14 



convent was burned. So they reached the place Kao-kM ( l ) near Yun-siao, ( 2 ) where they hal- 

 ted. They saw there a temple and, having got nearer, they saw that it was the ancestral tem- 

 ple of Zing -wang. ( 3 ) 



As they wanted water to qnench their thirst, they went to the brook in order to draw it, 

 and then saw something floating on the surface of the water. The five men all saw it, and 

 w r aded through the water and lifted it out. They then saw that it was a white porcelain 

 censer. ( 4 ) Looking narrowly at it, they saw written on the censer four characters : //Fan- 

 tsing, fuh-ming," ( 5 ) overturn the Tsing, restore the Ming-dynasty. The five monks then saying 

 to each other: v This is the will of God!" concealed the white porcelain censer amongst 

 their luggage. 



Being pursued again by a troop of horse, they fled to a hillock where they found the fami- 

 ly of a certain Ching-kiun-tah, who had been decapitated and thrown into the river, for suppo- 

 sed treachery. His family had found his corpse floating on the water, and had buried it on 

 the hillock. 



The five men saw there, suddenly, a peachwood sword shoot out of the ground. On the sword 

 was written in characters: ,/Two dragons dispute about a pearl," ( G ) whilst on the point of the 

 sword was engraved again the words: ,/ Overturn Tsing, restore Ming." 



Two women took up this sword, and routed the pursuing soldiers with it. 



That night the five men remained with the family of Ching-kiun-tah, and they returned the 

 next day to the Ling-wang temple. 



There they found five horse dealers, ïiamed: Wu-thian-ching ( 7 ), Li-sih-chi ( 8 ), Hung-thai-sui ( 9 ), 

 Yao-pieh-tah ( 10 ) and Lin-yung-chao ( u ), who, having heard of the wrongs done to them, united 

 themselves with the five monks. 



Some time afterwards there came also a certain Chin-kin-nan, ( 12 ) an officer of the board 

 of war and member of the Han-lin college, ( 13 ) who had lost his charge by the intrigues of his 

 enemies. He had since been roaming over the world under pretence of teaching philo- 

 sophic doctrines, but wishing, in his heart, to gather valiant men. Having heard of the wrongs 

 done to the monks of the Shao lin-convent, he came to join them. 



They went together to the temple ofa Bodhisatwa, where they remained some days, and where 



o I 8 ï ( 2 ) # W 1UH ' L - u ° v Lat - ( 3 > 11 ï 



^ Ö /È $ S The district Pek-ting ( [fj Jg J||) in the prefecture of Jao-chao (|j| 



jM ÏM* J in the province of Kiangsi, is renowned for the fabrieation of porcelain, especially of the white sorts. 



( 5 ) & fk % ^ See Tab. II, fig. 1. (•) H f| f |j 



n % % )& o ^ ê m « » -x a 



< 10 ) « & 'M i 11 ) # M M n B$ & ït 



( 13 j The imperial academy of sciences at Peking. 



