the golden chersonese and the way thither-第18章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


notaries；　servants；　attendants；　lictors；　alas！　The　table　（No。　5）　is　of
dark　wood；　covered　with　a　shabby　red　cloth。　　On　it　are　keys；　petitions；
note…books；　pens　and　ink；　an　official　seal；　and　some　small　cups
containing　tallies；　which　are　thrown　down　to　indicate　the　number　of
blows　which　a　culprit　is　to　receive。　This　was　all。

In　a　high…backed　ebony　arm…chair；　such　as　might　be　seen　in　any　English
hall；　sat　the　man　who　has　the　awful　power　of　life　and　death　in　his
hands。　It　is　almost　needless　to　say　that　the　judge；　who　was　on　the　left
of　the　table；　and　who　never　once　turned　to　the　accused；　or　indeed　to
anyone；　was　the　only　seated　person。　He　was　a　young　man；　with　fine
features；　a　good　complexion；　and　a　high　intellectual　brow；　and　had　I
seen　him　under　other　circumstances；　I　should　have　thought　him　decidedly
prepossessing　looking。　He　wore　a　black　satin　hat；　a　rich；　blue　brocade
robe；　almost　concealing　his　blue　brocade　trousers；　and　over　this　a
sleeved　cloak　of　dark　blue　satin；　lined　with　ermine　fur。　A　look　of
singular　coldness　and　hauteur　sat　permanently　on　his　face；　over　which　a
flush　of　indescribable　impatience　sometimes　passed。　He　is　not　of　the
people；　this　lordly　magistrate。　He　is　one　of　the　privileged　literati。
His　literary　degrees　are　high　and　numerous。　He　has　both　place　and
power。　Little　risk　does　he　run　of　a　review　of　his　decisions　or　of　an
appeal　to　the　Emperor　at　Pekin。　He　spoke　loud　and　with　much　rapidity
and　emphasis；　and　often　beat　impatiently　on　the　floor　with　his　foot。　He
used　the　mandarin　tongue；　and　whether　cognizant　of　the　dialect　of　the
prisoners　or　not；　he　put　all　his　questions　through　an　interpreter；　who
stood　at　his　left；　a　handsomely　dressed　old　man；　who　wore　a　gold　chain
with　a　dependent　ivory　comb；　with　which　while　he　spoke　he　frequently
combed　a　small　and　scanty　gray　mustache。

Notaries；　attendants　with　scarlet…crowned　hats；　and　a　rabble　of　men　and
boys；　in　front　of　whom　we　placed　ourselves；　stood　down　each　side。　The
open　hall；　though　lofty；　is　shabby　and　extremely　dirty；　with　an　unswept
broken　pavement；　littered　at　one　side　with　potsherds；　and　disfigured　by
a　number　of　more　or　less　broken　black　pots　as　well　as　other　rubbish；
making　it　look　rather　like　a　shed　in　an　untidy　nursery　garden　than　an
imperial　judgment…hall。　On　the　pillars　there　are　certain　classical
inscriptions；　one　of　which　is　said　to　be　an　exhortation　to　mercy。
Pieces　of　bamboo　of　different　sizes　are　ranged　against　the　south　wall。
These　are　used　for　the　bastinado；　and　there　were　various　instruments
ranged　against　the　same　wall；　at　which　I　could　only　look　fitfully　and
with　a　shudder；　for　they　are　used　in　〃The　Question　by　Torture；〃　which
rapid　method　of　gaining　a　desired　end　appears　to　be　practised　on
witnesses　as　well　as　criminals。

The　yard；　or　uncovered　part　of　this　place；　has　a　pavement　in　the
middle；　and　on　one　side　of　this　the　most　loathsome　trench　I　ever
beheld；　such　a　one　as　I　think　could　not　be　found　in　the　foulest　slum　of
the　dirtiest　city　in　Europe；　not　only　loathsome　to　the　eye；　but
emitting　a　stench　which　even　on　that　cool　day　might　produce　vertigo；
and　this　under　the　very　eye　of　the　magistrate；　and　not　more　than　thirty
feet　from　the　judgment…seat。

On　the　other　side　by　which　we　entered；　and　which　also　has　an　entrance
direct　from　the　prison；　is　a　slimy；　green　ditch；　at　the　back　of　which
some　guards　were　lounging；　with　a　heap　of　felons　in　chains　attached　to
heavy　stones　at　their　feet。　　Above；　the　sky　was　very　blue；　and　the　sun
of　our　Father　which　is　in　heaven　shone　upon　〃the　just　and　the　unjust。〃

