the mirror of kong ho-第2章

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



a　book　which　thus　disposes　of　all　possible　defence。　Therefore；　O



lesser　mandarins；　let　justice　be　accomplished　heavily　and　without



delay；　for；　as　the　proverb　truly　says；　'The　fiercer　the　flame　the　more



useless　the　struggles　of　the　victim。'〃







At　this　point　the　prisoners　frequently　endeavour　to　make　themselves



heard；　protesting　that　in　the　distance　between　the　concealed　Wang　and



the　one　who　stands　accusing　them　they　had　thrice　stopped　to　repair



their　innermost　details；　had　leisurely　partaken　of　food　and　wine；　and



had　also　been　overtaken；　struck；　and　delayed　by　a　funeral　procession。



But　so　great　is　the　execration　in　which　these　persons　are　held；　that



although　murderers　by　stealth；　outlaws；　snatchers　from　the　body；　and



companies　of　men　who　by　strategy　make　a　smaller　sum　of　money　appear　to



be　larger；　can　all　freely　testify　their　innocence；　raisers　of　this



unlawful　demon　must　not　do　so；　and　they　are　beaten　on　the　head　with



chains　until　they　desist。







Then　the　lesser　mandarins；　raising　their　voices　in　unison；　exclaim；



‘The　amiable　Tsay…hi　has　reported　the　matter　in　a　discreet　and



impartial　spirit。　Hear　our　pronouncement：　These　raisers　of　illegal



spirits　shall　each　contribute　ten　taels　of　gold；　which　shall　be



expended　in　joss…sticks；　in　purifying　the　road　which　they　have



scorched；　and　in　alleviating　the　distress　of　the　poor　and　virtuous　of



both　sexes。　The　praiseworthy　Tsay…hi；　moreover；　shall　embroider　upon



his　sleeve　an　honourable　sign　in　remembrance　of　the　event。　Let　drums



now　be　beat；　and　our　verdict　loudly　proclaimed　throughout　the



province。〃







These　things；　O　my　illustrious　father　（although　on　account　of　my



contemptible　deficiencies　of　style　much　may　seem　improbable　to　your



all…knowing　mind）；　these　things　I　write　with　an　unbending　brush；　for　I



set　down　only　that　which　I　have　myself　seen；　or　read　in　their　own



printed　records。　Doubtless　it　will　occur　to　one　of　your　preternatural



intelligence　that　our　own　system　of　administering　justice；　whereby　the



person　who　can　hire　the　greater　number　of　witnesses　is　reasonably　held



to　be　in　the　right；　although　perhaps　not　absolutely　infallible；　is　in



every　way　more　convenient；　but；　as　it　is　well　said；　〃To　the　blind；



night　is　as　acceptable　as　day。〃







Henceforth　you　will　have　no　hesitation　in　letting　it　be　known



throughout　Yuen…ping　that　these　foreign　barbarians　do　possess　secret



demons；　in　spite　of　their　denials。　Doubtless　I　shall　presently



discover　others　no　less　powerful。







With　honourable　distinction　this　person　has　at　length　grasped　the



essential　details　of　the　spoken　language　herenot　sufficiently　well；



indeed；　to　make　himself　understood　on　most　occasions；　or　even　to



understand　others；　but　enough　to　perceive　clearly　when　he　fails　to



become　intelligible　or　when　they　experience　a　like　difficulty　with



him。　Upon　an　earlier　occasion；　before　he　had　made　so　much　progress；



being　one　day　left　to　his　own　resources；　and　feeling　an　internal　lack；



he　entered　what　appeared　to　be　a　tea…shop　of　reputable　demeanour；　and；



seating　himself　at　one　of　the　little　marble　tables；　he　freely



pronounced　the　carefully…learned　word　〃rice〃　to　the　attending　nymph。



To　put　aside　all　details　of　preparation　（into　which；　indeed；　this



person　could　not　enter）　he　waved　his　hand　gracefully；　at　the　same　time



smiling　with　an　expression　of　tolerant　acquiescence；　as　of　one　who



