the mirror of kong ho-第19章

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same　Palace　on　the　following　day；　but　thenceforth　gracefully　affecting



to　discern　certain　agreeable　virtues　in　my　conversation　and　custom　of



habit　he　frequently　sought　me　out。　More　recently；　on　the　double　plea



that　they　of　his　household　had　a　desire　to　meet　me；　and　that　if　I



spent　all　my　time　within　the　Capital　my　impressions　of　the　Island



would　necessarily　be　ill…balanced　and　deformed；　he　advanced　a　project



that　I　should　accompany　him　to　a　spot　where；　as　far　as　I　was　competent



to　grasp　the　idiom；　he　was　in　the　habit　of　sitting　（doubtless　in　an



abstruse　reverie）；　in　the　country；　and　having　assured　myself　by　means



of　discreet　innuendo　that　the　seat　referred　to　would　be　adequate　for



this　person　also；　and　that　the　occasion　did　not　in　any　way　involve　a



payment　of　money；　I　at　once　expressed　my　willingness　towards　the



adventure。







With　numerous　expressions　of　unfeigned　regret　（from　a　filial　point　of



view）　that　the　voice　of　one　of　the　maidens　of　the　household；　lifted　in



the　nature　of　a　defiance　against　this　one　to　engage　with　her　in　a



two…handed　conflict　of　hong　pong；　obliges　him　to　bring　this　immature



composition　to　a　hasty　close。







KONG　HO。



















LETTER　X











Concerning　the　authority　of　this　high　official；　Sir　Philip。



The　side…slipperyness　of　barbarian　etiquette。　The　hurl…



headlong　sportiveness　and　that　achieving　its　end　by　means　of



curved　mallets。















VENERATED　SIRE；If　this　person's　memory　is　accurately　poised　on　the



detail；　he　was　compelled　to　abandon　his　former　letter　（when　on　the



point　of　describing　the　customs　of　these　outer　places）；　in　order　to



take　part　in　a　philosophical　discussion　with　some　of　the　venerable



sages　of　the　neighbourhood。







Resuming　the　narration　where　it　had　reached　this　remote　province　of



the　Empire；　it　is　a　suitable　opportunity　to　explain　that　this　same　Sir



Philip　is　here　greeted　on　every　side　with　marks　of　deferential



submission；　and　is　undoubtedly　an　official　of　high　button；　for



whenever　the　inclination　seizes　him　he　causes　prisoners　to　be　sought



out；　and　then　proceeds　to　administer　justice　impartially　upon　them。　In



the　case　of　the　wealthy　and　those　who　have　face　to　lose；　the　matter　is



generally　arranged；　to　his　profit　and　to　the　satisfaction　of　all；　by



the　payment　of　an　adequate　sum　of　money；　after　the　invariable　custom



of　our　own　mandarincy。　When　this　incentive　to　leniency　is　absent　it　is



usual　to　condemn　the　captive　to　imprisonment　in　a　cell　（it　is　denied



officially；　but　there　is　no　reason　to　doubt　that　a　large　earthenware



vessel　is　occasionally　used　for　this　purpose；）　for　varying　periods；



though　it　is　notorious　that　in　the　case　of　the　very　necessitous　they



are　sometimes　set　freely　at　liberty；　and　those　who　took　them　publicly



reprimanded　for　accusing　persons　from　whose　condition　on　possible



profit　could　arise。　This　confinement　is　seldom　inflicted　for　a　longer



period　than　seven；　fourteen；　or　twenty…one　days　（these　being　lucky



numbers；）　except　in　the　case　of　those　who　have　been　held　guilty　of



ensnaring　certain　birds　and　beasts　which　appear　to　be　regarded　as



sacred；　for　they　have　their　duly　appointed　attendants　who　wear　a　garb



and　are　trained　in　the　dexterous　use　of　arms；　lurking　with　loaded



weapons　in　secret　places　to　catch　the　unwary；　both　by　night　and　day。



Upheld　by　the　high　nature　of　their　office　these　persons　shrink　from　no



