63 CHINESE SECRET SOCIETIES. 



The Emperor acceded to this suggestion, and demanded of the 

 assembled nobles, which of the Ministers they could recommend 

 to take command of the army and lead it forth ? The nobles 

 thus replied: " At the present time it will be impossible to find 

 amongst the court officials, an able Minister who dare un- 

 dertake this heavy responsibility. We would therefore recom- 

 mend Your Majesty to issue an Edict, and order it to be cir- 

 culated and posted in every province, country, and district of 

 the Empire, to the effect that whoever will obey the proclama- 

 tion and subdue the Eleuth Tatars, no matter whether they 

 be officials, common people, women, children, Buddhist or 

 Taoist priests, they shall receive 10,000 taels of gold, and be 

 appointed Earls over 10,000 families; this will certainly have 

 the effect of bringing forward men of the highest talent to 

 respond to the call of our Sovereign Lord/'' 



The Emperor was exceedingly pleased with the proposal, and 

 at once issued an Imperial Edict, which was speedily distributed 

 throughout the whole Empire. There was no place under Heaven 

 which the proclamation did not reach. Now, in a range of moun- 

 tains called Kiu-Lien, in the district of Toan Leng in 

 Hok-Kien, there was a monastery, named Siau Lim Si, con- 

 taining 128 priests, who on hearing of the above edict, went 

 to the place where it was posted, and finding that it was genuine, 

 they, after consulting together, took down the copy of the pro- 

 clamation. Some person informing the Imperial Commissioner 

 of this, he called all the priests, and they being assembled, 

 he addressed them as follows : " Are talent and ability to be 

 found amongst you priests, are there amongst you any who 

 dare to comply with the Emperor's edict, and come forward 

 to conquer these Western barbarians" ? All the priests respect- 

 fully replied, " Let there be no doubt in your Excellency's mind 

 on this subject. The old saying is : ' Talents and ability dwell 

 amongst the priesthood/ Our brethreu are in all 128 persons, 

 and without the assistance of an Imperial soldier, we will con- 

 quer these Eleuths ; even if their camp be 100 li * in extent, we 

 will destroy it, and not leave as much as an inch of straw re- 



The official on hearing these words was exceedingly delighted, 

 and ordered the priests to return to their monastery, and pack 

 up their baggage, preparatory to a start on the morrow towards 

 Peking, where they would be permitted to behold the sacred 

 person of the Emperor. 



About 30 miles. 



