The Chinese Dragon

The Chinese Dragon

In the spring of 1909 the writer had the honor of being a guest for a week in the summer home of Dr. W.A.P. Martin, near Peking. Many residents of the Capital during the decade preceding the Revolution, and for a number of years before that, knew Pearl Grotto and visited the venerable senior missionary of China, then lately retired from the Presidency of the Imperial Tung Wen College. Dr. Martin was a scholar of the old school and enjoyed few pursuits better than that of reviewing his remarkable memory of the classical writers. During the meals the old gentleman, then nearly eighty, would quote readily from Homer, Horace, and Virgil, and would ask his guest to translate the passages freely into English and to cite the books and chapters quoted. After a few days in this uncomfortable situation the guest began to cast about for some means of relief. At that time he had been in the country but a few months, and was just beginning a general study of Chinese art. The dragon, among other objects of interest, particularly attracted his attention. It occurred to him to ask Dr. Martin some questions about this creature whose form was so popular with the Chinese. Accordingly a carefully prepared list of six or seven questions about the dragon was launched one morning across the breakfast table before the attack of Greek and Latin began. The first question met with a noncommittal reply, the second fared little better, and so on to the end. Then Dr. Martin admitted that this [x]was one of the subjects about which he knew very little. He was, however, very warm in his desire to help find answers to these questions, and he referred his guest to his personal friend, Sir Robert Hart, the Inspector General of the Imperial Customs, who had also lived fifty years in China. Unfortunately Sir Roberts replies were as vague as those of the retired Professor. The questions which were asked of these two eminent Sinologues were also submitted to several other British and Americans in Peking, and later to many Chinese, but with similar results. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 67168
Author: Hayes, L. Newton
Release Date: Jan 15, 2022
Format: eBook
Language: English
Publisher: Commerical Press Limited
Publication Date: 1923
Publisher Country: China