encounter　and　even　suffer　themselves　to　be　killed　with　resolute



unconcern；　but　when　successful　they　are　not　denied　an　efficient



triumph；　for　it　is　admitted　that　those　whom　they　capture　are　marked



men　from　that　time　（doubtless　being　branded　upon　the　body　with　the



name　of　their　captor）；　and　no　future　defence　is　availing。　The　third



punishment；　that　of　torture；　is　reserved　for　a　class　of　solitary



mendicants　who　travel　from　place　to　place；　doubtless　spreading　the



germs　of　an　inflammatory　doctrine　of　rebellion；　for；　owing　to　my　own



degraded　obtuseness；　the　actual　nature　of　their　crimes　could　never　be



made　clear　to　me。　Of　the　tortures　employed　that　known　in　their



language　as　the　〃bath〃　（for　which　we　have　no　real　equivalent；）　is　the



most　dreaded；　and　this　person　has　himself　beheld　men　of　gigantic



proportions；　whose　bodies　bore　the　stain　of　a　voluntary　endurance　to



every　privation；　abandon　themselves　to　a　most　ignoble　despair　upon



hearing　the　ill…destined　word。　Unquestionably　the　infliction　is



closely　connected　with　our　own　ordeal　of　boiling　water；　but　from　other



indications　it　is　only　reasonable　to　admit　that　there　is　an　added



ingredient；　of　which　we　probably　have　no　knowledge；　whereby　the　effect



is　enhanced　in　every　degree；　and　the　outer　surface　of　the　victim



rendered　more　vulnerable。　There　is　also　another　and　milder　form　of



torture；　known　as　the　〃task〃；　consisting　either　of　sharp…edged　stones



being　broken　upon　the　body；　or　else　the　body　broken　upon　sharp…edged



stones；　but　precisely　which　is　the　official　etiquette　of　the　case　this



person's　insatiable　passion　for　accuracy　and　his　short…sighted



limitations　among　the　more　technical　outlines　of　the　language；　prevent



him　from　stating　definitely。







Let　it　here　be　openly　confessed　that　the　intricately…arranged　titles



used　among　these　islanders；　and　the　widely…varying　dignities　which



they　convey；　have　never　ceased　to　embarrass　my　greetings　on　all



occasions；　and　even　yet；　when　a　more　crystal　insight　into　their



strangely　illogical　manners　enables　me　not　only　to　understand　them



clearly　myself；　but　also　to　expound　their　significance　to　others；　a



necessary　reticence　is　blended　with　my　most　profuse　cordiality；　and　my



salutations　to　one　whom　I　am　for　the　first　time　encountering　are　now



so　irreproachably　balanced；　that　I　can　imperceptibly　develop　them　into



an　engaging　effusion；　or；　without　actual　offence；　draw　back　into　a



condition　of　unapproachable　exclusiveness　as　the　necessity　may　arise。



With　us；　O　my　immaculate　sire；　a　yellow　silk　umbrella　has　for　three



thousand　years　denoted　a　fixed　and　recognisable　title。　A　mandarin　of



the　sixth　degree　need　not　hesitate　to　mingle　on　terms　of　assured



equality　with　other　mandarins　of　the　sixth　degree；　and　without　any



guide　beyond　a　seemly　instinct　he　perceives　the　reasonableness　of



assuming　a　deferential　obsequiousness　before　a　mandarin　of　the　fifth



rank；　and　a　counterbalancing　arrogance　when　in　the　society　of　an



official　who　has　only　risen　to　the　seventh　degree；　thus　conforming　to



that　essential　principle　of　harmonious　intercourse；　〃Remember　that



Chang　Chow's　ceiling　is　Tong　Wi's　floor〃；　but　who　shall　walk　with　even



footsteps　in　a　land　where　the　most　degraded　may　legally　bear　the　same



distinguished　name　as　that　of　the　enlightened　sovereign　himself；　where



the　admittedly　difficult　but　even　more　purposeless　achievement　of



causing　a　gold　mine　to　float　is　held　to　be　more　praiseworthy　than　to



