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the Khi of the Yne and of Yang, he determined the change of the four ſeaſons, and gave calculations for aſtronomy, geometry, and arithmetic.
Yong yuene, by order of Hoang-ti, made twelve bells of copper, which correſponded to the moons, and ſerved to adjust the five tones, and fix the ſeaſons, &c. fables.
Hoang ti invented a kind of diadem or tiara, called Miene. He ordered a blue and yellow robe to be made for himſelf, in imitation of the colours of heaven and earth. Having viewed the bird hoei, and conſidered the variety of its colours, as well as thoſe of the flowers, he made garments be dyed of different colours, to make a diſtinction between the great and ſmall, the rich and poor.
Nin-fong and Tche-tſiang invented mortars for pounding rice; kettles or caldrons: they invented the art of building bridges, and of making ſhoes; they made coffins for the dead; and men reaped great advantages from all theſe inventions. Hoei invented the bow, Y-meou arrows; Khy-pe invented the drum, which made a noiſe like thunder, trumpets and horns, which imitated the voice of the dragon.
Kong kou and Hoa-hu, by order of the Emperor Hoang ti, hollowed a tree of which they made a ſhip; of the branches of the ſame tree they made oars; and by this means they were able to penetrate into places which ſeemed inacceſſible, and where men had never been.
For the transportation of merchandiſe by land, they alſo invented chariots under this reign, and trained oxen and horſes to draw them.
Hoang-ti alſo turned his thoughts to buildings, and gave models of them. He built a temple, called Ho kong, in which he ſacrificed to Chang-ti, or to the Supreme Being.
With a view to facilitate commerce, Hoang-ti ſtruck money, called kine tao, knife of metal, becauſe it had the shape of the blade of a knife.
Hoang-ti having obſerved that men died before the time fixed by nature, of diſeaſes which carried them off, he commanded Yu-fou, Ki-pe, and Lei-kong, three famous phyſicians of theſe times, to aſſiſt him to determine what remedies were proper for each diſeaſe.
Si-ling-chi, the chief conſort of that emperor, contributed on her part to the good of the ſtate, and taught the people the art of rearing ſilk worms, of ſpinning their cods, and making ſtuffs of them.
The Ouai-ki takes notice, that Hoang-ti commanded China to be meaſured, and divided into provinces or tcheou. Each tcheou was compoſed of ten che, each che was compoſed of ten tou, and each tou contained ten ye, or ten cities. Theſe ten ye, or cities, had each five ly, or ſtreets, &c.
The empire of Hoang-ti, which, according to this hiſtorian, ſeems to have been conſiderable, extended on eeaſt to the ſea, on the weſt to Khong tong. It was bounded on the ſouth by Kiang, and on the north by the country of Hoene-jo.
They ſay nothing that has any relation to the arts under the three princes who follow Hoang-ti; that is to ſay, under the reigns of Chao-hao, who reigned 84 years; of Tchouene-hio, who reigned 73 years; and of Cao ſine, who reigned 70 years. They obſerve only, that Chao-hao made them beat the watches with a drum: this ſuppoſes that they had then ſome inſtrument for marking the hours. The Se-ki adds, that this emperor levelled the highways, in order to render the mountains acceſſible, and that he cleared the channels of rivers. He made alſo a new kind of muſic, called Ta yuene, to unite men and genii, and reconcile high and low.
3. After having overcome the fatigue of ſo many fabulous traditions, we now come to the hiſtorical times. But before we enter upon them, it will not be improper to make ſome reflections which are abſolutely neceſſary to ſhew how little regard is due to this ſort of traditions. Theſe reflections are thought to be ſo much the more important, as they will help to undeceive a great many people of the miſtake they are in about the Chineſe antiquities.
The Chineſe monarchy began by three princes, diſtinguiſhed by the title of Sane-hoang, that is to ſay the three Auguſti. Theſe three Auguſti, according to the moſt generally received opinion, are Fou hi, Chine-nong, and Hoang-ti. The five emperors, ſucceſſors of the Sang-hoang, are diſtinguiſhed by the title of Ou-ti, that is to ſay, the five emperors. The five emperors are, Chao hao, Tchouene-hio, Tico, Yao, and Chune. This diviſion has been followed by Cong-ngane-coue, the great grandſon of Confucius, in the eighth generation, and one of the moſt celebrated writers of the dynaſty of Hane. It has been adopted alſo by Hoang-fou-mi, and by moſt part of the beſt writers. The proofs of this opinion are taken partly from the book Tcheou li, an ancient record, or ſtate of the empire, which many aſcribe to the famous Tcheou-cong, miniſter and brother of Vou-vang, who was the founder of the imperial dynaſty of Tcheou, eleven hundred and ſome odd years before the Chriſtian era; partly from the commentaries of Tſo-kieou-mine on the Tchune-tſieou of Confucius's maſter. In theſe works, mention is made of the books, Sane-fene, and Ou-tiene, which, they ſay, are the hiſtories of the three Hoang, and of the five Ti: now, the two first chapters of Chou-king, which contain an extract of the hiſtories of Yao and of Chune, bore the title of Tiene-yao and Tiene-Chune; from whence it was concluded, that Yao and Chune were two of the five Ti; conſequently Fou-hi, Ching-nong, and Hoang ti, were what are called the three Hoang; and Chao-hao, Tchouene-hio, Tico, Yao, and Chune, were the five Ti.
Theſe may perhaps be thought but feeble proofs to ſupport an hiſtorical fact of this kind; but thoſe who are of a contrary opinion, bring nothing to induce us to believe them, rather than Cong-ngane-coue and Hoang-fou mi.
Hou-chouang-hou, in a preface before the Tſiene-piene of Kine-gine-chane confeſſes, that we find in the Tcheou-li, the exiſtence of the book of three Hoang, and that of five Ti: but he adds, that we do not find there the names of theſe eight monarchs; that, under the Tſin, they ſpoke of Tiene-hoang, of Ti-hoang, and of Gine-hoang; that Cong-ngane-coue, in his preface to
