the mirror of kong ho-第25章

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various　interchanges。　He　was　still　persevering　hopefully　when　he　of



chief　authority　approached　and　requested　that　the　one　who　was　thus



employed　and　that　same　other　would　leave　the　hall　tranquilly；　as　the



all…water　entertainment　was　at　an　end；　and　an　attending　slave　was　in



readiness　to　extinguish　the　lanterns。







〃Yet；〃　I　protested　unassumingly；　〃that　which　has　so　far　been　expressed



is　only　in　the　semblance　of　an　introductory　ode。　There　follow〃







〃You　must　not　argue　with　the　Chair；〃　exclaimed　another　interposing　his



voice。　〃Whatever　the　Chair　rules　must　be　accepted。〃







〃The　innuendo　is　flat…witted；〃　I　replied　with　imperturbable　dignity；



but　still　retaining　my　hold　upon　the　rail。　〃When　this　person　so　far



loses　his　sense　of　proportion　as　to　contend　with　an　irrational　object；



devoid　of　faculties；　let　the　barb　be　cast。　After　that　introduction



dealing　with　the　four　seasons；　the　twelve　gong…strokes　of　the　day　are



reviewed　in　a　like　fashion。　These　in　turn　give　place　to　the　days　of



the　month；　then　the　moons　of　the　year；　and　finally　the　years　of　the



cycle。〃







〃That's　fair；〃　exclaimed　the　perverse　though　well…meaning　youth；　whom



I　was　beginning　to　recognise　as　the　cause　of　some　misunderstanding



among　us。　〃If　you　don't　want　any　more　of　his　poemand　I　don't　blame



youmy　pal　Ho；　who　is　one　of　the　popular　Flip…Flap　Troupe；　offers　to



do　some　trick　cycle…riding　on　his　ears。　What　more　can　you　expect？〃







〃We　expect　a　policeman　very　soon；〃　replied　another　severely。　〃He　has



already　been　sent　for。〃







〃In　that　case；〃　said　the　one　who　had　so　persistently　claimed　me　as　an



ally；　〃perhaps　I　can　do　you　a　service　by　directing　him　here〃；　and



leaving　this　person　to　extricate　himself　by　means　of　a　reassuring



silence　and　some　of　the　larger　silver　pieces　of　the　Island；　he



vanished　hastily。







With　some　doubt　whether　or　not　this　deviation　into　the　society　of　the



professedly　virtuous；　ending　as　it　admittedly　does　in　an　involvement；



may　not　be　deemed　ill…starred；　yet　hopeful。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　KONG　HO。















