the mirror of kong ho-第1章

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　THE　MIRROR　OF　KONG　HO







　BY　ERNEST　BRAMAH















A　lively　and　amusing　collection　of　letters　on



western　living　written　by　Kong　Ho；　a　Chinese



gentleman。　These　addressed　to　his　homeland；



refer　to　the　Westerners　in　London　as



barbarians　and　many　of　the　aids　to　life　in　our



society　give　Kong　Ho　endless　food　for　thought。



These　are　things　such　as　the　motor　car　and　the



piano；　unknown　in　China　at　this　time。















INTRODUCTION







ESTIMABLE　BARBARIAN；Your　opportune　suggestion　that　I　should



permit　the　letters；　wherein　I　have　described　with　undeviating



fidelity　the　customs　and　manner　of　behaving　of　your



accomplished　race；　to　be　set　forth　in　the　form　of　printed



leaves　for　all　to　behold；　is　doubtless　gracefully…intentioned；



and　this　person　will　raise　no　barrier　of　dissent　against　it。







In　this　he　is　inspired　by　the　benevolent　hope　that　his



immature　compositions　may　to　one　extent　become　a　model　and　a



by…word　to　those　who　in　turn　visit　his　own　land　of　Fragrant



Purity；　for　with　exacting　care　he　has　set　down　no　detail　that



has　not　come　under　his　direct　observation　（although　it　is　not



to　be　denied　that　here　or　there　he　may；　perchance；　have



misunderstood　an　involved　allusion　or　failed　to　grasp　the



inner　significance　of　an　act）；　so　that　Impartiality



necessarily　sways　his　brush；　and　Truth　lurks　within　his　inkpot。







In　an　entirely　contrary　manner　some；　who　of　recent　years　have



gratified　us　with　their　magnanimous　presence；　have　returned　to



their　own　countries　not　only　with　the　internal　fittings　of



many　of　our　palaces　（which；　being　for　the　most　part　of　a



replaceable　nature；　need　be　only　trivially　referred　to；　the



incident；　indeed；　being　generally　regarded　as　a　most　cordial



and　pressing　variety　of　foreign　politeness）；　but　alsoin　the



lack　of　highly…spiced　actualitywith　subtly…imagined　and



truly　objectionable　instances。　These　calumnies　they　have　not



hesitated　to　commit　to　the　form　of　printed　books；　which；



falling　into　the　hands　of　the　ignorant　and　undiscriminating；



may　even　suggest　to　their　ill…balanced　minds　a　doubt　whether



we　of　the　Celestial　Empire　really　are　the　wisest；　bravest；



purest；　and　most　enlightened　people　in　existence。







As　a　parting；　it　only　remains　to　be　said　that；　in　order　to



maintain　unimpaired　the　quaint…sounding　brevity　and　archaic



construction　of　your　prepossessing　language；　I　have　engraved



most　of　the　remarks　upon　the　receptive　tablets　of　my　mind　as



they　were　uttered。　To　one　who　can　repeat　the　Five　Classics



without　stumbling　this　is　a　contemptible　achievement。　Let　it



be　an　imposed　obligation；　therefore；　that　you　retain　these



portions　unchanged　as　a　test　and　a　proof　to　all　who　may　read。



Of　my　own　deficient　words；　I　can　only　in　truest　courtesy



maintain　that　any　alteration　must　of　necessity　make　them　less



offensively　commonplace　than　at　present　they　are。







The　Sign　and　immutable　Thumb…mark　of；



Kong　Ho







By　a　sure　hand　to　the　House　of　one　Ernest　Bramah。















THE　MIRROR　OF　KONG　HO















LETTER　I















Concerning　the　journey。　The　unlawful　demons　invoked　by　certain



of　the　barbarians；　their　power　and　the　manner　of　their　suppression。



suppression。　The　incredible　obtuseness　of　those　who　attend　within　tea…houses。



The　harmonious　attitude　of　a　person　of　commerce。











VENERATED　SIRE　（at　whose　virtuous　and　well…established　feet　an



