istory with gods and fairies, the Chinese
cover that period by three sovereigns whom they call after their
favourite triad, heaven, earth, and man, giving them the respective
titles Tien-hwang, Ti-hwang, and Jin-hwang. Each of these reigned
eighteen thousand years; but what they reigned over is not apparent.
At all events they seem to have contributed little to the comfort
of their people; for at the close of that long period the wretched
inhabitants of the empire--the only country then known to exist
on earth--had no houses, no clothes, no laws, and no letters.

Now come five personages who, in accordance with Chinese historical
propriety, are likewise invested with imperial dignity and are
called Wu-ti, "the five rulers." Collectively they represent the
first appearance of the useful arts, the rude beginnings of human
civilisation. One of these rulers, noticing that birds constructed
nests, taught his people to build huts, from which he is called the
"nest builder." Another was the Prometheus of his day and obtained
fire, not, however, by stealing it from the sun, but by
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honestly working for it with two pieces of wood which he rubbed
together. The third of these rulers, named Fuhi, appears to have been
the teacher of his people in the art of rearing domestic animals;
in other words, the initiator of pastoral life, and possibly the
originator of sacrificial offerings. The fourth in order introduced
husbandry. As has been stated in a previous chapter (see page 36),
he has no name except Shin-nung, "divine husbandman"; and under
that title he continues to be worshipped at the present day as
the Ceres of China. The Emperor every spring repairs to his temple
to plough a few furrows by way of encouragement to his people. The
last of the five personages is called the "yellow ruler," whether
from the colour of his robes, or as ruler of the yellow race, is
left in doubt. He is credited with the invention of letters and
the cycle of sixty years, the foundation of Chinese chronology
(2700 B. C.).

Unlike the long twilight which precedes the dawn in high latitudes,
the semi-mythical age was brief, covering no more than two reigns,
those of Yao and Shun. Confucius regarded these as included in
the "five rulers." To make room for them, he omits the first two;
and he seldom refers to the others, but appears to accept them as
real personages. He is no critic; but he has shown good sense in
drawing the line no further ba