plain explanation of what the phrase means, but only a collection of the
chief passages in literature in which "tells his tale" occurs. In one
of these there would probably be some allusion to sheep, and in another
to counting, and so it would become pretty plain that when a shepherd
"tells his tale," he does not whisper soft nothings into the ear of a
shepherdess, but is much more prosaically engaged in counting the number
of his sheep.

Our Cambridge copy of the Concordance is bound up in 44 thick volumes.
Each volume contains on an average 840 pages, and each page about 400
characters. This gives a sum total of about 37,000 pages, and about
15,000,000 characters. Translated into English, this work would be
one-third as large again, 100 pages of Chinese text being equal to about
130 of English.

In the year 1772 the enlightened Emperor Ch'ien Lung, who then sat upon
the throne, gave orders that a descriptive Catalogue should be prepared
of the books in the Imperial Library. And in order to enhance its
literary value, his Majesty issued invitations to the leading provincial
officials to take part in the enterprise by securing and forwarding to
Peking any rare books they might be able to come across.

The scheme proved in every way successful. Many old works were rescued
from oblivion and ultimate destruction, and in 1795 a very wonderful
Catalogue was laid before the world in print. It fills twenty-six octavo
volumes of about five hundred pages to each, the works enumerated being
divided into four classes,—the Confucian Canon, History, Philosophy, and
General Literature. Under each work we have first of all an historical
sketch of its origin, with date of publication, etc., when known; and
secondly, a careful critique dealing with its merits and defects. All