the wallet of kai lung-第49部分

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devouring　Tartar　hordes　from　the　North。







As　Yin　gazed　in　fear…stricken　amazement；　a　knowledge　of　the　various



Pure　Ones　who　composed　the　assembly　came　upon　him。　He　understood　that



the　three　unclad　and　commanding　figures　which　stood　together　were　the



Emperors　of　the　Heaven；　Earth；　and　Man；　whose　reigns　covered　a　space



of　more　than　eighty　thousand　years；　commencing　from　the　time　when　the



world　began　its　span　of　existence。　Next　to　them　stood　one　wearing　a



robe　of　leopard…skin；　his　hand　resting　upon　a　staff　of　a　massive　club；



while　on　his　face　the　expression　of　tranquillity　which　marked　his



predecessors　had　changed　into　one　of　alert　wakefulness；　it　was　the



Emperor　of　Houses；　whose　reign　marked　the　opening　of　the　never…ending



strife　between　man　and　all　other　creatures。　By　his　side　stood　his



successor；　the　Emperor　of　Fire；　holding　in　his　right　hand　the　emblem



of　the　knotted　cord；　by　which　he　taught　man　to　cultivate　his　mental



faculties；　while　from　his　mouth　issued　smoke　and　flame；　signifying



that　by　the　introduction　of　fire　he　had　raised　his　subjects　to　a　state



of　civilized　life。







On　the　other　side　of　the　boundless　chamber　which　seemed　to　be



contained　within　the　rocks　were　Fou…Hy；　Tchang…Ki；　Tcheng…Nung；　and



Huang；　standing　or　reclining　together。　The　first　of　these　framed　the



calendar；　organized　property；　thought　out　the　eight　Essential



Diagrams；　encouraged　the　various　branches　of　hunting；　and　the　rearing



of　domestic　animals；　and　instituted　marriage。　From　his　couch　floated



melodious　sounds　in　remembrance　of　his　discovery　of　the　property　of



stringed　woods。　Tchang…Ki；　who　manifested　the　property　of　herbs　and



growing　plants；　wore　a　robe　signifying　his　attainments　by　means　of



embroidered　symbols。　His　hand　rested　on　the　head　of　the　dragon；　while



at　his　feet　flowed　a　bottomless　canal　of　the　purest　water。　The



discovery　of　written　letters　by　Tcheng…Nung；　and　his　ingenious　plan　of



grouping　them　after　the　manner　of　the　constellations　of　stars；　was



emblemized　in　a　similar　manner；　while　Huang；　or　the　Yellow　Emperor；



was　surrounded　by　ores　of　the　useful　and　precious　metals；　weapons　of



warfare；　written　books；　silks　and　articles　of　attire；　coined　money；



and　a　variety　of　objects；　all　testifying　to　his　ingenuity　and　inspired



energy。







These　illustrious　ones；　being　the　greatest；　were　the　first　to　take



Yin's　attention；　but　beyond　them　he　beheld　an　innumerable　concourse　of



Emperors　who　not　infrequently　outshone　their　majestic　predecessors　in



the　richness　of　their　apparel　and　the　magnificence　of　the　jewels　which



they　wore。　There　Yin　perceived　Hung…Hoang；　who　first　caused　the　chants



to　be　collected；　and　other　rulers　of　the　Tcheon　dynasty；　Yong…Tching；



who　compiled　the　Holy　Edict；　Thang　rulers　whose　line　is　rightly　called



〃the　golden〃；　from　the　unsurpassed　excellence　of　the　composed　verses



which　it　produced；　renowned　Emperors　of　the　versatile　Han　dynasty；



and；　standing　apart；　and　shunned　by　all；　the　malignant　and



narrow…minded　Tsing…Su…Hoang；　who　caused　the　Sacred　Books　to　be



burned。







Even　while　Yin　looked　and　wondered；　in　great　fear；　a　rolling　voice；



coming　from　one　who　sat　in　the　midst　of　all；　holding　in　his　right　hand



the　sun；　and　in　his　left　the　moon；　sounded　forth；　like　the　music　of



many　brass　instruments　playing　in　unison。　It　was　the　First　Man　who



spoke。







〃Yin；　son　of　Yat　Huang；　and　creature　of　the　Lower　Part；〃　he　said；



〃listen　well　to　the　words　I　speak；　for　brief　is　the　span　of　your



tarrying　in　the　Upper　Air；　nor　will　the　utterance　I　now　give　forth



ever　come　unto　your　ears　again；　either　on　the　earth；　or　when；　blindly



groping　in　the　Middle　Distance；　your　spirit　takes　its　nightly　flight。



They　who　are　gathered　around；　and　whose　voices　I　speak；　bid　me　say



this：　Although　immeasurably　above　you　in　all　matters；　both　of



knowledge　and　of　power；　yet　we　greet　you　as　one　who　is



well…intentioned；　and　inspired　with　honourable　ambition。　Had　you　been



content　to　entreat　and　despair；　as　did　all　the　feeble　and　incapable



ones　whose　white　bones　formed　your　pathway；　your　ultimate　fate　would



have　in　no　wise　differed　from　theirs。　But　inasmuch　as　you　held



yourself　valiantly；　and；　being　taken；　raised　an　instinctive　hand　in



return；　you　have　been　chosen；　for　the　day　to　mute　submission　has；　for



the　time　or　for　ever；　passed　away；　and　the　hour　is　when　China　shall　be



saved；　not　by　supplication；　but　by　the　spear。〃







〃A　state　of　things　which　would　have　been　highly　unnecessary　if　I　had



been　permitted　to　carry　out　my　intention　fully；　and　restore　man　to　his



prehistoric　simplicity；〃　interrupted　Tsin…Su…Hoang。　〃For　that　reason；



