 | CHAP. VIII. Hau Kiou choaan : |  |
CHAP. VIII.
KWO-khé-tzu hearing the trumpets
and music, never doubted but
Shuey-ping-sin had entered the house:
nay he posted himself in a private corner
that he might behold her as she
passed by: having waited some time,
and heard the music play twice, he
began to wonder that no body appeared;
but how great was his astonishment
and confusion, when the eight
women came to tell him, his beautiful
mistress was gone back again. He enquired
the meaning. They told him
that when the music begun to play,
she seemed surprized, and instantly fled.
He asked why they did not endeavour
to stay her? They said, that was impossible,
He would have sent his people after
her, but they assured him it would be
in vain; she must have got home by
this time: for that she went away as
swift as an arrow. Kwo-khé-tzu raved
and stared like a madman: he returned
to the hall, and acquainted the Man-darines
of the city, together with all
his relations and friends. Some of
them smiled, all were astonished.
"This young woman, said the Che-foo,
is a prodigy: to discover his intention
from the bare playing of the
music! What, said he, turning to
Shuey-guwin, does your niece study
at home any book of divination?"
"When she was a child, replied her
father poring over his books; so that
by often reading and conversing with
him, she would tell what days would
be fortunate, and what unlucky: when
to expect good weather, or bad: but
we never used to regard what she said:
however she now seems to have a
spirit of divination, that from the bare
sound of the music could discover our
intentions."
None that were present could help
conceiving a great esteem and admiration
for a lady of so much discernment.
Kwo-khé-tzu stood overwhelmed
with the deepest melancholy: at
length rousing himself up, he could
not help making one other effort, by
her house. They were ordered to remind
her that this was the twelfth day
of her cousin's marriage: that her
friends and relations were there assembled:
that their mistress had a particular
affection for her, and renewed
her intreaties that she would not disappoint
her of her company, it being
a pleasure she had so much depended on:
and that their master had the utmost
esteem and respect for her. All this
they punctually delivered: adding farther,
that they were surprized her ladyship
should return, after she had once
come to the door: that the music was
now removed; and therefore they hoped
nothing would prevent her from
going again.
She replied: "As I thought the
invitation I received from your lady
and her spouse, flowed from sincere
and undesigning friendship, I esteemed
it my duty to comply with it: how far
it proceeded from sinister views, is best
known to themselves. But if there was
nothing extraordinary intended, how
came the eight letters to be changed?
What was meant yesterday by the present
of pearls? What brought the
Che-foo, and Che-hien, who I have discovered
were at his house? Was it not
with a view of trepanning me into a
marriage with your master? Thank
Heaven[75]
the music at the door preserved
I had now been at his disposal. [Then
wiping her eyes, for she could not refrain
from tears when she thought of
home, proceeded she, and together
with my humble services to your master,
advise him to live peaceably and
lovingly with his wife: for that he
and myself are never formed to come
together: it will therefore be his wisest
way to desist from all future attempts,
and to trouble me no more."
When this answer was reported to
the Magistrates and the company, their
admiration was still increased, and they
looked upon her as no less then a prophetess:
however as they had been invited
to a feast, and had been waiting
a great while, they desired it might be
served up; and after they had eaten,
took their leaves and departed.
When all the company was gone:
"Certainly, said Kwo khé-tzu to Shuey-guwin
whom he had detained still with
him: your niece is a woman of uncommon
penetration: and yet all this
may be accounted for, without supposing
her possessed of supernatural
powers: perhaps she and you have
agreed together to play me these tricks:
and it was from yourself she learnt my
designs." Shuey guwin, piqued at this
suspicion, not only denied it with the
most vehement asseverations, but offered
to take his solemn oath[76]
of it.
satisfied: then desiring him to sit down
your niece, I fell in love with her for
than Ghiang-koo, I should admire her no
distracted to obtain her: you must still
contrive some way to oblige me."
After a profound silence of some minutes,
Shuey-guwin started up and said,
"I have at length discovered means
which I think cannot fail." Kwo-khé-tzu
was all attention. "The twentieth day
of the ninth moon, proceeded the other,
is the anniversary of her mother's death,
when it was her yearly custom to go to
her tomb, and there to burn incense and
offer up sacrifice[77]
: at which time she
villages, and walks and amuses herself
At that juncture do you provide
a good swift horse for yourself,
and a set of stout Cooleys or chairmen:
lay wait for her with these as she goes
or returns: ordering them, when you
give the signal, to stop the men that
carry her chair, and after they have
fallen upon them and beat them, to
seize and carry her home to your house."
