Hao Qiu Zhuan/en-wilkinson/Chapter 13

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Chapter 13: Hateful Words Refuse the Betrothal: Treachery Deepens

From: Hau Kiou Choaan, or The Pleasing History. Translated by James Wilkinson, edited by Thomas Percy (London, 1761)

Note: This text was digitized via OCR from the original 1761 print. Some scan errors may remain -- compare with the modern translation and Chinese original to verify.

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[Volume III, Book III, Chapters VI-VII]

CH AP .. VI.• TI E H-cbung-u taking his leave of • the Grand Vifitor, went and told Shuey-yeong who had attended him there, all that had paft at the tribunal : and concluded with dcfiring him to recommend him to his miftrefs, and to present his thanks for the advice fhe had given him. " It is not in my • Cuu. XIU. Ia the Tranllator'• manafaipt. power

A CHlNESE HISTORY. 97 power, said he, . to fend any p~esent as an acknowledgment of her goadnefs: neither could . I prefume to· do it, a fingle man as I am, to :a young . ' unmarried lady_,, Then delivering. his horfe to the old servant, arid hiring: a mule, he departed for his _·own city ; and Shuey-yeong returntd to his , miftrefs. Let us now return to Kwo-kbe-tzu and his c..:>mpanions, whom we have feen disappointed in their designs on 'Iieb-cbttng-u. When they found he was got clear out of their hands, · they· were ready to burft with rage and madnefs. The firft that broke silence was Sbuey-guwin, who . said, " Who would· have fi.ifpected this young man to have . VoL, III. H been 9f · ·. been poffefied of K> much. . ftrcngth an4 rourage ?" " It was owing to neither of thefe that he tfcaped, said his son• .i(l•laW1 but he had got Cbang•&Dllg• . . izu at such difadvantage, that he could neither hdp himself, nor we conveniently affift him. But he muft not go. off fo :- let us muftcr up a proper. company, and go find him out: let \1S still treat him as he defcrves : and afterwards gin in a petition to theGrand Vifieor.• This propofal Wat approved by. them all: the ~ung Mandarinc Cbaag infiantly prom~d to, bring thlrt.y people • eae.h of the otheB likewise engaged t-o raise as D12D)?. Thefc to the numbe.r of a hundred were f00!1 affcmblcd, and with theii mafters at their head, Shue,-g,rwin leadii2g.

A. CHINESg : HISTORY. 91 irig the way, drove along the ftreets like a fwarm of beers. But when they came to the ·.-inn, where the young stranger- had 1odgtd, they were told that he went away almoft as • soon as· Ad came home. They were quite difconcerced at this information. " However, said Kwo-Ui-tzu to the reft, this 1hall not ferve his turn ; we will im- . mediately apply to the Grand Vifitor of the province, and he £hall do us juftice." Sbuey-guwin told him, that their enemy was of the province of Pe-king, and therefore was not under that Mandarine's. jurifdiction. " Well then, said Kwo-khe-tza and his companions, we will all together draw up a petition, wherein we will accufe him of endea- H :,, vouring

100 HAU KlOU CHO:AAN~. vouring to raise a rebellion • ; thiswill authorife the Mandarincs of any province to lay hold of him. The Grand Vifitor muft give an account of this at court ;. where we will fa.Ad . IO • In order to render this and· some of the following pages intelligible, itmuft be remarkecl tiar there is i~ China, a horrid.fea called Pe /im-lia always difpofed to rebellion,' and who are therefore sure to be punifhed, whenever they are dif-• . covered. This fea confifts of people, who enter into a cenfederacy to oltertUJ'n the eflablifhed government, for which purpose, with certain malieal rites, they elea an E-mperor out of their number, diftribute among tbemfelves the principal employments of the state, mark out certain families for deftruaion, and lie concealed tillfoJDC infurretlion of the people aft"ords them an opportunity -of putting thcmfelvca at their head. China, on account of its vaft extent, prodigiou1 populoufnefs and frequency of famines, is very liable to {editions and infurredions, which thra'. the pufillanimity and feeblenefs of its military government arc alway, dangerous, and indeedhave often produced intirc revolutions in the iatc..