would　say　that　what　was　good　enough　to　be　cooked　and　offered　by　so



entrancing　a　maiden　was　good　enough　to　be　eaten　by　him。　After



remaining　in　unruffled　tranquillity　for　the　full　portion　of　an　hour；



and　observing　that　no　other　person　around　had　to　wait　above　half　that



period；　this　one　began　to　perceive　that　the　enterprise　was　not　likely



to　terminate　in　a　manner　satisfactory　to　himself；　so　that；　leaving



this　place　with　a　few　well…chosen　phrases　of　intolerable　regret　in　his



own　tongue；　he　entered　another；　and　conducted　himself　in　a　like



fashion。　。　。　。　Towards　evening；　with　an　unperturbed　exterior；　but



materially　afflicted　elsewhere；　this　person　seated　himself　within　the



eleventh　tea…shop；　and；　pointing　first　towards　his　own　constituents　of



digestion；　then　at　the　fire；　and　lastly　in　an　upward　direction；



thereby　signified　to　any　not　of　stunted　intellect　that　he　had　reached



such　a　condition　of　mind　and　body　that　he　was　ready　to　consume



whatever　the　ruling　deities　were　willing　to　allot；　whether　boiled；



baked；　roast；　or　suspended　from　a　skewer。　In　this　resolve　nothing



would　move　him；　untilafter　many　maidens　had　approached　with



outstretched　hands　and　gestures　of　despairthere　presently　entered　a



person　wearing　the　helmet　of　a　warrior　and　the　manner　of　a　high



official；　who　spoke　strongly；　yet　persuasively；　of　the　virtues　of



immediate　movement　and　a　quiet　and　reposeful　bearing。







Assuredly　a　people　who　devote　so　little　attention　to　the　study　of



food；　and　all　matters　connected　with　it；　must　inevitably　remain



barbaric；　however　skilfully　they　may　feign　a　superficial　refinement。



It　is　said；　although　I　do　not　commit　this　matter　to　my　own　brush；　that



among　them　are　more　books　composed　on　subjects　which　have　no　actual



existence　than　on　cooking；　and；　incredible　as　it　may　appear；　to　be



exceptionally　round…bodied　confers　no　public　honour　upon　the



individual。　Should　a　favourable　occasion　present　itself；　there　are



many　who　do　not　scruple　to　jest　upon　the　subject　of　food；　or；　what　is



incalculably　more　depraved；　upon　the　scarcity　of　it。







Nevertheless；　there　are　exceptions　of　a　highly　distinguished　radiance。



Among　these　must　be　accounted　one　into　whose　presence　this　person　was



recently　led　by　our　polished　and　harmonious　friend　Quang…Tsun；　the



merchant　in　tea　and　spices。　This　versatile　person；　whose　business…name



is　spoken　of　as　Jones　Bob…Jones；　is　worthy　of　all　benignant　respect；



and　in　a　really　enlightened　country　would　doubtless　be　raised　to　a



more　exalted　position　than　that　of　a　breaker　of　outsides　（an



occupation　difficult　to　express　adequately　in　the　written　language　of



a　country　where　it　is　unknown）；　for　his　face　is　like　the　sun　setting



in　the　time　of　harvest；　his　waist　garment　excessive；　and　the　undoubted



symmetry　of　his　middle　portions　honourable　in　the　extreme。　So　welcome



in　my　eyes；　after　witnessing　an　unending　stream　of　concave　and



attenuated　barbarian　ghosts；　was　the　sight　of　these　perfections　of



Jones　Bob…Jones；　that　instead　of　the　formal　greeting　of　this



Islandthe　unmeaning　〃How　do　you　do　it？〃I　shook　hands　cordially



with　myself；　and　exclaimed　affectionately　in　our　own　language；



〃Illimitable　felicities！　How　is　your　stomach？〃







〃Well；〃　replied　Jones　Bob…Jones；　after　Quang…Tsun　had　interpreted　this



polite　salutation　to　his　understanding；　〃since　you　mention　it；　that's



just　the　trouble；　but　I'm　going　on　pretty　well；　thanks。　I've　tried