The　civil　case　took　a　long　time；　and　was　adjourned；　and　the　aged
claimant　was　so　exhausted　with　kneeling　before　the　judge；　that　he　was
obliged　to　be　assisted　away　by　two　men。　　Then　another　man　knelt　and
presented　a　petition；　which　was　taken　to　〃avizandum。〃　Then　a　guard　led
in　by　a　chain　a　prisoner；　heavily　manacled；　and　with　a　heavy　stone
attached　to　his　neck；　who　knelt　with　his　forehead　touching　the　ground。
After　some　speaking；　a　boy　who　was　standing　dangling　a　number　of　keys
came　forward；　and；　after　much　ado；　unlocked　the　rusty　padlock　which
fastened　the　chain　round　the　man's　neck；　and　he　was　led　away；　dragging
the　stone　after　him　with　his　hands。　He　had　presented　a　formal　petition
for　this　favor；　and　I　welcomed　the　granting　of　it　as　a　solitary　gleam
of　mercy；　but　I　was　informed　that　the　mitigation　of　the　sentence　came
about　through　bribery　on　the　part　of　the　man's　relatives；　who　had　to
buy　the　good…will　of　four　officials　before　the　petition　could　reach
the　magistrate's　hands。

More　than　an　hour　and　a　half　had　passed　since　we　entered；　and　for　two
hours　before　that　the　four　chained　prisoners　had　been　undergoing　the
torture　of　kneeling　on　a　coarsely　sanded　stone　in　an　immovable　and
unsupported　position。　I　was　standing　so　close　to　them　that　the　dress　of
one　touched　my　feet。　I　could　hear　their　breathing；　which　had　been　heavy
at　first；　become　a　series　of　gasps；　and　cool　as　the　afternoon　was；　the
sweat　of　pain　fell　from　their　brows　upon　the　dusty　floor；　and　they　were
so　emaciated　that；　even　through　their　clothing；　I　could　see　the
outlines　of　their　bones。　There　were　no　counsel；　and　no　witnesses；　and
the　judge　asked　but　one　question　as　he　beat　his　foot　impatiently　on　the
floor；　〃Are　you　guilty？〃　They　were　accused　of　an　aggravated　robbery；
and　were　told　to　confess；　but　they　said　that　only　two　of　them　were
guilty。　They　were　then　sent　back　to　the　tender　mercies　of　the
opium…smoking　jailer；　probably　to　come　back　again　and　again　to　undergo
the　severer　forms　of　torture；　till　no　more　money　can　be　squeezed　out　of
their　friends；　when　they　will　probably　be　beheaded；　death　being　the
legal　penalty　for　robbery　with　aggravations。

There　is　no　regular　legal　process；　no　jury；　no　one　admitted　to　plead
for　the　accused；　and　owing　to　the　way　in　which　accusations　are　made　and
the　intimate　association　of　trial　with　bribery；　it　is　as　certain　that
many　innocent　persons　suffer　as　it　is　that　many　guilty　escape。　From
such　a　system　one　is　compelled　to　fall　back　upon　the　righteousness　of
the　Judge　of　all　the　earth；　and　as　I　stood　in　that　hideous
judgment…hall　beside　the　tortured　wretches；　I　could　not　shut　out　of　my
heart　a　trembling　hope　that　for　these　and　the　legion　of　these；　a
worthier　than　an　earthly　intercessor　pleads　before　a　mightier　than　an
earthly　judge。

It　is　not　clear　whether　torture　is　actually　recognized　by　Chinese　law；
but　it　is　practised　in　almost　every　known　form　by　all　Chinese
magistrates；　possibly　as　the　most　expeditious　mode　of　legal　procedure
which　is　known。　It　is　also　undoubtedly　the　most　potent　agent　in
securing　bribes。　　The　legal　instruments　of　summary　punishment　which
hang　on　the　wall　of　the　Naam…Hoi　judgment…hall　consist　of　three　boards
with　proper　grooves　for　squeezing　the　fingers；　and　the　bastinado；　which
is　inflicted　with　bamboos　of　different　weights。　The　illegal　modes　of
〃putting　the　question；〃　i。e。；　of　extorting　a　confession　of　guilt；　as
commonly　practised　are；　prolonged　kneeling　on　coarse　sand；　with　the
brow　within　an　inch　of　the　ground；　twisting　the　ears　with　〃roughened
fingers；〃　and　keeping　them　twisted　while　the　prisoner　kneels　on　chains；
beating　the　lips　to　a　jelly　with　a　thick　stick；　the　result　of　which　was
to　be　seen　in　several　cases　in　the　prison；　suspending　the　body　by　the
thumbs；　tying　the　hands　to　a　bar　under　the　knees；　so　as　to　bend　the
body　double　during　many　hours；　the　thumb…screw；　dislocating　the　arm　or
shoulder；　kneeling　upon　pounded　glass；　salt　and　sand　mixed　together；
till　the　knees　are　excoriated；　and　several　others；　the　product　of
fiendish　ingenuity。　Severe　flogging　with　the　bamboo；　rattan；　cudgel；
and　knotted　whip　successively　is　one　of　the　most　usual　means　of
extorting　confession；　and　when　death　results　from　the　process；　the
magistrate　reports　that　the　criminal　has　died　of　sickness；　and　in　the
few　cases　in　which　there　may　be　reason　to　dread　investigation；　the
administration　of　a　bribe　to　the　deceased　man's　friends　insures
silence。

The　cangue；　if　its　wearers　were　properly　fed　and　screened　from　the　sun；
is　rather　a　disgrace　than　a　cruel　mode　of　punishment。　Death　is　said　to
be　inflicted　for　aggravated　robbe