·101 to our fathcrs ·and friends to acquaint them of the affair; thus we shall quickty humble him, notwithstanding all his bravery and valour .. •~ They were excecdlngly plcafcd with this propofal, and accordingly got their petition wrote, which Shl«)-gttWin signcd as a witnefs : they then repaired to state. Now as in thefe revolutions, it hath frequently happened that some of the very dregs o£ the people have been raised to the throne ; this upon tNery infam:aioa encovages the ringleaders to afpire to the empire: who, if tbey are not nipped in the bud, are fore to draw together the dilfolute, the difcontented, and the needy; 'till thcyformalargebody and become very formidable to the government. Upon all thefe accouau . the Mandarines are obliged to be exceedingly jealoas and watchful over the leaft tendency to re.: volt; and to be careful to extin$uilh the firft and minuteft fparks of rebellion, which would otherwjfe soon involve the whole empire in a flame. P. Semedo, p. 91. Lettres edif. xxvii. 344. 'l', Du Halde, vol. r. p. 243. ' H3 the

1102 J\. the city of ~ng-cbog ;, .. and .fiad-ieg the au~nce open: for receiving :peti, tioris, prcsented -themfelv.es bcforic :t~ tribunal. The Grand Vifitor rei:;ciJ(ed their petition, and ordered them all out of the hall, except· Sbtle,-gtlfbin. " This paper, md he, cont~i~~ : 13 strange story of a ~bellion attemp.f~ in this country by 'lieb-cpjl11g-,: if-.h~ was fo. dangerous a person, how came you to be fo dcfirous of his company, and to invite him lo earneftly to drink wine with you ? Did he drop any hint . of his intention to raifc a tumult or rebellion in the city, ih the midft of his cups, or af rcrwards in the quarrel ?" s~xuwin finding the Grand Viiitor fo inquifitive, knew not what to an.: f wer; and therefore remained filent. "You , '" A 'CHINESE HISTOR ~ 101 ~ Y-ou are a very sorry fctloti,, w4, the Mandarine. I am well acquainte4 with the whole story : ncverthelef& if y<>u do not relate it exactly from be. ginning to end, I will bring your fin. gers to the Ki••tso11 or Tormenting .. flicks." Sbuey-guwin's fear became ex. ceffive when he faw the other fo angrn. and found he should be forced to con• fefs the truth. "Sir, said he, it is true. he was drinking with the others.'.' c, Very weμ, said the Mandarine, if you were drinking all together, I muff: suppose you all equally guilty: nay it is mpre likely that you five lhould form feditious designs upon the city, than h~ whom you accufe, who perhaps would not join in such an attempt, and fo you have agreed to impeach him firft." . " My Lord, r~lied he, KW9-lcbe-lZ!' H + invited o,,,, adb,Googlc ~04 8AU KIOU CHOAAN.·. iti;iittd this young man to his house out ofcivility and good-will, and when he was· ,in his cups all the secret came oui:. ; · Nothing would pacify him; he overset the table . and fell to fighting, crying out to the young Mandarines, thaf if there were a thoufand of them, he would not regard them : and that if he.- should come to be Emperor he would :d~ftroy the, four> houses to which they · belong: The yo·ung gentlemeA · detp}y· concerned at'thefe things, could not refrain from lodging a complaint with · your Excellency : which , they ·would not have · prefumed to do, had it beeri .falfe. ~' ·A likely story, said

the GrandVifitor~ that oneperson should

· be~t and abufe four or' five of you •. No! ~o ! you muft not think to impofe on me at this rate. " Sir, said Shueyiuwin,

ie5 guwin, the broken pieces of furniture are still to be feen : nothing is more certain. u The Mandarine took hini up ihort, " How should a stranger of another city come and raise such a diftu:rbance, unlefs he had been provoked by some injury or infult ? However if it be as you alledge, have you fecured or brought him with you ?'• "No, he replied; he ·~as like a tyger., there was no taking· hold of him : he went away without any one's daring to oppofe him." The Grand Vifitor ordered all he had reported to be taken down in writing by the secretary of the tribunal: then said to him, " Are not you a!hamed, an old fdlow as iou are, to come here with thefe