most　of　the　advertised　things；　and　now　my　doctor　has　put　me



practically　on　a　bread…and…water　courseclear　soup；　boiled　fish；



plain　joint；　no　sweets；　a　crumb　of　cheese；　and　a　bare　three　glasses　of



Hermitage。〃







During　this　amiable　remark　（of　which；　as　it　is　somewhat　of　a　technical



nature；　I　was　unable　to　grasp　the　contained　significance　until　the



agreeable　Quang…Tsun　had　subsequently　repeated　it　several　times　for



my　retention）；　I　maintained　a　consistent　expression　of　harmonious



agreement　and　gratified　esteem　（suitable；　I　find；　for　all　like



occasions）；　and　then；　judging　from　the　sympathetic　animation　of　Jones



Bob…Jones's　countenance；　that　it　had　not　improbably　been　connected



with　food；　I　discreetly　introduced　the　subject　of　sea…snails；



preserved　in　the　essence　of　crushed　peaches；　by　courteously　inquiring



whether　he　had　ever　partaken　of　such　a　delicacy。







〃No；〃　replied　the　liberal…minded　person；　whenencouraged　by　the



protruding　eagerness　of　his　eyes　at　the　mention　of　the　viandI　had



further　spoken　of　the　refined　flavour　of　the　dish；　and　explained　the



manner　of　its　preparation。　〃I　can't　say　that　I　have；　but　it　sounds



uncommonly　goodsomething　like　turtle；　I　should　imagine。　I'll　see　if



they　can　get　it　for　me　at　Pimm's。〃







This　filial　tribute　goes　by　a　trusty　hand；　in　the　person　of　one　Ki



Nihy；　who　is　shortly　committing　himself　to　the　protection　of　his



ancestors　and　the　voracity　of　the　unbounded　Bitter　Waters；　and　with



brightness　and　gold　it　will　doubtless　reach　you　in　the　course　of



twelve　or　eighteen　moons。　The　superstitious　here；　this　person　may



describe；　when　they　wish　to　send　messages　from　one　to　another；



inscribe　upon　the　outer　cover　a　written　representation　of　the　one



whose　habitation　they　require；　and　after　affixing　a　small　paper



talisman；　drop　it　into　a　hole　in　the　nearest　wall；　in　the　hope　that　it



may　be　ultimately　conveyed　to　the　appointed　spot；　either　by　the



services　of　the　charitably…disposed　passer…by；　or　by　the　intervention



of　the　beneficent　deities。







With　a　multiplicity　of　greetings　and　many　abject　expressions　of　a



conscious　inferiority；　and　attested　by　an　unvarying　thumb…mark。







KONG　HO。



（Effete　branch　of　a　pure　and　magnanimous　trunk。）















To　Kong　Ah…Paik；　reclining　beneath　the　sign　of　the　Lead　Tortoise；　in　a



northerly　direction　beyond　the　Lotus　Beds　outside　the　city　of



Yuen…ping。　The　Middle　Flowery　Kingdom。



















LETTER　II











Concerning　the　ill…destined　manner　of　existence　of　the　hound



Hercules。　The　thoughtlessly…expressed　desire　of　the　entrancing



maiden　and　its　effect　upon　a　person　of　susceptible　refinement。



The　opportune　（as　it　may　yet　be　described）　visit　of　one



Herbert。　The　behaviour　of　those　around。　Reflections。











VENERATED　SIRE　（whose　large　right　hand　is　continuously　floating　in



spirit　over　the　image　of　this　person's　dutiful　submission）；







Doubtless　to　your　all…consuming　prescience；　it　will　at　once　become



plain　that　I　have　abandoned　the　place　of　residence　from　which　I



directed　my　former　badly…written　and　offensively…constructed　letter；



the　house　of　the　sympathetic　and　resourceful　Maidens　Blank；　where　in



return　for　an　utterly　inadequate　sum　of　money；　produced　at　stated



intervals；　this　very　much　inferior　person　was　allowed　to　partake　of　a



delicately…balanced　and　somewhat　unvarying　fare　in　the　company　of　the



engaging　of　both　sexes；　and　afterwards