　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　THREE　GIFTS







　　　　Related　by　Kong　Ho　on　the　occasion　of　the　all…water



　　　　disportment；　under　the　circumstances　previously　set　forth。







BEYOND　the　limits　of　the　township　of　Yang…chow　there　dwelt　a　rich



astrologer　named　Wei。　Reading　by　his　skilful　interpretation　of　the



planets　that　he　would　shortly　Pass　Above；　he　called　his　sons　Chu；



Shan；　and　Hing　to　his　side　and　distributed　his　wealth　impartially



among　them。　To　Chu　he　gave　his　house　containing　a　gold　couch；　to　Shan



a　river　with　a　boat；　to　Hing　a　field　in　which　grew　a　prolific



orange…tree。　〃Thus　provided　for；〃　he　continued；　〃you　will　be　able　to



live　together　in　comfort；　the　resources　of　each　supplying　the　wants　of



the　others　in　addition　to　his　own　requirements。　Therefore　when　I　have



departed　let　it　be　your　first　care　to　sacrifice　everything　else　I



leave；　so　that　I　also；　in　the　Upper　Air；　may　not　be　left　destitute。〃







Now　in　addition　to　these　three　sons　Wei　also　had　another；　the



youngest；　but　one　of　so　docile；　respectful；　and　self…effacing　a



disposition　that　he　was　frequently　overlooked　to　the　advantage　of　his



subtle；　ambitious；　and　ingratiating　brothers。　This　youth；　Kao；



thinking　that　the　occasion　certainly　called　for　a　momentary　relaxation



of　his　usual　diffidence；　now　approached　his　father　modestly；　and



begged　that　he　also　might　be　included　to　some　trivial　degree　in　his



bounty。







This　reasonable　petition　involved　Wei　in　an　embarrassing　perplexity。



Although　he　had　forgotten　Kao　completely　in　the　division；　he　had　now



definitely　concluded　the　arrangement；　nor；　to　his　failing　powers；　did



it　appear　possible　to　make　a　just　allotment　on　any　other　lines。　〃How



can　a　person　profitably　cut　up　an　orange…tree；　a　boat；　an　inlaid



couch；　or　a　house？〃　he　demanded。　〃Who　can　divide　a　flowing　river；　or



what　but　unending　strife　can　arise　from　regarding　an　open　field　in



anything　but　its　entirety？　Assuredly　six　cohesive　objects　cannot　be



apportioned　between　four　persons。〃　Yet　he　could　not　evade　the　justice



of　Kao's　implied　rebuke；　so　drawing　to　his　side　a　jade　cabinet　he



opened　it；　and　from　among　the　contents　he　selected　an　ebony　staff；　a



paper　umbrella；　and　a　fan　inscribed　with　a　mystical　sentence。　These



three　objects　he　placed　in　Kao's　hands；　and　with　his　last　breath



signified　that　he　should　use　them　discreetly　as　the　necessity　arose。







When　the　funeral　ceremonies　were　over；　Chu；　Shan；　and　Hing　came



together；　and　soon　moulded　their　covetous　thoughts　into　an　agreed



conspiracy。　〃Of　what　avail　would　be　a　boat　or　a　river　if　this　person



sacrificed　the　nets　and　appliances　by　which　the　fish　are　ensnared？〃



asked　Shan。　〃How　little　profit　would　lie　in　an　orange…tree　and　a　field



without　cattle　and　the　implements　of　husbandry！〃　cried　Hing。　〃One



cannot　occupy　a　gold　couch　in　an　empty　house　both　by　day　and　night；〃



remarked　Chu　stubbornly。　〃How　inadequate；　therefore；　would　such　a



provision　be　for　three。〃







When　Kao　understood　that　his　three　brothers　had　resolved　to　act　in



this　outrageous　manner　he　did　not　hesitate　to　reproach　them；　but　not



being　able　to　contend　against　him　honourably；　they　met　him　with



ridicule。　〃Do　not　attempt　to　rule　us　with　your　wooden　staff；〃　they



cried　contemptuously。　〃Sacrifice　IT　if　your　inside　is　really　sincere。



And；　in　the　meanwhile；　go　and　sit　under　your　paper　umbrella　and　wield



your　inscribed　fan；　while　we　attend　to　our　couch；　our　boat；　and　our



orange…tree。〃







〃Truly；〃　thought　Kao　to　himself　when　they　had　departed；　〃their　words



were　irrationally　offensive；　but　among　them　there　may　stand　out　a



pointed　edge。　Our　magnanimous　father　is　now　bereft　of　both　comforts



and　necessities；　and　although　an　ebony　rod　is　certainly　not　much　in



the　circumstances；　if　this　person　is　really　humanely…intentioned　he



will　not　withhold　it。〃　With　this　charitable　design　Kao　build　a　fire



before　the　couch　（being　desirous；　out　of　his　forgiving　nature；　to



associate　his　eldest　brother　in　the　offering）；　and　without　hesitation



sacrificed　the　most　substantial　of　his　three　possessions。







