11 



every one acknowledged his abilities. He remained still fcwo days in the place and then took 

 his leave of the two commanders, exhorting thera to maintam and defend the fortress faithfully. 



Ha ving despatched the report of his vietory to the court, he set out himself for Peking, 

 and having reached the residehce, they threw themselves at the feet of the emperor and rela- 

 ted the circumstances of the extermination of the Eleuths. 



His Majesty, greatly delighted, wished to make them officers and ennoble them : according to 

 His commands they were paraded three consecutive days through the town, and a repast was given 

 to them in the imperial palace. His Majesty wished to retain the abbot at court as his eoun- 

 cellor, and to appoint the other monks to high posts. The abbot and his monks, however, 

 kneeling down, refased the favour, saying: ,/Your subjects lead a pure life, and are priests 

 who follow the doctrine of the divine Budha. We would not have dared to transgress His 

 pure precepts, if it had not been that the country was ruined by the soldiers of Eleuth: so 

 we have destroyed and exterminated them; but now we onght agaiu to obey those pure pre- 

 cepts, forbidding us to desire worldly happiness, and accept, inconsiderately, of high posts. 

 We all wish to return to our convent Shao-lin, there again to worship Budha, to say our 

 prayers, to sanctify our life, and to correct our minds, that we may reach perfection and enter 

 Ni/jhan. We only accept of the presents which Your Majesty bestows upon us, in order to 

 requite Your divine faveur." 



z/That you do not accept nobility," said the emperor, „\s already proof enough that you 

 are virtuous men; but I have a jade ring of three links and au imperial seal of one pound 

 and five ounces weight: these I wish to present to your Excellencies, as a reward for your 

 merits : besides I will proclaim the affair throughout all the provinces, in order to glorify 

 your exalted merits and virtues, and to make your names known." 



All the monks then kneeled joyfully down, and lisped their thanks for the imperial favour; 

 thereupon they left court, and returned to their convent. 



In the 61st year of his reign, the emperor Khang-hi died, and Yung-ching Q) succeeded Him 

 in the government of the empire. (A. D. 1723). 



The seasons had always been favorable, the state was flourishing, and the people happ}^. But 

 in the llth year of the reign of Yung-ching, a certain Tang-shing ( 2 ) was appointed provincial 

 judge in the capital Fuh-chau. This Tang-shing was a man who had false propensities, and 

 was a thorough villain. He had a cruel and barbarous heart, and he was avaricious, greedy 

 and merciless. 



Having entered upon office, he came very often to the Shao-lin convent to burn incense and 

 worship Budha. Seeing there this quantity of imperial gifts, as the threelinked jade and the 



l 1 ) M IE He 1-ei S ned from tlie y ear 1723—1736. ( 2 j g 