unworthy　son　now　prostrates　himself　in　spirit　repeatedly）；







Having　at　length　reached　the　summit　of　my　journey；　that　London　of



which　the　merchants　from　Canton　spoke　so　many　strange　and　incredible



things；　I　now　send　you　filial　salutations　three　times　increased；　and



in　accordance　with　your　explicit　command　I　shall　write　all　things　to



you　with　an　unvarnished　brush；　well　assured　that　your　versatile　object



in　committing　me　to　so　questionable　an　enterprise　was；　above　all；　to



learn　the　truth　of　these　matters　in　an　undeviating　and　yet　open…headed



spirit　of　accuracy　and　toleration。







Of　the　perils　incurred　while　travelling　in　the　awe…inspiring　devices



by　which　I　was　transferred　from　shore　to　shore　and　yet　further　inland；



of　the　utter　absence　of　all　leisurely　dignity　on　the　part　of　those



controlling　their　movements；　and　of　the　almost　unnatural



self…opinionatedness　which　led　them　to　persist　in　starting　at　a　stated



and　prearranged　time；　even　when　this　person　had　courteously　pointed



out　to　them　by　irrefutable　omens　that　neither　the　day　nor　the　hour　was



suitable　for　the　venture；　I　have　already　written。　It　is　enough　to



assert　that　a　similar　want　of　prudence　was　maintained　on　every



occasion；　and；　as　a　result；　when　actually　within　sight　of　the　walls　of



this　city；　we　were　involved　for　upwards　of　an　hour　in　a　very



evilly…arranged　yellow　darkness；　which；　had　we　but　delayed　for　a　day；



as　I　strenuously　advised　those　in　authority　after　consulting　the



Sacred　Flat　and　Round　Sticks；　we　should　certainly　have　avoided。







Concerning　the　real　nature　of　the　devices　by　which　the　ships　are



propelled　at　sea　and　the　carriages　on　land；　I　must　still　unroll　a



blank　mind　until　I　can　secretly；　and　without　undue　hazard；　examine



them　more　closely。　If；　as　you　maintain；　it　is　the　work　of　captive



demons　hidden　away　among　their　most　inside　parts；　it　must　be　admitted



that　these　usually　intractable　beings　are　admirably　trained　and



controlled；　and　I　am　wide…headed　enough　to　think　that　in　this　respect



we　mightnot…withstanding　our　nine　thousand　years　of　civilised



refinementlearn　something　of　the　methods　of　these　barbarians。　The



secret；　however；　is　jealously　guarded；　and　they　deny　the　existence　of



any　supernatural　forces；　but　their　protests　may　be　ignored；　for　there



is　undoubtedly　a　powerful　demon　used　in　a　similar　way　by　some　of　the



boldest　of　them；　although　its　employment　is　unlawful。　A　certain　kind



of　chariot　is　used　for　the　occupation　of　this　demon；　and　those　who



wish　to　invoke　it　conceal　their　faces　within　masks　of　terrifying



design；　and　cover　their　hands　and　bodies　with　specially　prepared



garments；　without　which　it　would　be　fatal　to　encounter　these　very



powerful　spirits。　While　yet　among　the　habitations　of　men；　and　in



crowded　places；　they　are　constrained　to　use　less　powerful　demons；



which　are　lawful；　but　when　they　reach　the　unfrequented　paths　they



throw　aside　all　restraint；　and；　calling　to　their　aid　the　forbidden



spirit　（which　they　do　by　secret　movements　of　the　hands）；　they　are



carried　forward　by　its　agency　at　a　speed　unattainable　by　merely　human



means。　By　day　the　demon　looks　forth　from　three　white　eyes；　which　at



night　have　a　penetrating　brilliance　equal　to　the　fiercest　glances　of



the　Sacred　Dragon　in　anger。　If　any　person　incautiously　stands　in　its



way　it　utters　a　warning　cry　of　intolerable　rage；　and　should　the



presumptuous　one　neglect　to　escape　to　the　roadside　and　there　prostrate



