ATTENTION has been repeatedly called to the constant Chinese habit of using language intended to be indirectly abusive of another. Examples of this have already been given incidentally, in treating of other aspects of proverbs. A few additional specimens will illustrate the facility with which such modes of speech are invented. The command of a vocabulary of abuse is apparently universal in China, as well among women and children as among men. Children are often taught it, assiduously as soon as they can talk, that their elders may be amused by the strange contrast between the infantile innocence of the speaker, and the vileness and virulence of its language. The result is that every one can hold his own in a reviling match, which is the form which many Chinese quarrels assume. 'In reviling,' says the proverb, 'it is. not necessary to prepare a preliminary draft.' ( ^ 7 ♬ ‡ ‡ ). Among a people who are universal revilers, it might be expected that abusive language would pass comparatively unnoticed, being too common to attract attention. But if used otherwise than as a playful banter, the person toward whom it is directed is obliged to take notice of it, otherwise he loses face.' An attack of this sort, is like 'check' in chess, the player must either take a new position, capture his adversary, or interpose something between his adversary and himself. The latter is the most common mode of adjustment, that through peacetalkers,' which ends in a grand feast of native reconciliation or failing that, in an irreparable breach. This simple theory of reviling, and its orthodox treatment contains an explanation of the inception of thousands of lawsuits and millions of fights.

A characteristic aspect of Chinese human nature, is presented in the saying: 'Strike a man's head, but do not strike him in the face; when you revile a man, do not attack his character,' (TAT,

A). The explanation of this somewhat singular direction, is that a man's skull can be hammered for a long time, and with considerable violence, yet without much apparent damage, and without causing great loss of blood; whereas if his face were battered, and if he should go to the magistrate with a complaint, he would have a strong case against the assailant, In like manner, one may go great lengths in reviling, but should he 'twit on facts' to too great an extent, his enemy will be so exasperated, as to make serious trouble! It is said in contempt of one who has been reviled, but who has made no defense, that he feels no pain-he has grown used to it, (*#57**). By the time a man is old, it is supposed that he is entitled to comparative immunity from the reviling to which, at frequent intervals, he has been subjected, and even the magistrates, who are in the habit of black-guarding those who are brought before them, respect great age, and do not beat men seventy years old, nor revile those who are eighty, as witnesseth the proverb: (+A+7). Owing to the fixity of Chinese residence, those who have become bitter enemies, reviling each other at sight, are still neighbors as before, just as a daughter, though often beaten, is still an own daughter, (打不斷的兒女親,罵不開的近街隣). This saying is employed to urge to kind treatment of children, and to forbearance toward neighbors.

The use of abusive language is nowhere carried to a higher pitch than among the boating population, who are often crowded together in narrow water ways, where, under the most favorable circumstances, it would be difficult to keep the peace. When a boat is once in motion, no one will give way to any one else, in case of collision, or obstruction, each boatman roars and reviles at the top of his voice. But when the boats are again at anchor, the respective crews fall to chatting and laughing, as if nothing had happened. (TE, Æ✯✯ X). This saying is used to show that there should be no chronic quarrels.

One method of oblique vilification consists in intimating that the person reviled does not deserve to be called a man. The phrase wan pu shih jen, (7), is the object of allusion in the saying; 'He is merely the wan character' (E), ie, the character wan represents the whole phrase, and the meaning is that the person indicated is in no sense and in no degree a man. So also, as in examples already given, a person is likened to a mud image. 'An image of a hare with a beard attached-vain pretence of being an old man,'(兎搗碓帶子,竟充老人).

The t'u tao tin is a toy popular at the harvest festival on the fifteenth of the eighth moon, having the head of a hare, and provided with a string which beats a little drum to represent the sound of grain beaten in a pestle (). This expression is used in ridicule of a young bully, who likes to use lofty language suitable only for a person belonging to an older generation. So also: He can't-upset wearing a beard-vain pretense of being a relative of the family' (7

子,浑充老家親).

'He can't-upset sitting on an abacus-a little fellow that muddles the accounts,'(搬不倒坐在算盤上, 是個混賬小子). The phrase hun chang () as an epithet of abuse, has been already explained.

'Sticking a black bean on a straw, and calling it a man,' ( 7 ↑ A). That is, he is not fit to be called a man.

From the implication that one is not a man, it is but a step to the suggestion that he is an animal, as in the saying: 'This herd of Frogs, Rats,* Hedgehogs and Oxen,' R.##46),

implying that they are all beasts and reptiles-not men. Although the Chinese do not ordinarily call an opponent a Donkey,† as has for ages been the custom in Occidental lands, they employ the name of this animal in an unfavorable sense: Taking my good heart for a donkey's liver and lungs,’(拿着我的好心,當了馹肝肺).

In the following saying, the donkey stands for an ugly man, married to a beautiful woman: a bunch of fresh flowers, stuck on a donkey's head,' (– ✯✯Ħ¤ 5 I 1).

In a country where the chief end of man' is to leave posterity, to point out that one has no children is considered not only in bad taste, but actually abusive. A fallen tree that casts no shade-a battle array which destroys all the enemy,' (14, 2Ƒ4).

The chüch hu ch'en() is a triumph of ancient military tactics by which the adversary is beguiled into a certain position, and then exterminated. A man who has no sons, is called a chuch hu; a road which leads nowhere (or which, like the trail mentioned in 'Hyperion,'' ends in a squirrel track up a tree') is known as a chüch hu lu (ƑR).