106 :. thefe ftorics : arid to keep oompany with young 'rakes, drinking and em-. broiling yourself in their quarrels ~ This petition you have brought me is falfe and fcandalous. Go home and tell the four' Mandarincs sons to b~ quiet : I know the whole story, better than they imagine. If it were not for the connC\..'tions of thefc young men, I would throw you into prison, where you {hould die with hunger : however I muft make you a present of twenty or thirty baftinadoes •. ~• At thefe words Sbuey-guwin in great terror, cryed out that he was old, and begged he would -pardon and not difhonour him fo • In the orig. it is "of four or five Bam/Joos" ( or Tallies, each five ftrokcs,) See note, vol. z. pag. 189- much.

.. Jo7

much~ ". Hono\Ji' l. said the Grand Vifitor, what honour have you ?u He said, " I am brother to the second Man .. darine •of the. tribunal of arms." " Ard you his brother, said the magi~ i why who keeps his house? ·" My bro• (her, he replied, bath no son : but only one. daughter, who heretofore hath r.eceived great favour from your Excellency. "If it be fo, replied the Grand Vifitor, for he, fake I wiU p3l• don you: but then tell me truly, who it is that bears such implacable enmity againil: this young ilranger." . "I. am not his enemy, anfwered Shueyguwi11: but it is Kwo-khe-tzu, who being difappointcd in his design of marrying my niece, by the other's interpofal, hath ever since retained a· secret

10S secret malice and ddire of revenge; and it was in order to gratify his revenge., that he now invited him to his house : but for my part I owe him no kind of ill will." The Grand Vifitor ordered-hi$ iccretary to make . a . memorand11m. of this ; then giving him back the petition, l,ade him go · tell . thofe young men to mind their ftudies, and let him hear no more of them : " For this once, said he, I pardon them on account of their fathers ! who would find a great deal of trouble, should such complaints be brought againft them at court." Shuey-guwin having thus obtained leave to retire, was ready to leap out of his fkin for joy : but when he was gQt without the audience where the others

A 'CHINESE HISTORY. 109 others ,were waiting for him, he fhrugged up his thoulders, and made signa to them to hold their tongues : at the fight of which,. and of the petition which he held in his hand, they were alarmed ;and being informed of aH that had happened, fem in a Sbo-poutt • or billet of thanks, to the Graod Vifitor for hislenity, and afterwards returned home not a little athamed. However KwoJcbe- tzu could not be prevailed on. t& lay aside his resentment, or to drop, his purfuit. On the contrary,. he Walt the more obftinately refolved to perfift in both;. and recollecting that Chun-lcef. had been gone some time, he dif patched. a meffenger to enquire after him. • A folded paper with a black c.ver~ Trant. Now

110 •. Now Cbun•kie in performance of his promife had made the bcft of his way . to the court : where as soon as be arrived, he delivered to the. ininifter Kwo-jho-Ju the letter from his son. As f oon as the Mandarine had read the Jetter, he withdrew with him into his. library, and inviting him to .fit down, inquired about his son's propofal of marriage with Sbttty-ping-.fin. " Her fa th.er, said he, is now in difgrace : this · match cannot be for our credit:, as we are advanced to such a degree in the state.0 " This young lady, replied the other,. is endowed with wonduful perfeci:ions · both of mind and person, and ia of. lJnex&mpled mo-defty J. in short there is not her fellow to be.found in the world. Wherefore ".i,. •• your I

