appointed an officer "to preside over the worship of God and Earth,
in order to form a link between the spirits and man," and also "caused
music to be played for the enjoyment of God." Music, by the way, is said
to have been introduced into worship in imitation of thunder, and was
therefore supposed to be pleasing to the Almighty. After him followed
the Emperor Ti K'u, B.C. 2436-2366, who dabbled in astronomy, and "came
to a knowledge of spiritual beings, which he respectfully worshipped."
The Emperor Yao, B.C. 2357-2255, built a temple for the worship of
God, and also caused dances to be performed for the enjoyment of God
on occasions of special sacrifice and communication with the spiritual
world. After him, we reach the Emperor Shun, B.C. 2255-2205, in whose
favour Yao abdicated.

Additional Deities.--Before, however, Shun ventured to mount the throne,
he consulted the stars, in order to find out if the unseen Powers were
favourable to his elevation; and on receiving a satisfactory reply, "he
proceeded to sacrifice to God, to the Six Honoured Ones (unknown), to
the Mountains and Rivers, and to Spirits in general. . . . In the second
month of the year, he made a tour of inspection eastwards, as far as
Mount T'ai (in modern Shantung), where he presented a burnt offering to
God, and sacrificed to the Mountains and Rivers."

God punishes the wicked and rewards the good.--The Great Yu, who drained
the empire, and came to the throne in B.C. 2205 as first Emperor of the
Hsia dynasty, followed in the lines of his pious predecessors. But the
Emperor K'ung Chia, B.C. 1879-1848, who at first had treated the Spirits
with all due reverence, fell into evil ways, and was abandoned by God.
This was the beginning of the end. In B.C. 1766 T'ang the Completer,
founder of the Shang dynasty, set to work to overthrow Chieh Kuei, the
last ruler of the Hsia dynasty. He began by sacrificing to Almighty