Kwo-khé-tzu was charmed with this
proposal, and resolved to put it in execution.
"Nothing, said he, can defeat
a design so well concerted as this:
unless badness of weather should keep
her at home." "Even that, said Shuey-guwin,
will hardly prevent her from
going: for she bears the greatest regard
for her mother's memory." Kwo-khé-tzu
had no farther doubts about the
success of their project: in the happy
contemplation of which Shuey-guwin
left him.
As soon as he got home, he hastened
to his niece to chide her for what had
happened. "Your cousin's husband,
said he, shewed you great civility, not
only to invite you, but also to do it in
come to his door and then run away,
what could occasion such strange be-haviour?
It hath brought a great deal
of shame not only on yourself but also
on me: for I could hardly lift up my
head any more in company." "I
need not use many words, replied Shuey-ping-sin;
let me only say, that whether
my suspicions were well grounded or
not, is best known to himself, but
I had certainly the strongest foundation
for them." "By no means, said he,
all that he wanted was to pay his compliments
to his new relations, and to
shew you that respect which he thought
due to the cousin of his wife." "That,
said his niece, you will hardly persuade
me to believe: nay although I escaped
that he is still contriving some trick
to catch me. And you know best
whether you yourself are altogether
innocent. You will probably deny it;
but the event will shew it before it be
long." Shuey-guwin's heart began to
beat, and he went home without uttering
a single syllable.
Now the ninth moon being come,
Shuey-ping-sin began to think of paying
her respects at her mother's tomb, and
of visiting the places where she was
every year accustomed to go. She sent
therefore to acquaint her uncle and his
three sons, of her intention. It instantly
occured to Shuey-guwin, that if he went
with her, he would be thought a party
therefore returned for answer that he
was indisposed. She then desired his
two eldest sons might accompany her:
but they, it was answered, were ingaged
in business which they could not
leave: but that his youngest son, if she
required it, might go with her. At
the same time he sent to advise Kwo-khé-tzu
of it, and that she was to set out
the very next morning.
On the morrow she ordered every
thing to be got ready with such preparation,
as might testify her respect for
the memory of her mother. She appointed
her grand chair[80]
to be set out,
her maids. She had a horse brought
: then ordering the chairs into
the hall, and having placed herself and
her women in them, the chairmen
came and took them away. From
thence they marched along in great
order; first of all went the chair of
state, preceded by a magnificent umbrella,
and carried by four cooleys or
chairmen: then came the four small
ones, followed by her cousin on horseback
attended by two servants.
They were now got out of the city,
and wanted but about a lee[82]
of the tomb:
when suddenly there came up three
lusty men on the left hand and as many
on the right; who stopped the grand
chair. And presently after from among
the bushes, there rushed out more than
twenty cooleys or chairmen, five or six
of whom immediately seized on the
chair, crying out to them who carried
it: "This is our place; would you
take our livelihood from us?" Then
beating them off, they took it up and
ran away with it as fast as they could.
The servants on horseback seeing this,
rode after them, demanding how they
durst offer such insult to a lady of
hurried away the faster.
One of the servants was almost up
with the chair: when of a sudden bolted
out Kwo-khé-tzu himself and stopped
him. "How now, impudence! said
he, your lady there is my wife." "I
knew not that, Sir, said the servant,
I only did my duty: which had I not
done, my lady would have punished
me." "Lay the blame upon me,
replied the other, do you go home
about your business." The servant
stood still. Then Kwo-khé-tzu forbidding
him with heavy threats to advance,
hasted after the chair. By
this time the four other chairs were
come up together with the attendants;
about and went home again.
In the mean while Kwo-khé-tzu accompanied
his prize 'till it was got
within the gate of the city: then giving
the strictest charge to his servants to
take great care of it, and see it safely
set down within his house, he turned
aside to the Che-foo and Che-hien, in
order to intreat them to come and
be witnesses.