A.'.CHINESE HISTORY. r11· your son hath fworn either by gentle or violent means to marry her.•' Kwo-Jhofa laughed and said, " I am afraid my son is very weak and simple. If he had a mind to marry her,. he needed not have ient to court, when the Chtfafk and Che-him, the fathen of the country,. might eafily have compleated the marriage for hi~ You have had a greaa tleal of troubh: in coming fo far : and now he would give me mu more, in re• quiring me to fund without the wall into 'larta,ry for her father's con~nt.'" u He hath not been wanting in applica-, tion to the Cbe1of> and Cb1-bie11; replied the other ; he hath. lefr no means t{) prevail with her wiattempted; but fucthatb always by very geru:le but artf~ methods found mellll! .to chide hit purfuit.

[p. 112] purfuit. Your Lordfhip muft not talk of the Che-Joo and Che-him, since · the Grand Vifitor of the province, who was your pupil, endeavoured · to promote the fuit of your son, but fhe fo far baffled him, that he hath been glad to put forth a declaration, forbidding any one to moleft her on the subject of marriage. Now if a Mandarine of 'his rank is afraid to meddle with her, who besides dares approach her gates ? Kwo-khi~tZ# therefore had no other remedy, but to apply to your Lordfhip.,, The Mandarine K'UJQ-jbo-fu was surprized at this account, and said, " Surely this is a young lady of fine understanding, and it is on that account my son fo much admires . her. But this Sbueykeu- yi,

A : CHINESE HISTOR:Y: · i 13 km-ye, her father;: .is a very· pofiti vc man: if he doc~ not heartily appro\le of any. measure, he is :not to·be moved to engage in .it : · besides I am -·not very intimate with him. He is .a man of one word: when he held an audience, there was very little application made to him, because he was known to favour no body. He hath only this daughter ; and I remember I once ap• plied to him about ~er, but without success. However, as he is now in trouble, perhaps he will be more inclined to .comp)y: there seems at present a good opportunity to afk his confc: nt." " But in what manner, said Cbun-kei, will your Lordlhip apply t~ him ?" " It muft be done, said the other, with all the ufual ceremonies. VoL. III. 1 A friend

[p. 114] A ' frief?d muft mft be employed. to break the matter : aftuwards we mufl: fend a prtfcnt. Bot hcrt lu:s the d.iffi.. cuky : as he is diftant from us DQ le& than two bUJ1drcd leaguts, I cannot afk any Mandarine of great quality to go fo far. 1 bllicve I muft write . a letter and beg the favour of you to carry i~ together with the present." Cbu11 /ti/, replied, " Your Lord1hip may command my bell iervices. Let me alfo. carry letters to such of the great Mandarnes thn-e as are able to influence him." ~ You are righr.,,, said the MiBifter; and accordingly felc:6:ing a for.;.. tunate day, be wrote the letters- and dif• patched him witl\ them ...

A CHINESE HISTORY. 115, CH-AP. VU. r·N OW the cdt of) the Man .. · --darine Sbuey-1:m-yi [ was u setlowi;] upon recemng notice that a war had broke out -with the '.f ar_tarsand that thtre was . not any v~ant ma,n to head the troops t [.he had] . made inquiry after such a person, and (had] found among die pt!ople of his audieACe t a .man called H11-bia11, GOO of • From the Editor's additions inclad"cd · ia brackett,use Reador will pwceiYc; how abrllj>t the traalition is in the original. The fame abrupt .. aeft i. oblervaWe th,ougaout the whole Jristory. t All tlte officer& ~ war throughoat ~he Chi- 11,ji eft14H,e. from the- hlgheft co the loweft, ar• \lnder the jQ,ifdi&iea- of tht 'Trih,1111,,l ef Arms,, which-,-ak~oogji composed 0£ none but literary Mandarines, hath the abfolute and intire direction of all military affairs. · in Chi1111 the· pro- I :a feJiion

