EMPERORS PREVENTED FISHING 4^5 



close time, and to permit no cutting of weeds in the waters during 

 the spawning season, i 



The Emperors, especially the earlier Emperors, were keen 

 all-round sportsmen, 2 but especially zealous disciples of the 

 craft of Angling. Like all good fishermen, they rejoiced in 

 having themselves or sharing with their friends a good day. 

 Sometimes their keen hospitahty made them entirely forget, 

 or turn a blind eye on their own ordinances. Even fear of 

 the wardens attached to the Imperial Court, to whom was 

 entrusted (according to the Chou Li) " the fishing appropriate 

 to each season," served not at times to stay their ardour. 



Fortunately they were saved from themselves and from 

 breaches of the law, as Mr. Werner shows in a sentence, which 

 in manner and " superior man " strangely recalls Sandford 

 and Merton, and Mr. Barlow. " It appears from edifying 

 anecdotes that the pleasures of the chase, etc., were a snare to 

 the Chinese monarchs, but they were seldom left without some 

 superior man to keep before them the moral ideas of earUer 

 days." 



That such was the case some 3000 years ago the story of 

 one of the Chou Dynasty demonstrates. He was anxious in 

 the extreme to go a-fishing with the Empress. None of his 

 courtiers and none of his laws could deter him, although it 

 was the fourth moon, when fish are spawning. 



At last his great minister, Tchang-sy-pe, flung himself at 

 the Imperial feet, implored him not to violate one of the 

 most essential laws of the realm, and so set an example which, 

 if followed generally, would destroy one of " the commonest 

 and amplest staples of food." The " superior man " succeeded. 

 The Emperor, struck by Tchang's reasoning, and perhaps by 

 the enormity of his wrong-doing, immediately called the 

 party off. 



Another " superior man " later on saves the situation, 

 and his monarch, also one of the Chou Dynasty. 



1 De Thiersant, op. cit. 



2 Though they and their subjects rejoiced greatly in cock and quail fighting, 

 nature denied to them the " fighting fish," which in Siam are the occasion of 

 weekly contests, heavy wagering, and a fruitful source of revenue to the 

 government from the sale of special hcenses (cf. Wright, op. cit., 187-8). 