pass　a　competitive　examination　or　to　compose　a　poem　of　inimitable



brilliance；　and　where　one　wearing　gilt　buttons　and　an　emblem　in　his



hat　proves　upon　ingratiating　approach　not　to　be　a　powerful　official



but　a　covetous　and　illiterate　slave　of　inferior　rank？　Thus；　through



their　own　narrow…minded　inconsistencies；　even　the　most



ceremoniously…proficient　may　at　times　present　an　ill…balanced



attitude。　This；　without　reproach　to　himself；　concerns　the　inward　cause



whereby　the　one　who　is　placed　to　you　in　the　relation　of　an



affectionate　and　ever…resourceful　son　found　unexpectedly　that　he



had　lost　the　benignant　full　face　of　a　lady　of　exalted　title。







At　that　time　I　had　formed　the　acquaintance；　in　an　obscure　quarter　of



the　city；　of　one　who　wore　a　uniform；　and　was　addressed　on　all　sides　as



the　commander　of　a　band；　while　the　gold　letters　upon　the　neck　part　of



his　outer　garment　inevitably　suggested　that　he　had　borne　an　honourable



share　in　the　recent　campaign　in　a　distant　land。　As　I　had　frequently



met　many　of　similar　rank　drinking　tea　at　the　house　of　the　engaging



countess　to　whom　I　have　alluded；　I　did　not　hesitate　to　prevail　upon



this　Captain　Miggs　to　accompany　me　there　upon　an　occasion　also；



assuring　him　of　equality　and　a　sympathetic　reception；　but　from　the



moment　of　our　arrival　the　attitudes　of　those　around　pointed　to　the



existence　of　some　unpropitious　barrier　invisible　to　me；　and　when　the



one　with　whom　I　was　associated　took　up　an　unassailable　position　upon



the　central　table；　and　began　to　speak　authoritatively　upon　the　subject



of　The　Virtues；　the　unenviable　condition　of　the　proud　and　affluent；



and　the　myriads　of　fire…demons　certainly　laying　in　wait　for　those　who



partook　of　spiced　tea　and　rich　foods　in　the　afternoon；　and　did　not



wear　a　uniform　similar　to　his　own；　I　began　to　recognise　that　the



selection　had　been　inauspiciously　arranged。　Upon　taxing　some　around



with　the　discrepancy　（as　there　seemed　to　be　no　more　dignified　way　of



evading　the　responsibility）；　they　were　unable　to　contend　against　me



that　there　were；　indeed；　two；　if　not　more；　distinct　varieties　of　those



bearing　the　rank　of　captain；　and　that　they　themselves　belonged　to　an



entirely　different　camp；　wearing　another　dress；　and　possessing　no



authority　to　display　the　symbol　of　the　letters　S。A。　upon　their　necks。



With　this　admission　I　was　content　to　leave　the　matter；　in　no　way



accusing　them　of　actual　duplicity；　yet　so　withdrawing　that　any　of



unprejudiced　standing　could　not　fail　to　carry　away　the　impression　that



I　had　been　the　victim　of　an　unworthy　artifice；　and　had　been　lured　into



their　society　by　the　pretext　that　they　were　other　than　what　they



really　were。







With　the　bitter…flavoured　memory　of　this；　and　other　in　no　way



dissimilar　episodes；　lingering　in　my　throat；　it　need　not　be　a　matter



of　conjecture　that　for　a　time　I　greeted　warily　all　who　bore　a　title；　a



mark　of　rank；　or　any　similar　appendage；　who　wore　a　uniform；　weapon；



brass　helmet；　jewelled　crown；　coat　of　distinctive　colour；　or　any



excessive　superfluity　of　pearl　or　metal　buttons；　who　went　forth



surrounded　by　a　retinue；　sat　publicly　in　a　chair　or　allegorical



chariot；　spoke　loudly　in　the　highways　and　places　in　a　tone　of　official



pronouncement；　displayed　any　feather；　emblem；　inscribed　badge；　or



printed　announcement　upon　a　pole；　or　in　any　way　conducted　themselves



in　what　we　should　esteem　to　be　fitting　to　a　position　of　high　dignity。



From　this　arose　the　absence　of　outward　enthusiasm　with　which　I　at



f