and ſofter wood of which he made the handle. He taught men to cultivate the earth. They aſcribe to him the invention of wine. He ſowed the five kinds of grains on the ſouth of Mount Ki, and taught the people to make them their food.
Chin-nong commanded that they ſhould be diligent in gathering the fruits which the earth produced. He taught every thing relative to hemp, to the mulberry tree, and the art of making cloth and ſtuffs of ſilk. They owe alſo to Chin nong the potters and the founders art; others, however, aſcribe pottery to Hoang-ti, and the art of melting metals to Tchi-yeou.
Chin-nong invented fairs in the middle of the day, This was the origin of commerce and mutual exchange. He made uſe of money to facilitate trade. He inſtituted feſtivals.
Chin nong diſtinguiſhed plants, determined their various properties, and applied them ſkilfully in the care of diſeaſes. They ſay, that, in one day, he made trial of 70 kinds of poiſons, ſpoke of 400 diſeaſes, and taught 365 remedies. This makes the ſubject of a book, intitled, Pouenetſao, which they aſcribe to him, and which contains four chapters. Others alledge, and with reason, that this book is not ancient. They ſay, with as little truth, that Chin-nong made books ingraved on ſquare plates.
Chin-nong commanded Tſiou-ho-ki to commit to writing every thing relative to the colour of ſick perſons, and what concerned the pulſe, to teach how to examine its motions if they were regular and harmonious, and, for this end, how to feel it from time to time, and acquaint the patient.
Chin-nong compoſed ballads or ſongs on the fertility of the country. He made a very beautiful lyre, and a guitar adorned with precious ſtones, to form the grand harmony, to bridle concupiſcence, to elevate virtue to the intelligent ſpirit, and bring men back to the celeſtial verity.
Chin-nong aſcended a car drawn by five dragons. He was the first that meaſured the figure of the earth, and determined the four ſeas. He found 900,000 lys is weſt, and 850,000 is north and ſouth. He divided all this vaſt ſpace into kingdoms.
Among the ſucceſſors of Chin-nong they place Hoang-ti, and the rebel Tchi yeou, whom they make the inventor of arms of iron, and ſeveral kinds of puniſhments. Tchi-yeou had the power of raiſing miſts and darkneſs extremely thick. Hoang-ti knew not how to attack and overcome him. He accompliſhed it, however, by forming a car, on which he placed a figure whoſe arm of itſelf always turned to the ſouth, in order to point out the four regions. Hoang-ti uſed the lance and buckler.
Tchi-yeou ordered ſabres, lances, and cross-bows to be made. They aſcribe to Hoang-ti the kia tſe, or cycle of 60 years; or at leaſt Ta-nao made it by his direction.
The Mandarin Tſang-kiai was charged to compoſe hiſtory. Yong-tcheng made a ſphere which repreſented the celeſtial orbs, and diſcovered the polar ſtar.
Li-cheou regulated numbers, and invented an inſtrument for computation, like to, or the ſame with that which is ſtill in uſe in China and India; and of which Mattini, in his Decades, and la Loubere, in his voyage to Siam, have given us the deſign and deſcription.
Ling-lune, a native of Yuene-yu, in the weſt of Ta-hia, (that is, Khoraſſan), took reeds in the valley of Hiai-ki; he cut two of an equal length, and blew into them: this gave occaſion to the invention of bells. He adjuſted twelve of these reeds to imitate the ſong of fong-hoang, the royal bird, (one of the fabulous birds of the Chineſe). He divided theſe reeds into twelve lu; ſix ſerved to imitate the ſong of the male, and ſix that of the female. Finally, this man brought muſic to perfection, and explained the order and arrangement of different ſounds. By means of theſe lu-lu, he governed
