9 



The next day the whole brotherhood of the convent armed itself and raarched to the capital : 

 resting at night and marching during the day, they reached it in a few days. They then took 

 down the proclamation, went to the ministry and presented their memoriai to the Ernperor. 



His Majesty, having read the memoriai, Avas very much pleased: he immediately ordered the 

 officials of the board of war to furnish provisions, arms, dresses, cuirasses and horses, and he 

 gave orders that all the monks shonld be introduced to Him, that He might examine them Him- 

 self in military tactics. The abbot said: //Your subject has brought on purpose all the monks 

 of his convent hither, in order to drive back the Eleuths." 



The Ernperor then gave to the abbot the rank of Lieutenant-general, and to the other monks 

 the rank. of Major. They all kneeled down, expressing their thanks for this favour. ,/Your 

 subjects will go to battle/' observed -the abbot, //without making use of a single soldier of 

 YourMajesty, for the people of my convent, who are 123 men strong, are sufficiënt to destroy 

 and exterminate the Eleuthian soldiers. We pray Your Majesty not to be anxious or con- 

 cerned about it, for it is our hearts desire to preserve the empire; we shall obtain the victory 

 by stratagems, in order to accomplish ihis." 



z/Since you have found a means of restoring peace with Eleuth," replied the Ernperor 

 joyously, „my anxiety has been dispersed, and I am not under the least concern that your 

 fame shall not be commemorated on bamboo and silk." Having pronounced these words, He 

 accompanied them Himself to the door. 



The monks, having had a parting audience with the Ernperor, marched to the drill-ground , 

 where they drew themselves up and set out for their journey. 



They rode without stopping, displaying their power and military pomp far and wide, and, in 

 a few days, they reached Tung-kwan. 



As they were approaching the place, the two commanders, Liu-king and Hwang-sze-tsiuen, 



hadjust mounted the walls to reconnoitre. Suddenly they saw a fluttering of flags and pennons : 



a great cloud of dust arose, and they saw, in the distance, a great division of troops approaching. 



The two commanders, conceiving it to be the relieving army, quickly ordered the gate-kee- 



per to open the gates, and they escorted the monks within the fortress. 



The two commanders, seing that it was only a band of bald priests, were very much asto- 

 nished, but they clared not speak about it. 



The common civilities being performed and tea over, the two commanders said: //We have 

 been guilty of a great offence that we did not go to meet your Excellency when you approached : 

 we pray you, however, to excuse us." 



z/Don 't mention it," replied the abbot. ,/Your Excellency," said Liu-king, „has come here 

 to chastise the Eleuths ; but what is the reason that no ei vil and military officers have taken 

 the field?" 



z/When your despatches arrived," replied the abbot: //His imperial Majesty had the kindness 

 to ask the civil and military officers, which of them could repulse the Eleuths. None of them 

 dared to do so; but, afcer ripe deliberation , they made to His Majesty the proposal to issue a 

 ukase for convoking the people to take arms : that every body, of whatever rank or condition, either 



