foremost figure of his time in the musical world. As a pianist he simply was unapproachable, and as a teacher he also was unrivaled. His compositions are numerous and original. His generosity was more than princely, all the enormous proceeds of his concerts after 1848 being devoted to the benefit of others. He died at Baireuth, Bavaria, July 31, 1886. See Life by Nohl and Martin.
Literature.
Chinese Literature
How vast is the literature of China can be seen from the catalogue of works ordered to be collected by the government, in 1722, to be printed as a national library. This catalogue has 200 chapters. The Chinese classics are the books of Confucius and a few others. The histories of this great national library are those of China itself. What are called the dynastic histories give an account of each reign, followed by treatises on chronology, rites, music, law, food, property, state-sacrifices, astronomy, the five elements, geography and a list of the books of the reign. To these treatises is added a host of biographies of the leading men of the reign. There also are subdivisions of the histories, among which are chapters on Books on the Constitution, including such works as Ma Twin-lin's General Examination of Records and Scholars, said to be a library in itself. The philosophy and arts division of the library is made up of works on war, legislation, farming, horticulture, the mulberry tree, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, divination, music, engraving, the tea-plant, ink, the works of Roman Catholic missionaries, Taoism and Buddhism. The belles lettres division is made up of poetry and critical works. Chinese poetry is rich in ballads, songs, elegies and inscriptions for monuments. Its poets have been without number, many of them being women. One of the Confucian classics is The Book of Poetry, and poetry was one of the regular subjects in the former government examinations which were abolished on Sept. 3, 1905. Novels and dramas are not thought important enough to be put in the national library; but some of their historical romances are works of genius, as the Expanded Narrative of the Period of the Three Kingdoms, written in the 13th century of our era. Some of their best novels have been translated into English and French, as The Rambles of the Chang-Teh Emperor in Kiang-nan. Great as is this literature, it would have been greater, had it not been for the burning of the Confucian books by the founder of the Tsin dynasty, who wished all that came after him to think that he was the founder of China. One library, too, after another was burned or destroyed down to the middle of our 6th century. Paper was used for writing in the 1st Christian century, and printing on wooden blocks soon followed. Movable types were invented by a blacksmith, Pi Shing, in the 10th century.
Sanskrit Literature
The most important Hindu writings are religious. The famous Vedic hymns are found in four collections: the Rig-Veda, the largest; Sâma-Veda, verses that seem to be selected from the hymns of the Rig-Veda; Yajur-Veda, verses to be recited at sacrifices; and the Black Veda, apparently a continuation of the Rig-Veda. The two great Hindu epics are the Mahâbhârata, which tells of the feuds between two kingly races, and the Râmâyana, which describes the heroic deeds of Râma, a prince of Oude who conquered Ceylon and the Deccan. Râma is represented as the embodiment of Vishnu. What are known as the Purânas are continuations of these two epics, though written much later. Other epics were the Birth of the War-God and the Race of Raghu, by Kalidasa, who also wrote lyrics, as The Cloud-Messenger. Another lyric poet was Jayadeva, whose Gita-Govinda sings of the love-adventures of the god Krishna. Indian fables have found their way all over the world. The earliest collection is known as the Panchatantra. No nation, except Greece, founded independently a better drama than that of the Hindus. Among their best plays are the Toy-Cart of Sudraka and the plays of Kalidasa. Besides the well-known laws of Manu, there is a large mass of Brahmanical treatises and Buddhist Sanskrit literature.
Babylonian Literature
The Babylonians in some respects were a literary people. Inscriptions are found as early as 2000 B. C., written by private persons, which show that a certain amount of education was required of every Babylonian. The writings were on tablets, kept in the temple-libraries of the different cities. In the sacred city of Ea were written most of the tablets on magic. The epic poem of Gizdhubar was composed at Erech, the oldest capital of the land. The poem, which relates the attack of the seven evil spirits on the moon, was written probably at Ur. Perhaps the finest work in Babylonian literature is the poem describing the war in heaven between Merodach and the demon Tiamat, which is in the library at Borsippa. The tablet, after telling the story graphically and beautifully, closes with a remarkable hymn of praise to the victor. In these libraries are found poems, fables, proverbs, works on law, geography, astronomy, magic, histories and mythologies.
Assyrian Literature
One of the most important results of Assyrian explorations has been the discovery in the palace of Asur-bani-pal, at