himself　reverentially　before　it；　it　seizes　him　by　the　body　part　and



contemptuously　hurls　him　bruised　and　unrecognisable　into　the　boundless



space　of　the　around。　Frequently　the　demon　causes　the　chariot　to　rise



into　the　air；　and　it　is　credibly　asserted　by　discriminating　witnesses



（although　this　person　only　sets　down　as　incapable　of　denial　that　which



he　has　actually　beheld）　that　some　have　maintained　an　unceasing　flight



through　the　middle　air　for　a　distance　of　many　li。　Occasionally　the



captive　demon　escapes　from　the　bondage　of　those　who　have　invoked　it；



through　some　incautious　gesture　or　heretical　remark　on　their　part；　and



then　it　never　fails　to　use　them　grievously；　casting　them　to　the　ground



wounded；　consuming　the　chariot　with　fire；　and　passing　away　in　the



midst　of　an　exceedingly　debased　odour；　by　which　it　is　always



accompanied　after　the　manner　of　our　own　earth　spirits。







This　being；　as　this　person　has　already　set　forth；　an　unlawful　demon　on



account　of　its　power　when　once　called　up；　and　the　admitted　uncertainty



of　its　movements；　those　in　authority　maintain　a　stern　and　inexorable



face　towards　the　practice。　To　entrap　the　unwary　certain　persons



（chosen　on　account　of　their　massive　outlines；　and　further　protected



from　evil　influences　by　their　pure　and　consistent　habits）　keep　an



unceasing　watch。　When　one　of　them；　himself　lying　concealed；　detects



the　approach　of　such　a　being；　he　closely　observes　the　position　of　the



sun；　and　signals　to　the　other　a　message　of　warning。　Then　the　second



one；　shielded　by　the　sanctity　of　his　life　and　rendered　inviolable　by



the　nature　of　his　garmentshis　sandals　alone　being　capable　of



overturning　any　demon　from　his　path　should　it　encounter　themboldly



steps　forth　into　the　road　and　holds　out　before　him　certain　sacred



emblems。　So　powerful　are　these　that　at　the　sight　the　unlawful　demon



confesses　itself　vanquished；　and　although　its　whole　body　trembles　with



ill…contained　rage；　and　the　air　around　is　poisoned　by　its



discreditable　exhalation；　it　is　devoid　of　further　resistance。　Those　in



the　chariot　are　thereupon　commanded　to　dismiss　it；　and　being　bound　in



chains　they　are　led　into　the　presence　of　certain　lesser　mandarins　who



administer　justice　from　a　raised　dais。







〃Behold！〃　exclaims　the　chief　of　the　captors；　when　the　prisoners　have



been　placed　in　obsequious　attitudes　before　the　lesser　mandarins；　〃thus



the　matter　chanced：　The　honourable　Wang；　although　disguised　under　the



semblance　of　an　applewoman；　had　discreetly　concealed　himself　by　the



roadside；　all　but　his　head　being　underneath　a　stream　of　stagnant



water；　when；　at　the　eighth　hour　of　the　morning；　he　beheld　these



repulsive　outcasts　approaching　in　their　chariot；　carried　forward　by



the　diabolical　vigour　of　the　unlawful　demon。　Although　I　had　stationed



myself　several　li　distant　from　the　accomplished　Wang；　the　chariot



reached　me　in　less　than　a　breathing　space　of　time；　those　inside



assuming　their　fiercest　and　most　aggressive　attitudes；　and　as　they



came　repeatedly　urging　the　demon　to　increased　exertions。　Their　speed



exceeded　that　of　the　swallow　in　his　hymeneal　flight；　all　shrubs　and



flowers　by　the　wayside　withered　incapably　at　the　demon's　contaminating



glance；　running　water　ceased　to　flow；　and　the　road　itself　was　scorched



at　their　passage；　the　earth　emitting　a　dull　bluish　flame。　These　facts；



and　the　times　and　the　distances；　this　person　has　further　inscribed　in



a　book