narch in the history of the Empire. During his long reign
of sixty-one years, Kanghi maintained order in his wide domain,
corrected abuses in administration, and promoted education for both
nationalities. It is notable that the most complete dictionary
of the Chinese language bears the imprimatur of Kanghi, a Tartar
sovereign.

For his fame in the foreign world, Kanghi is largely indebted to
the learned missionaries who enjoyed his patronage, though he took
care to distinguish between them and their religion. The latter had
been proscribed by the regents, who exercised supreme power during
his minority. Their decree was never revoked; and persecution went on
in the provinces, without the least interference from the Emperor.
Still his patronage of missionaries was not without influence on
the status of Christianity in his dominions. It gained ground, and
before the close of his reign it had a following of over three hundred
thousand converts. Near the close of his reign he pointedly condemned
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the foreign faith, and commanded the expulsion of its propagators,
except a few, who were required in the Board of Astronomy.

The favourable impression made by Ricci had been deepened by Schaal
and Verbiest. The former under Shunchi reformed the calendar and
obtained the presidency of the Astronomical Board. He also cast
cannon to aid the Manchu conquest. The latter did both for Kanghi,
and filled the same high post. Schaal employed his influence to
procure the building of two churches in Peking. Verbiest made use of
his to spread the faith in the provinces. The Church might perhaps
have gained a complete victory, had not dissensions arisen within her
own ranks. Dominicans and Franciscans entering the field denounced
their forerunners for having tolerated heathen rites and accepted
heathen names for God. After prolonged discussions and contradictory
decrees the final verdict went against the Jesuits. In this decision
the Holy See seems not to have been guided by infallible wisdom.

Kanghi, whose opinion had been requested by the Jesuits, asserted
that by _Tien_ and _Shang-ti_ the Chinese mean the Ruler
of the Universe, and that the worship of Confucius and of ancestors
is not idolatry, but a state or family ceremony. By deciding against
his views, the Pope committed the blunder of alienating a great
monarch, who might have been won by a liberal policy. The prohibition
of the cult of ancestors--less objectionable in i