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CHINESE MUSIC. 47 DESCRIPTION OF INSTRUMENTS. Chinese musical instmments might be divided into two distinct categories- first, those of a somewhat complicated workmanship, used in the ritual ceremonies, and which are held sacred; and second, those of a common, primary form, used in popular music. But in order to keep in accord with the poetical spirit of' the Chinese, I will follow the classification adopted I I by them. It has been said above that according to Chinese ideas music is nothing but the expression of the perfect harmony existing between heaven, earth, and man. The numerous comparisons derived from this principle have also been mentioned. Jf the Chinese imagined the existence of certain resemblances or affinities between music and creation ; if they fotmd the idea of their system in natural phenomena; if they discovered in the r 2 moons and the 5 planets the basis of their r z lu s and S notes; finally, i£ the ffiljl ffl (she"n-li ), or spi.J:itual principle of music, was derived from heavenly regions, it is evident that the instruments (which represent the~~ (ch'i -shtb), or material principle) were to be found in the natmal productions of earth. The Chinese therefore put Nature under contribution for the production of eight kinds of instruments corresponding to the eight symbols j\ # , (pa-'1:ua) of Fu Hsr, which, they believe, are the expression of all the changes and permutations which take place in the tmiverse. I give here a table showing the order of the sonorous bodies, with the symbols, the points of the compass, the seasons, and the instruments to which they correspond:- No. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sonorous Bodies. Stone .............. . Metal ......... :.. .. . Kuas or Fu Hsr's Symbols. t;l, ro e· - ¥l. v ,i ien ......... .- - AT· - .71:.t iii ..... .. ......- - Silk................. ~i L i .. ..... .. .. .... ==: Bamboo ........... . 1n OMn ... .. .. ..... = = - Wood... ... ,. .. ..... ~II.sun ..... .. .... - Skin .. .. .. .... .... .. ;tx K'cvn . .. ......... =- GoUl'd .. ........ ..... ~ Ken ..... ... ... ,.--= Earth .. .... .. .. ... .. !$ K'iin.... .... .. .. = := Points of the Compass. N.W. w. s. E. S.E. N. N.E. s.w. Seasons. Instruments. Autumn- winter..... .. 'I'he stone-chime. Autumn ................ The bell-chime. Stunmer .... ........ .. ... The lute. Spring.. .... .......... .. The flute. ::ipring-summer ....... The tiger-box. Winter ..... .. ........... The cl.t·tUlJ. Wipter-spring.. .... .. '!'he reed-organ. s 1 mmer-autumn .. ... The porcelain-cone. r' In the following description the instruments will be grouped under one of the above eight categories, acconling to the .material they are made of, but they will also be di. tinguished by a consecutive ·series of numbers, which will unite them in one whole group.