It is thus that the Chinese generally speak of
Divine Providence: see pag. 17. of this hist. &
passim: and here it may not be improper to observe,
that although the vulgar are chiefly of the
idolatrous sects of Fo and Tao-tsë, yet the Literati,
Mandarines, &c. profess no other religion
than that prescribed in their ancient classical
books, which is the worship of one Supreme
Being, the Lord and sovereign Principle of all
things, under the name of Shang-ti, i. e. Supreme
Emperor: but more frequently under that of
Tien, or Heaven: which their interpreters explain
to mean, that Spirit which presides in Heaven,
because Heaven is the most excellent work produced
by this first cause. The same books enjoyn to
honour, but (as the missionaries pretend) with a
subordinate worship, inferior spirits which preside
over cities, rivers, mountains, &c. None but
the Emperor sacrifices to Heaven, which he does
in a magnificent temple three or four times a
a year. After all most of the modern Literati
understand the word Tien, &c in their ancient
books in a low material sense, and are downright
atheists.
See P. Du Halde, vol. 1. p. 640, 658. &c.
P. Semedo, p. 96.
After a very close enquiry among the writers
concerning China, the Editor hath not been
able to meet with any account of the Chinese
Oaths or Forms of swearing, nor of the ceremonies
attending it. But this is not the only
omission, which we have reason to complain of
in the descriptions which those gentlemen give
of the civil and religious rites of China.
That the Chinese are not without Forms of
Swearing, appears not only from the text, but
from the following Authors. The first is Martinius,
who in his Atlas Sinensis. (pag. 13.) tells
us, that in every city, among other idol-temples,
"is a magnificent one to its guardian
Genius, in which although idols are at present
sacrilegiously worshiped: yet there was
a time when they only acknowledged the
tutelar Spirit. Here all the Magistrates,
when first they enter upon their office, TAKE
AN OATH (sacramentum dicunt) by which
they promise to discharge it faithfully, and to
have regard to justice: calling upon the Spirit
to bear witness and to punish their default."
Ogilby hath copied this account, and from
this or some other writer adds, "In ancient times
instead of images in these temples, was only a
board written with characters [of gold] to this
effect, The seat of the guardian Angel of the city.
But in these latter times they have used images
instead of boards to represent their protectors,
so to strike the greater awe on those that
take the Oath [of allegiance] vol. 2. p. 547."
Picart gives the same passages, and tells us
that the Mandarines, not only when they enter
on any post do homage in the first place to the
Chin-hoan or guardian Genius, and take the
Oath, &c. but that this homage must be repeated
twice a year. See vol. 4. p. 220.
Martinius also tells us of the Chinese, that
"PEJERANTES, obscenæve loquentes audire rarum
est." Which however proves the existence of
the thing. Atlas Sin. p. 9.
That forms of swearing are familiar to the Chinese,
appears also from a curious passage in The
Travels of P. Gerbillon, &c. into Tartary in 1689,
as given us by P. Du Halde, vol. 2. the length of
which the reader will excuse. That father, who
was present at the treaty concluded between the
Russians and Chinese for settling their respective
frontiers, tells us, that after each party had signed
and sealed the two copies that were to be delivered
to the other, viz. the Chinese, one in
Tartarian and the second in Latin; and the
Russians one in their own language and the other
in Latin; after this the ambassadors rising all
together, and holding each the copies of the
treaty, "swore in the names of their masters to
observe them faithfully, taking Almighty
God, the Sovereign Lord of all things, to
witness to the sincerity of their intentions.
Our ambassadors, (adds the father, meaning
the Chinese,) had express orders from the
Emperor, to swear the peace by the God of
the Christians, believing nothing could influence
the Russians more to the observance of
it, than their knowing it was sworn in the
name of the true God. Our ambassadors
had composed the form of an Oath, which I
shall here faithfully translate, the better to
shew their genius."
The Oath itself is too long to be here inserted:
but after observing that effusion of blood, &c.
is intirely contrary to the will of Heaven, which
is a friend to publick tranquillity, and after giving
the heads of the treaty, it concludes in this remarkable
manner, But should any one have the
thought only or secret design to transgress these articles
of peace, or breaking his word and faith,
should violate them out of private interest, or from
the design of exciting new troubles and of rekindling
the fire of war, we pray the Supreme Lord
of all things, who knows the bottom of men's hearts,
not to suffer such people to live out their days, but
to punish them by an untimely death.
"It was the design (he adds) of the Chinese
ambassadors to have read this form of Oath
before an image of the God of the Christians,
and to have adored him by prostrating themselves
on the ground according to their custom,
and then to have burnt the said formula signed
with their hand, and sealed with the seal of
the Emperor's troops. But the Russians said
each party should swear after their own manner.