1'6 · .. of the north-weft country, who had offered hiaiself for that. fervic,. Of this Shuey Jceu-ye informed the Emperor, who consented to employ him, ther~ bting none other that cared .to go tguinft the enemy. He was . accord• ingly. conftitutcd General, with orders ro · go · a~d vi6t. chafe parts that were; the feat of war, and to ad as he 1hould fcfiou of arms is held vaftly inferior and (ubcrdinate to that of letters. This, together with thrir natural eifemioacy, ud·tbe conftaat peac:& ~hey generally enjoy, will account for the unwarlike turn of the· Chin,ji • . P. S.tmttlo tells llS that it was ufual (at leaft i'n his time J for the Chintft to fend with tlicir armies a man of the long robe, who bad ·tbt fupreme command, even over the General himself. This Mandarine waa always in the middles of the main l,a11alia, and many times a day·• journey from the field of aaion ; fo that akhoogla he would be too remote to give ordcra, be wa, always ready to nm away chc firft in cafe of danger. 811 I• 100. think A· CHINESE HISTORY. 117 think heft for the public fervke. Re executed thefe orders with such d1fpatch-; that he would not stop to pay the- ufual 'Vifits•of ceremony to any of the ·other Mandarines in command, but went im- · mediately in fcarch of the enemy. Thi' gave · fo much difguft to thole officers that they would not go to his afiiflaocei, . nor unite their forces with his. Neverthelefs he attacked the enemy, and had a fharp engagement for a · whole -day with equal advantage on both.sidesl Small as this success was, it was reprcsented still lcfs to the Emperor by t'he difaffec9:ed Mandarines, and both · he and Shuey-ke1'-ye were fuf pended from their employments : the one being sent to prison, and the other an exile into Tartary. I 3 The

, 1 S H~ lJ . XlQU CHOA,A~. The latter ha~ now remai"eQ abQul: a yc,r itJ banifiuneot: where, althougb he tliU ~~e<;l his dignity of Manda. rine, thf!PC ,v;is tal<M lj~le nptk'e .of him, and he ha.4 fm_aU hopes , of returniPg ho.me. One rporni,ig ~ servant belcng: iog to his trwuqal (for notwirhstand .. )tlg hi~ difgr~_ h~ still had an hall ef audien.ce · aJfigped hqn) came. ·t? ~11 him tQt\t ~here: w~ a. Jne1fenger iu-riY~d -ft-om. P~-1'i11g, with letters from <?ne of Ji~· MinHl:ers of ft~e. Sbue.1--1ce1'·'1, wh~ hau lookc;d μpon himself as intire.. l y forgotten at c9urt~ was fur prized ·~ this news. Neverthelefs he ordered the meffenger to be admitted. Cbunlcii was ll(:cordingly fuewn in, attended ,by two servants whom he had brought with him. He performed his reverences, 0,0<1,edb,Googlc A . CHINESE HISTORY: 119 rences, and presented a 'lieb-Jfi. or billet ef ·compliments. · The Mandarine pcruf~ it, and. ,finding·CAiun-kii to be no ftr:vant, but th particufar aoquaintance of .the pe.rson : wbo fcnt him• -de~tcd Jaim-;to fit down. : ~ l un fo' unhappy, Jaid; he, as to · be mtt . of · fav01Jr : and it is a long while .. since I h1.vc : been taken notice cf . by any ~ .How happens it then, · that you . arc come fo fu ~o me? Upon' what account?" " l fhpuld not have: taken this liberty, re• plied the other,. had I not been lent by Kwo-jho-/11, whofc bufmefs abrpad I •metimes tranfack : and it is on his account that I have now taken (o long .a journey." W hm I was at court, [aid Sbuey-keu-yi, l had very litt.le acquaintaee with that_ Mand~rinc. I fup- 1 4 pofe

uo •. · . . pofe therefore my punifhment. is -naw: going . to be increafed." · · Cbun-ltii replied~ "J t will not be long before :your Lordfhip will return :to: Pe-king : I am only come at present in behalf of this nobleman~• son; who. defires yeur daughter in marriage : but as 1be hadi not your . permission or order, I am sent to intreat you to grant it." Then afking the servants .for the letter, he presented it to SbutJ-lceu-ye-: who open.;. ing. it, and having read it, thought that the whole affair was not rightly conducted, according to the manner among people of. quality ; nor f ~ ably to the dignity of his rank. ~t .the fame time being not unacquamtcd with the character of Kwo-lcbi-lztJ, and having no great opinion of the Mandarinc

