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se。 If； however； it be the female with which man has most to do； she is allowed to bestow her name upon her male partner。 Examples of the latter description occur in the use of 〃cows〃 for 〃cattle；〃 and 〃hens〃 for 〃fowls。〃 A Japanese can say only 〃fowl；〃 defined； if absolutely necessary； as 〃he…fowl〃 or 〃she…fowl。〃
Now such a slighting of one of the most potent springs of human action； sex； with all that the idea involves； is not due to a pronounced misogynism on the part of these people； but to a much more effective neglect； a great underlying impersonality。 Indifference to woman is but included in a much more general indifference to mankind。 The fact becomes all the more evident when we descend from sex to gender。 That Father Ocean does not； in their verbal imagery； embrace Mother Earth； with that subtle suggestion of humanity which in Aryan speech the gender of the nouns hints without expressing； is not due to any lack of poesy in the Far Oriental speaker； but to the essential impersonality of his mind； embodied now in the very character of the words he uses。 A Japanese noun is a crystallized concept； handed down unchanged from the childhood of the Japanese race。 So primitive a conception does it represent that it is neither a total nor a partial symbol； but rather the outcome of a first vague generality。 The word 〃man；〃 for instance； means to them not one man； still less mankind； but that indefinite idea which struggles for embodiment in the utterance of the infant。 It represents not a person； but a thing； a material fact quite innocent of gender。 This early state of semi…consciousness the Japanese never outgrew。 The world continued to present itself to their minds as a collection of things。 Nor did their subsequent Chinese education change their view。 Buddhism simply infused all things with the one universal spirit。
As to inanimate objects； the idea of supposing sex where there is not even life is altogether too fanciful a notion for the Far Eastern mind。
Impersonality first fashioned the nouns； and then the nouns； by their very impersonality； helped keep impersonal the thought and fettered fancy。 All those temptings to poesy which to the Aryan imagination lie latent in the sex with which his forefathers humanized their words； never stir the Tartar nor the Chinese soul。 They feel the poetry of nature as much as； indeed much more than； we； but it is a poetry unassociated with man。 And this； too； curiously enough； in spite of the fact that to explain the cosmos the Chinamen invented； or perhaps only adapted； a singularly sexual philosophy。 For possibly； like some other portions of their intellectual wealth； they stole it from India。 The Chinese conception of the origin of the world is based on the idea of sex。 According to their notions the earth was begotten。 It is true that with them the cosmos started in an abstract something； which self…produced two great principles； but this pair once obtained； matters proceeded after the analogy of mankind。 The two principles at work were themselves abstract enough to have satisfied the most unimpassioned of philosophers。 They were simply a positive essence and a negative one； correlated to sunshine and shadow； but also correlated to male and female forces。 Through their mutual action were born the earth and the air and the water； from these； in turn； was begotten man。 The cosmical modus operandi was not creative nor evolutionary； but sexual。 The whole scheme suggests an attempt to wed abstract philosophy with primitive concrete mythology。
The same sexuality distinguishes the Japanese demonology。 Here the physical replaces the philosophical； instead of principles we find allegorical personages； but they show just the same pleasing propensity to appear in pairs。
This attributing of sexes to the cosmos is not in the least incompatible with an uninterested disregard of sex where it really exists。 It is one thing to admit the fact as a general law of the universe； and quite another to dwell upon it as an important factor in every…day affairs。
How slight is the Tartar tendency to personification can be seen from a glance at these same Japanese gods。 They are a combination of defunct ancestors and deified natural phenomena。 The evolving of the first half required little imagination； for fate furnished the material ready made； while in conjuring up the second moiety； the spirit…evokers showed even less originality。 Their results were neither winsome nor sublime。 The gods whom they created they invested with very ordinary humanity； the usual endowment of aboriginal deity； together with the customary superhuman strength。 If these demigods differed from others of their class； it was only in being more commonplace； and in not meddling much with man。 Even such personification of natural forces； simple enough to be self…suggested； quickly disappeared。 The various awe…compelling phenomena soon ceased to have any connection with the anthropomorphic noumena they had begotten。 For instance； the sun…goddess； we are informed； was one day lured out of a cavern； where she was sulking in consequence of the provoking behavior of her younger brother； by her curiosity at the sight of her own face in a mirror； ingeniously placed before the entrance for the purpose。 But no Japanese would dream now of casting any such reflections； however flattering； upon the face of the orb of day。 The sun has become not only quite sexless to him； but as devoid of personality as it is to any Western materialist。 Lesser deities suffered a like unsubstantial transformation。 The thunder…god； with his belt of drums； upon which he beats a devil's tattoo until he is black in the face； is no longer even indirectly associated with the storm。 As for dryads and nymphs； the beautiful creatures never inhabited Eastern Asia。 Anthropoid foxes and raccoons； wholly lacking in those engaging qualities that beget love； and through love remembrance； take their place。 Even Benten； the naturalized Venus； who； like her Hellenic sister； is said to have risen from the sea； is a person quite incapable of inspiring a reckless infatuation。
Utterly unlike was this pantheon to the pantheon of the Greeks； the personifying tendency of whose Aryan mind was forever peopling nature with half…human inhabitants。 Under its quickening fancy the very clods grew sentient。 Dumb earth awoke at the call of its desire； and the beings its own poesy had begotten made merry companionship for man。 Then a change crept over the face of things。 Faith began to flicker； for want of facts to feed its flame。 Little by little the fires of devotion burnt themselves out。 At last great Pan died。 The body of the old belief was consumed。 But though it perished； its ashes preserved its form； an unsubstantial presentment of the past； to crumble in a twinkling at the touch of science； but keeping yet to the poet's eye the lifelike semblance of what once had been。 The dead gods still live in our language and our art。 Even to…day the earth about us seems semiconscious to the soul； for the memories they have left。
But with the Far Oriental the exorcising feeling was fear。 He never fell in love with his own mythological creations； and so he never embalmed their memories。 They were to him but explanations of facts； and had no claims upon his fancy。 His ideal world remained as utterly impersonal as if it had never been born。
The same impersonality reappears in the matter of number。 Grammatically； number with them is unrecognized。 There exist no such things as plural forms。 This singularity would be only too welcome to the foreign student； were it not that in avoiding the frying…pan the Tartars fell into the fire。 For what they invented in place of a plural was quite as difficult to memorize； and even more cumbrous to express。 Instead of inflecting the noun and then prefixing a number； they keep the noun unchanged and add two numerals； thus at times actually employing more words to express the objects than there are objects to express。 One of these numerals is a simple number； the other is what is known as an auxiliary numeral； a word as singular in form as in function。 Thus； for instance； 〃two men〃 become amplified verbally into 〃man two individual；〃 or； as the Chinaman puts it； in pidgin English； 〃two piecey man。〃 For in this respect Chinese resembles Japanese； though in very little else； and pidgin English is nothing but the literal translation of the Chinese idiom into Anglo…Saxon words。 The necessity for such elaborate qualification arises from the excessive simplicity of the Japanese nouns。 As we have seen； the noun is so indefinite a generality that simply to multiply it by a number cannot possibly produce any definite result。 No exact counterpart of these nouns exists in English； but some idea of the impossibility of the process may be got from our word 〃cattle；〃 which； prolific though it may prove in fact； remains obstinately incapable of verbal multiplication。 All Japanese nouns being of this indefinite description； all require auxiliary numerals。 But as each one has its own appropriate numeral； about which a mistake is unpardonable； it takes some little study merely to master the etiquette of these handles to the nam