In the following saying the double name of the Rat, lao shu, (M) or hao trú, (7)'waster,' gives occasion for an abusive pun: 'You are a rat brought on a cloud—a heaven-made waster (ESŃ Z NƑÆMTEN), where the words hao erh, (E) are intended to apply to a young spend-thrift— 'You are fated by heaven to be a prodigal.'

↑ The Buddhist Priests, as already mentioned, are called 'Bald Donkeys,' by a Pun on their sacred appellation (). As the doctrine of the transmigration of souls is a Buddhist one, it is but natural that the popular view should be that at death, Buddhist Priests become donkeys, which is the implication in the following proverb: 'Once & Priest, then going back to the world-he does not care whether or not he turns into a donkey,(當了和尙,又還俗,不管變馹不變駅).

Another style of abuse, intimates that one is a bad character.

'A countenance combining a hare's head and a snake's eyes,' ( 蛇眼的像貌).

He has the head and front of a grave plunderer and a coffin robber,'(長了个,偷棺掘墓的腦袋).

Grave robbery is punished with summary decapitation. This signifies that the man is what we should call a 'jail-bird.' 'A poor god, a ruined temple, and a stinking thief for a priest,' (M, AMZ). This is a collective vilification of a number of signifying that they are at once poor and vicious.

persons,

The phrase je chueh (), 'instant extermination,' is employed as a synonym for the punishment of decapitation. It denotes that one ought to be beheaded. He has a head fit for execution' (T↑ ****). One who has money at his command, and on this account boasts over others, is reviled by the inquiry; 'Since you have money, why do you not go and pay to have your head cut off?' (你有錢, 何不捐个热决).

The character tan signifying an egg, is also defined as the name of a tribe of aborigines. It is a term of universal application in abusive language, as in English a person is sometimes colloquially spoken of as a bad egg.' Yet it may also be employed in a good sense, as when the solitary child of his father's old age, is spoken of as a 'phoenix egg' (↑ AA E).

'In a kettle containing thick porridge, to add rice-flour ballsglutinous eggs,' (TĪТ**☎). The first moon of the new year, gives its name to these balls () which are at that time in great demand. They are made of glutinous rice (*) and are also known as tang yuan (i).

'The old villager who has never seen yüan hsiao-truly this is a turbid egg' (я*я ̃†, L 2 E). These expressions are employed to revile persons who are hopelessly stupid.

'Hail at the Five Terraced Mountains-dark eggs,' (F 7. The Wu t'ai mountains, in northern Shansi, are under the influence of the inferior, or yin () principle. The saying may be used to indicate that one is both morose and vicious. Wrapped up in a bog-a good for nothing egg' (VE).

The phrase wo nang (or has been already explained. The expression wo nang pao is used of one much abused, but not daring to make a disturbance, or not knowing how to carry it through, and who therefore is compelled to smother his wrath (). The words useless egg,' imply that one is universally incapable.

The ovum of a duck suspended between the heavens, and the earth-a hanging egg') This is a pun, in

which the character hsüan () to suspend, is employed to suggest hsüan () false, meaning, he is a lying egg.' The same idea is expressed by the phrase: 'A chicken's egg hanging in a spider's web’―(蜘蛛網上吊雞子兒,是个懸蛋).

The water in a tea-shop-boiling.'(,). The character kun () is applied both to the bubbling of water as it boils, and to rotary motions in general. The meaning-as in the next two examples, is 'Roll out of here!' Be off with you!'

The son of a tumble-bug, a rolling egg' (7) 'Pull up the door-sill and roll out!' (7).

To spend money and become a turbid egg,' (††E). To put iron balls into flour soup-an opaque egg that drops to the bottom'(麫茶鍋裏下鉄毬,渾蛋到底了). This denotes that the person to whom it is applied, is hopelessly stupid all the way through from top to bottom, (H). 'An old-age-peach dropped into flour soup-an opaque egg coming to a point,' (# 鍋裏下壽桃,渾蛋出了尖). As the flour dumpling shaped like a peach, differs from an egg in having a sharp point at one end, (HT), so this classic specimen of the species blockhead, surpasses all others,(渾 的出衆).

The phrase chia chi (), is used in proclamations, &c., after a list of titles, to indicate the number of promotions through which an official has passed, as chia pa chi (A), promoted eight steps. This expression is made to do duty in reviling another, in the saying: 'An opaque egg promoted eight steps' ( 7 ).

The irresistible tendency of the Chinese toward the use of reviling language, is well expressed in a saying touching one who has been drinking too much wine, and who is resolved to find some one to abuse. He is not so far gone, however, as not to be half conscious that promiscuous reviling will not be safe; he therefore confines himself to black-guarding The man that rears a pale-green dog! (1,A). The proverb is used of one who wishes to appear very angry, finding fault with everybody and everythingbut who dares not take the responsibility of his words. The incessant stream of reviling language, which is sure to be set a-flow by a Chinese quarrel, is described in the saying: 'A sonnd like the parching of beans-reviling without cessation,' (D) 5. ƒ — #6,5740).

PARENTS AND CHILDREN.

The proverbial philosophy of the Chinese in regard to children deserves a little attention, not only because it is considered essential for every one to leave behind him posterity to keep up the family, and to worship at the graves, but also because of peculiar modes of