A .CHINESE HI:STORY: U\ darine his· f~ther, he, .r~fQ.l vc:d not to consent . to; their req~.: This refo-: lution . be . was the •. ·i;~th,~[ confirmed in, as:he supposed if ;h~ 9:rnghter had approved of. it, they w~ld; never have ientfo · far to hirn. ,A.ft~ some pause, Cbun-kie: took the liberty ~o afk him if he had read ~he letter, · He replied, " I have, and th~nk you for the great trouble you. have been at ·in bringing it : I am obliged to Kwo.jho-fu for the high honour ·he doth me: and lhould eftrem it-great good forcune that he is pleafed to· defire my daughter for his .._ : but only that: I am now under ~,j~ajefty's difpltjlsure, and removed above two hundred leagues from home, from whence I have been absent five years- at court, and ·one in banifhment. As

[p. 112] As I have no son, and;only-this daughter, who is unto :me as a son, and as such hath the· whole dir-eaion-of my house, I ·shall therefore permit her to govern herself in this affair according to her own indinations. If Ku'llkbe- tztt had fo great a delire to marry ~e·r, why did not he apply to the Che• foo and Che-hien, who are the public guardians of the people •i •.:-and to my brother Sb111J-guwin? What need had he to take ro much trouble in Mnding fo far?" "' Sir, replied Cb1111.:.Jc«, you speak very weU; and KfDo-lthl-tu did ·iatt year purfue the method you -defcribt; but after Oie had many tim'5 put him off, fhe at length confeffed, • The Clliufi icl;'em is, " Wbo are the •· Grandfather and .Father of the reople." it

~- CHINESE :H~~TORX; fii it was because ihe .h;td not your per• ' . ' . ( . , ~iffiQJl, and therefore htt hath got ·me io .come for it." . The Mandarine. Sbu~•-keu ye judged from his dif courfe,_ that his . da~hter w.as not inclined to marry Kwo-khitzu, iUld therefore he said, " As I am now , . . . . i~ .difgracc, I look upon it that I hav~ nothing to do ~it~ -my family,. nor can I .pretend to difpofe of my daugh• ier •. I. have been here a.twelvemonth, ~d have not fo much as sent home one letter: and it is because I am not yet acquitted. Now under thefe cu-;,. cumftancesi should I p..retcnd to give QUt an order about. my daughter-, it would !lggravate my o.Efence: E dare not ~erefore offer to do it." CJ,«;11.·kei said

.. 1 • • 124 HAU -KIOU ·CHOAAN.· said, " Let me· have but you~ word~ and it wiU be fufficient." He was very importunate, infomuch that Shuey~ ~eu-ye grew downright angry, and said, that it was not a thing of a flight or indifferent nature: and cuftom required that there thould be more than two to concert fo important an affair as marriage. Without any further satisfaction he difmiffed him, but ordered him alodg,. ing : from whence Chun-lcee often . paid hiin vi fits, but to no P~re6fe: he ~here: fore sent to all the n~jgbl,ouring ·Man~ darines, and got them to speak to him ·on the subject of the marriage. They were · accordingly very urgent and preJ'fing, which made Sbuey-lceu ye fo uneafy, that he sent for Chun-kei and said : · I never did any ill to the Man·• darine o,,, ,,,, ·,, A -.CHINESE HISTORY.- u5 ~rine Kwo-jho-fa: why then doth he give me fo much troμble, and is · foi-~ taking my daughtc:r by force ? (i.o horn¢, and tell h~m, I will never compel , her to at\: againll . h~r inclinations. As for myself, . J never expect to carry i;ny bones home .ag!lin: my life is to me of little value : [ but I will .not spake my daughter miferable.] Nay should ,the Emperor himself order me t~ compel her, I would still leave her ~o her own choice : and lhould all the M~ndarines here my fuperiors do their l,ltmoft to make me suffer, I regard it not. Therefore take your letter· and. your present back again." .. Chun-Me finding it would be in vain to perfift, packed up · his baggage and returned

