aroundworldortra00peebiala-1

CHINA. 185
china's
past histoky.
Humiliating as it may be to Europe, it is true, that, for
a period of nearly three thousand years, China existed in
almost complete isolation from other portions of the globe.
This made her arrogant and egotistic. During those mediaeval
times known as the " dark ages," the very existence of
China was unknown to Europeans. The Chinese themselves
knew nothing of the term " China." Speaking of their country,
they denominated it Chung Kivoli^ the Middle Kingdom,
or Chung-Hivo-Kiooh, the Middle Flowery Kingdom ;
because
they consider themselves as occupying the middle of the
globe, and as being the centers of civilization and intelligence.
They further believe that their empire, once proud
and world-commanding, was established by the " law of
Heaven " over forty thousand years ago, and is destined to
stand for ever. Owing to national conceit, Western nations
call them " Celestials."
The almost measureless antiquity of China is not denied.
The point in dispute is as to the boundary-line between the
genuinely historic and the mythological. Of this, Chinese
scholars are certainly the best judges. Meadows, in his
elaborate work upon the
Chinese, puts the reign of Fuh-hi
B. C. 3327. The reign of the Chow dynasties began about
one thousand years before Christ, during which Lau-tsze
and Confucius lived. Though Lau-tsze was the oldest, born
B. C. 604, they were cotemporaries. Both of these philosophers,
referring to the wise who lived before them, term them
" the ancients."
Herodotus and Ptolemy, treating of this quite unknown
country, referred to these isolated people living in the northeast
of Asia as "inventive and prosperous." Marcellinus
the Roman writer, Virgil, Pliny, Tacitus, and other historians,
mention these olive-colored people under the name of
Seres, dwelling in the land of Serica. They speak of them
as " rich in silks " and the " luxuries of life," besides being
cumbered with " much useless lore."