the mirror of kong ho-第2章

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through　some　incautious　gesture　or　heretical　remark　on　their　part；　and



then　it　never　fails　to　use　them　grievously；　casting　them　to　the　ground



wounded；　consuming　the　chariot　with　fire；　and　passing　away　in　the



midst　of　an　exceedingly　debased　odour；　by　which　it　is　always



accompanied　after　the　manner　of　our　own　earth　spirits。







This　being；　as　this　person　has　already　set　forth；　an　unlawful　demon　on



account　of　its　power　when　once　called　up；　and　the　admitted　uncertainty



of　its　movements；　those　in　authority　maintain　a　stern　and　inexorable



face　towards　the　practice。　To　entrap　the　unwary　certain　persons



（chosen　on　account　of　their　massive　outlines；　and　further　protected



from　evil　influences　by　their　pure　and　consistent　habits）　keep　an



unceasing　watch。　When　one　of　them；　himself　lying　concealed；　detects



the　approach　of　such　a　being；　he　closely　observes　the　position　of　the



sun；　and　signals　to　the　other　a　message　of　warning。　Then　the　second



one；　shielded　by　the　sanctity　of　his　life　and　rendered　inviolable　by



the　nature　of　his　garmentshis　sandals　alone　being　capable　of



overturning　any　demon　from　his　path　should　it　encounter　themboldly



steps　forth　into　the　road　and　holds　out　before　him　certain　sacred



emblems。　So　powerful　are　these　that　at　the　sight　the　unlawful　demon



confesses　itself　vanquished；　and　although　its　whole　body　trembles　with



ill…contained　rage；　and　the　air　around　is　poisoned　by　its



discreditable　exhalation；　it　is　devoid　of　further　resistance。　Those　in



the　chariot　are　thereupon　commanded　to　dismiss　it；　and　being　bound　in



chains　they　are　led　into　the　presence　of　certain　lesser　mandarins　who



administer　justice　from　a　raised　dais。







〃Behold！〃　exclaims　the　chief　of　the　captors；　when　the　prisoners　have



been　placed　in　obsequious　attitudes　before　the　lesser　mandarins；　〃thus



the　matter　chanced：　The　honourable　Wang；　although　disguised　under　the



semblance　of　an　applewoman；　had　discreetly　concealed　himself　by　the



roadside；　all　but　his　head　being　underneath　a　stream　of　stagnant



water；　when；　at　the　eighth　hour　of　the　morning；　he　beheld　these



repulsive　outcasts　approaching　in　their　chariot；　carried　forward　by



the　diabolical　vigour　of　the　unlawful　demon。　Although　I　had　stationed



myself　several　li　distant　from　the　accomplished　Wang；　the　chariot



reached　me　in　less　than　a　breathing　space　of　time；　those　inside



assuming　their　fiercest　and　most　aggressive　attitudes；　and　as　they



came　repeatedly　urging　the　demon　to　increased　exertions。　Their　speed



exceeded　that　of　the　swallow　in　his　hymeneal　flight；　all　shrubs　and



flowers　by　the　wayside　withered　incapably　at　the　demon's　contaminating



glance；　running　water　ceased　to　flow；　and　the　road　itself　was　scorched



at　their　passage；　the　earth　emitting　a　dull　bluish　flame。　These　facts；



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　persua