Chinese Chronology and Cycles

...for all people who, in an official or private capacity, come into contact with the educated class of Chinese people. It is also intended for Christian missionaries, for whom a true understanding of the history of the people they seek to convert will undoubtedly be useful. Furthermore, since many English-language works are not easily accessible to everyone, I have included extracts from them here. This ensures that everything scholars of Chinese literature and history have presented original: "adduced" regarding the timeline original: "chronology" may be gathered into a single volume and made easily available.

If this work proves useful in any way by encouraging a critical and accurate understanding of Chinese antiquity and civilization, and by countering the excessive sympathy created by the Chinese people's skillful and artificial portrayal of their own history, then I will be fully rewarded for the extensive reading and thought this research required. Throughout the entire course of my investigation, I have kept in mind the words of Sir William Drummond:

"The writer who attempts to distinguish truth from fiction in ancient history takes on a task that is more likely to be exhausting original: "laborious" for himself than pleasing to others."

Origins original: "Origines" Volume 1, Preface, page 8.