when　the　voice　of　the　assemblage　expresses　itself；　it　must　be



understood　that　it　represents　in　no　measure　the　views　of



Tsin…So…Hoang。〃







〃In　the　matter　of　what　has　gone　before；　and　that　which　will　follow



hereafter；〃　continued　the　Voice　dispassionately；　〃Yin；　the　son　of



Yat…Huang；　must　concede　that　it　is　in　no　part　the　utterance　of



Tsin…Su…HoangTsin…Su…Hoang　who　burned　the　Sacred　Books。〃







At　the　mention　of　the　name　and　offence　of　this　degraded　being　a　great



sound　went　up　from　the　entire　multitudea　universal　cry　of



execration；　not　greatly　dissimilar　from　that　which　may　be　frequently



heard　in　the　crowded　Temple　of　Impartiality　when　the　one　whose　duty　it



is　to　take　up；　at　a　venture；　the　folded　papers；　announces　that　the



sublime　Emperor；　or　some　mandarin　of　exalted　rank；　has　been　so



fortunate　as　to　hold　the　winning　number　in　the　Annual　State　Lottery。



So　vengeance…laden　and　mournful　was　the　combined　and　evidently



preconcerted　wail；　that　Yin　was　compelled　to　shield　his　ears　against



it；　yet　the　inconsiderable　Tsin…Su…Hoang；　on　whose　account　it　was



raised；　seemed　in　no　degree　to　be　affected　by　it；　he；　doubtless；



having　become　hardened　by　hearing　a　similar　outburst；　at　fixed　hours；



throughout　interminable　cycles　of　time。







When　the　last　echo　of　the　cry　had　passed　away　the　Voice　continued　to



speak。







〃Soon　the　earth　will　again　receive　you；　Yin；〃　it　said；　〃for　it　is　not



respectful　that　a　lower　one　should　be　long　permitted　to　gaze　upon　our



exalted　faces。　Yet　when　you　go　forth　and　stand　once　more　among　men



this　is　laid　on　you：　that　henceforth　you　are　as　a　being　devoted　to　a



fixed　and　unchanging　end；　and　whatever　moves　towards　the　restoring　of



the　throne　of　the　Central　Empire　the　outcast　but　unalterably　sacred



line　of　its　true　sovereigns　shall　have　your　arm　and　mind。　By　what



combination　of　force　and　stratagem　this　can　be　accomplished　may　not　be



honourably　revealed　by　us；　the　all…knowing。　Nevertheless；　omens　and



guidance　shall　not　be　lacking　from　time　to　time；　and　from　the



beginning　the　weapon　by　which　you　have　attained　to　this　distinction



shall　be　as　a　sign　of　our　favour　and　protection　over　you。〃







When　the　Voice　made　an　end　of　speaking　the　sudden　blindness　came　upon



Yin；　as　it　had　done　before；　and　from　the　sense　of　motion　which　he



experienced；　he　conjectured　that　he　was　being　conveyed　back　to　the



island。　Undoubtedly　this　was　the　case；　for　presently　there　came　upon



him　the　feeling　that　he　was　awakening　from　a　deep　and　refreshing



sleep；　and　opening　his　eyes；　which　he　now　found　himself　able　to　do



without　any　difficulty；　he　immediately　discovered　that　he　was



reclining　at　full　length　on　the　ground；　and　at　a　distance　of　about　a



score　of　paces　from　the　dragon　head。　His　first　thought　was　to　engage



in　a　lengthy　course　of　self…abasement　before　it；　but　remembering　the



words　which　had　been　spoken　to　him　while　in　the　Upper　Air；　he



refrained；　and　even　ventured　to　go　forward　with　a　confident　but



somewhat　self…deprecatory　air；　to　regain　the　spear；　which　he　perceived



lying　at　the　foot　of　the　rock。　With　feelings　of　a　reassuring　nature　he



then　saw　that　the　very　undesirable　expression　which　he　had　last　beheld



upon　the　dragon　face　had　melted　into　one　of　encouraging　urbanity　and



benignant　esteem。







Close　by　the　place　where　he　had　landed　he　discovered　his　boat；　newly



furnished　with　wine　and　food　of　a　much　more　attractive　profusion　than



that　which　he　had　purchased　in　the　village。　Embarking　in　it；　he　made



as　though　he　would　have　returned　to　the　south；　but　the　spear　which　he



held　turned　within　his　grasp；　and　pointed　in　an　exactly　opposite



direction。　Regarding　this　fact　as　an　express　command　on　the　part　of



the　Deities；　Yin　turned　his　boat　to　the　north；　and　in　the　space　of　two



days'　timebeing　continually　guided　by　the　fixed　indication　of　the



spearhe　reached　the　shore　and　prepared　to　continue　his　travels　in



the　same　direction；　upheld　and　inspired　by　the　knowledge　that



henceforth　he　moved　under　the　direct　influence　of　very　powerful



spirits。















CHAPTER　IX







THE　ILL…REGULATED　DESTINY　OF　KIN　YEN；　THE　PICTURE…MAKER







As　recorded　by　himself　before　his　sudden　departure　from



Peking；　owing　to　circumstances　which　are　made　plain　in　the



following　narrative。







There　are　moments　in　the　life　of　a　person　when　the　saying　of　the　wise



Ni…Hyu　that　〃Misfortune　comes　to　all　men　and　to　most　women〃　is　endowed



with　double　force。　At　such　times　the　faithful　child　of　the　Sun　is　a



prey　to　the　whitest　and　most　funereal　thoughts；　and　even　the　inspired



wisdom　of　his　illustrious　ancestors　seems　more　than　doubtful；　while



the　continued　inactivity　of　the　Sacred　Dragon　appears　for　the　time　to



give　colour　to　the　scoffs　of　the　Western　barbarian。