Such information as seemed necessary to enable the reader to understand the text, or that appeared to me to be of general interest, I have given in the notes at the foot of the page. Further details about the men and places mentioned in the text will be found in the Index.

Dates I have taken from Legge, Hirth and other standard authors.

In Chinese names, consonants are generally pronounced as in English, vowels as in Italian.

E, when not joined with i, is pronounced nearly as German Ö, or much as u in English luck.

the u being equivalent to w.

Chih and Shih rhyme approximately with her. Tzu is pronounced much as sir in the vulgar yessir, but with a hissing sound prefixed.