For this reason our ambassadors dropped
their own formula . . . . and swore in the
in the same terms with the Russians." Ibid.
pag. 315. Let. ed. vij. 195.
But that the Chinese are not unacquainted with
Forms of Swearing, and that they readily adopt
those of other nations, appears also from a Letter
of P. Jartoux in the Lettres edifiant. & curieus.
jx. 403. where we are told, but in general terms,
that to remove certain scruples of the Missionaries,
the heir apparent Swore upon the faith of a
Prince, and moreover drew a Cross upon the
ground, and Swore by the Cross. See also P. Du
Halde, vol. 1. p. 385.
Upon the whole then it may be inferred from
the above extracts, that the manner of Swearing
in China is to fall prostrate before the image of
one of their Genij, Spirits, &c. calling upon him
to attest the truth and integrity of their words
or actions, and to punish any deviation from it. Vide Mart. Hist. p. 12.
The length of this note it is hoped will be excused,
as it is upon a subject, which perhaps is no
where professedly treated of, but in this book.
As the Chinese are distinguished for filial
piety beyond all other nations, so they seem to
carry this to an idolatrous excess. Various and
excessive are the honours which they pay to their
deceased parents and ancestors. [78]
Before the
dead are interred, while the corpse lies in state
they make many prostrations, and offer perfumes,
flowers, lighted tapers, &c. before it.
They afterwards observe a long time of mourning
[three years for a father or the Emperor]
during which time they wear coarse white garments,
and must retire from all publick employments,
&c. They afterwards every spring
and autumn meet in an apartment called, The
Hall of their Ancestors, where all the descendants
of the family assemble, and burn perfumes, offer
delicate viands, &c. before their images, their
pictures, or at least their names. The last honours
the Chinese pay to their deceased parents
is to resort once a year to their burial places;
which are built without the city, generally upon
some eminence, and planted round with pine
and cypress trees, diversified with little groves,
&c. After clearing the sepulchres from weeds
and bushes, they make the same expressions of
veneration, gratitude and grief, which they observed
at their death. Then they offer up on
the tomb, wine and victuals, with which they
afterwards regale themselves. The Jesuits alledge
that these ceremonies, as prescribed by
the laws, are not idolatrous, but only marks of
civil respect: but this notion has been much
controverted by the Missionaries of other orders.
However the former (while they had admission
into China) allowed their converts to join in those
rites, tho' they taught them to place a crucifix[79]
among the statues when they made the prostrations.
But it is agreed that the Bonzees have
introduced many superstitious practices, such as
burning gilt paper in the form of money, and
even pieces of silk; teaching that the souls of
the deceased hover about and feed upon the
meats and perfumes that are burnt. N. B. At
or near the tombs of people of quality are built
several apartments, where the relations sometimes
pass a month in mourning, and whither they occasionally
return.
P. Du Halde, vol. 1. p. 306. &c. P. Semedo,
part 1. ch. 16. & 19 passim. Picart, p. 212, &c.
The compilers of the Modern Universal History
inform us, that these chairs or sedans are of
two sorts. Those belonging to people of quality
are borne on two or more men's shoulders;
but those of the inferior rank have only one pole
put through a ring on the top; and rather resemble
a large cage carried between two men,
the hindermost holding it with both his hands to
prevent it from jogging to and fro.
Those of the inferior kind, which are commonly
of japanned wood, have either some small
holes or oblong narrow slits, not only to let in
the air, but to give them that are in it a glimpse
of what passes in the streets through which they
are conveyed: but those of the better sort are
covered with such rich silks as not only shut out
the light, but even the fresh air.
The same writers describe both kinds as made
very low. (See vol. 8. p. 260. note K.)
If one may judge from the Chinese prints,
these sedans are not so very low, as they are
here represented. And with regard to those
used by the men for travelling, Du Halde assures
us that they are higher as well as lighter than
those used in Europe. These, he says, are
made of bambû, and are of a convenient size
for sitting at ease, being carried by men like
ours. If there be but two chairmen, the ends of
the poles rest on their shoulders: but if there
be four, then the ends of the poles, as well before
as behind, pass through two running knots of a
strong pliable cord, hung by the middle to
a thick stick, whose ends rest on the shoulders
of the chairman. P. Du Halde, vol. 1. p. 266.
N. B. All authors inform us, that the chairs
used on solemn occasions are very splendid,
being finely gilt, and in other respects pompously
decorated.
| CHAP. VIII. Hau Kiou choaan : | |