It　here　becomes　necessary　to　explain　that　in　addition　to　being　an



expert　astrologer；　Wei　was　a　far…seeing　magician。　The　rod　of



unimpressionable　solidity　was　in　reality　a　charm　against　decay；　and



its　hidden　virtues　being　thus　destroyed；　a　contrary　state　of　things



naturally　arose；　so　that　the　next　morning　it　was　found　that　during　the



night　the　gold　couch　had　crumbled　away　into　a　worthless　dust。







Even　this　manifestation　did　not　move　the　three　brothers；　although　the



geniality　of　Shan　and　Hing's　countenances　froze　somewhat　towards　Chu。



Nevertheless　Chu　still　possessed　a　house；　and　by　pointing　out　that



they　could　live　as　luxuriantly　as　before　on　the　resources　of　the　river



and　the　field　and　the　tree；　he　succeeded　in　maintaining　his　position



among　them。







After　seven　days　Kao　reflected　again。　〃This　avaricious　person　still



has　two　objects；　both　of　which　he　owes　to　his　revered　father's



imperishable　influence；〃　he　admitted　conscience…stricken；　〃while　the



being　in　question　has　only　one。〃　Without　delay　he　took　the　paper



umbrella　and　ceremoniously　burned　it；　scattering　the　ashes　this　time



upon　Shan's　river。　Like　the　rod　the　umbrella　also　possessed　secret



virtues；　its　particular　excellence　being　a　curse　against　clouds；　wind



demons；　thunderbolts　and　the　like；　so　that　during　the　night　a　great



storm　raged；　and　by　the　morning　Shan's　boat　had　been　washed　away。







This　new　calamity　found　the　three　brothers　more　obstinately　perverse



than　ever。　It　cannot　be　denied　that　Hing　would　have　withdrawn　from　the



guilty　confederacy；　but　they　were　as　two　to　one；　and　prevailed；



pointing　out　that　the　house　still　afforded　shelter；　the　river　yielded



some　of　the　simpler　and　inferior　fish　which　could　be　captured　from　the



banks；　and　the　fruitfulness　of　the　orange…tree　was　undiminished。







At　the　end　of　seven　more　days　Kao　became　afflicted　with　doubt。　〃There



is　no　such　thing　as　a　fixed　proportion　or　a　set　reckoning　between　a



dutiful　son　and　an　embarrassed　sire；〃　he　confessed　penitently。　〃How



incredibly　profane　has　been　this　person's　behaviour　in　not　seeing　the



obligation　in　its　unswerving　necessity　before。〃　With　this　scrupulous



resolve　Kao　took　his　last　possession；　and　carrying　it　into　the　field



he　consumed　it　with　fire　beneath　Hing's　orange…tree。　The　fan；　in　turn；



also　had　hidden　properties；　its　written　sentence　being　a　spell　against



drought；　hot　winds；　and　the　demons　which　suck　the　nourishment　from　all



crops。　In　consequence　of　the　act　these　forces　were　called　into　action；



and　before　another　day　Hing's　tree　had　withered　away。







It　is　said　with　reason；　〃During　the　earthquake　men　speak　the　truth。〃



At　this　last　disaster　the　impious　fortitude　of　the　three　brothers



suddenly　gave　way；　and　cheerfully　admitting　their　mistake；　each



committed　suicide；　Chu　disembowelling　himself　among　the　ashes　of　his



couch；　Shan　sinking　beneath　the　waters　of　his　river；　and　Hing　hanging



by　a　rope　among　the　branches　of　his　own　effete　orange…tree。







When　they　had　thus　fittingly　atoned　for　their　faults　the　imprecation



was　lifted　from　off　their　possessions。　The　couch　was　restored　by　magic



art　to　its　former　condition；　the　boat　was　returned　by　a　justice…loving



person　into　whose　hands　it　had　fallen　lower　down　the　river；　and　the



orange…tree　put　out　new　branches。　Kao　therefore　passed　into　an



undiminished　inheritance。　He　married　three　wives；　to　commemorate　the



number　of　his　brothers；　and　had　three　sons；　whom　he　called　Chu；　Shan；



and　Hing；　for　a　like　purpose。　These　three　all　attained　to　high　office



in　the　State；　and　by　their　enlightened　morals　succeeded　in　wiping　all



the　discreditable　references　to　others　bearing　the　same　names　from　off



the　domestic　tablets。







From　this　story　it　will　be　seen　that　by　acting　virtuously；　yet　with　an



observing　discretion；　on　all　occasions；　it　is　generally　possible　not



only　to　rise　to　an　assured　position；　but　at　the　same　time



unsuspectedly　to　involve　those　who　stand　in　our　way　in　a　just



destruction。



















LETTER　XIII











Concerning　a　state　of　necessity；　the　arisings　engendered



thereby；　and　the　turned…away　face　of　those　r