1i6 HAU KIOt( CHOAAN. · retmncd to the court. Where being arrived with rio Iitcle shame for hit ill success, he gave · ·ba~k to 'Ktwrkjho-Ju his letter and pref«nt,· · At which tht Minifter was very · Muth inraged, and refolved to refene it tho firft opportunity. It was nO! Jong bef~e he fouO<l on&, -'#for there beit1g a demand for more troops to go againft the 'Tatt11rs, on ;account of the · hav~ and lo{s whict. f1ad been made of thofe who went before;· that Mandarine, when he advifcd • the· Emperor of it,. did not fail to lay the blame on the former mifmanagement' of Sht,teJ-keu..yE, and on that of his general Hu-hiau : reprefefttit\g to his Ma.jefty, that if they were tak~n off' by d\e punitlitm~nt they deserved, warriors- cnow weuld offer rhemfel~ and 3 bring

A CHINESE HISTORY. n, bring the war· to a conclufion :. but thac. this could not be exped.ed dll all fuf,. picion was taken away of their ever returning into employment; in the difcharge of which they had both ren• dered themselves extremely odious. The Emperor approved of this remonftrance, and referred it to the consideration of the San-fa-tjeh, or tribunal of three• : which was commanded to affemble • '/'he 'J',,r&111tal of 'Three is cOZ11pofcd of the following tribeDals; viz. of the Hi-g-p,,, or Tribunal of crimes; of the <f11h-u-fu, which may be catted The Tribaml of revifors • ; and of tho' fi,h-,lt.y_,, or Superb Tribnal of vi6to,s. The la1l of thefe hath been alrcad), dcfcribccl f&t w/. z-. l"K· 1~;. •olA] and ought ew:,y where to have been entitled, as beJC. &, P. M«g.: ,. 219- . The Ping-p., or Tribunal of crilllCI, is one of ffiO' • Stt L,t1r1s tdif. :rix. 16:i. 11.

i.is HAU .. KIOU .. CH:OAAN. affemble and examine-into. the cdndu=.c of Hu-bia'! . in -0rdcr to bring that ge- · neral tojuftice. the fix fovereign courts at Pe-king, [ See note vol. · 2.p. 279.J and hai:h under it fourteen fubor-. dinate tribunals according to the number of pro• vince~. · It belongs to them to examine , try and punilh all criminals t}lroughout the empire. P. Du Ha/de, v. I. p. 249, (;ie. . · The Tribunal of 'Tab-k-ju,i. e. offupremc n:ason or juflice, is as it were the great Chancery of the empire. It examines in t)te laft .ap~al the judgments and sentences paired in other tribumils: efpecially in criminal caules, or in matters of great moml!n~. P, Mag. p. 228 . P. S,m, do, p. 125. · · ' · · ' • When the 'Trihunal if Crimes hath paired sentence of death on a person, whofe crime was not very cl~ar, or when any person is to be condemned in a cafe thatwould admit of doubt, " the Emperor, (fays P. Magalhtu11s) refers it always .to the San-fa-fu [ or lj'eb] which is as it were his council of confcience. Theo the three tribunals abovementioru:d aliemble together, either to re-examine the merits of the cause, or to pals the more folemn feotence. & it is not fo eafy to corrupt them thus .united, -as separate, great regard is had to their decifion, which is generally confirmed by the Emperor. P. M11g. 1· 229. Ltttrts edif. xix. 162. ·

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End of Chapter 13