the mirror of kong ho-第17章

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even　did　not　flinch　from　making　himself　excessively　unpopular　by　the



wide　and　sweeping　variety　of　his　censure。　〃We　are　confessedly　a



barbarian　nation；〃　fearlessly　declared　this　unprejudiced　person　（who；



although　entitled　by　hereditary　right　to　carry　a　banner　on　the　field



of　battle；　with　patriotic　self…effacement　preferred　to　remain　at　home



and　encourage　those　who　were　fighting　by　pointing　out　their　inadequacy



to　the　task　and　the　extreme　unlikelihood　of　their　ever　accomplishing



it）；　〃and　in　order　to　achieve　our　purpose　speedily　it　is　necessary　to



resort　to　the　methods　of　barbarism。〃　The　most　effective　measure；　as　he



proceeded　to　explain　with　well…thought…out　detail；　would　be　to　capture



all　those　least　capable　of　resistance；　concentrate　them　into　a　given



camp；　and　then　at　an　agreed　signal　reduce　the　entire　assembly　to　what



he　termed；　in　a　passage　of　high…minded　eloquence；　〃a　smoking　hecatomb



of　women　and　children。〃







His　advice　was　pointed　with　a　crafty　insight；　for　not　only　would　such



a　course　have　brought　the　stubborn　enemy　to　a　realisation　of　the



weakness　of　their　position　and　thus　paved　the　way　to　a　dignified



peace；　but　by　the　act　itself　few　would　have　been　left　to　hand　down　the



tradition　of　a　relentless　antagonism。　Yet　with　incredible　obtuseness



his　advice　was　ignored　and　he　himself　was　referred　to　at　the　time　by



those　who　regarded　the　matter　from　a　different　angle；　with　a



scarcely…veiled　dislike；　which　towards　many　of　his　followers　took　the



form　of　building　materials　and　other　dissentient　messages　whenever



they　attempted　to　raise　their　voices　publicly。　As　an　inevitable　result



the　conquest　of　the　country　took　years；　where　it　would　have　been　moons



had　the　more　truly　humane　policy　been　adopted；　commerce　and　the　arts



languished；　and　in　the　end　so　little　spoil　was　taken　that　it　was　more



common　to　meet　six　mendicants　wearing　the　honourable　embellishment　of



the　campaign　than　to　see　one　captured　slave　maiden　offered　for　sale　in



the　market　placesindeed；　even　to　this　day　the　deficiency　is　clearly



admitted　and　openly　referred　to　as　The　Great　〃Domestic〃　Problem。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*







At　various　times　during　my　residence　here　I　have　been　filled　with　a



most　acute　gratification　when　the　words　of　those　around　have　seemed　to



indicate　that　they　recognised　the　undoubted　superiority　of　the　laws



and　institutions　of　our　enlightened　country。　Sometimes；　it　is　true；



upon　a　more　detailed　investigation　of　the　incident；　it　has　presently



appeared　that　either　I　had　misunderstood　the　exact　nature　of　their



sentiments　or　they　had　slow…wittedly　failed　to　grasp　the　precise



operation　of　the　enactment　I　had　described；　but　these　exceptions　are



clearly　the　outcome　of　their　superficial　training；　and　do　not　affect



the　fact　my　feeble　and　frequently　even　eccentric　arguments　are　at



length　certainly　moving　the　more　intelligent　into　an　admission　of　what



constitutes　true　justice　and　refinement。　It　is　not　to　be　denied　that



here　and　there　exists　a　prejudice　against　our　customs　even　in　the



minds　of　the　studious；　but　as　this　is　invariably　the　shadow　of



misconception；　it　has　frequently　been　my　sympathetic　privilege　to



promote　harmony　by　means　of　the　inexorable　logic　of　fact　and　reason。



〃But　are　not　your　officials　uncompromisingly　opposed　to　the　freedom　of



the　Press？〃　said　one　who　conversed　with　me　on　the　varying　phases　of



the　two　countries；　and　knowing　that　in　his　eyes　this　would　constitute



an　unendurable　offence；　I　at　once　appeased　his　mind。　〃By　no　means；〃　I



replied；　〃if　anything；　the　exact　contrary　is　the　case。　As　a　matter　of



reality；　of　course；　there　is　no　Press　now；　the　all…seeing　Board　of



Censors　having　wisely　determined　that　it　was　not　stimulating　to　the



public　welfare；　but　if　such　an　institution　was　permitted　to　exist　you



may　rest　genially　assured　that　nothing　could　exceed　the　lenient



toleration　which　all　in　office　would　extend　towards　it。〃　A　similar



instance　of　malicious　inaccuracy　is　widely　spoken　of　regarding　our



lesser　ones。　〃Is　it　really　a　fact；　Mr。　Kong；〃　exclaimed　a　maiden　of



magnanimous　condescension；　to　this　person　recently；　〃that　we　poor



women　are　despised　in　your　country；　and　that　among　the　working…classes



female　children　are　even　systematically　abandoned　as　soon　as　they　are



born？〃　Suffering　my　features　to　express　amusement　at　this　unending



calumny；　I　indicated　my　violent　contempt　towards　the　one　who　had　first



uttered　it。　〃So　far　from　despising　them；〃　I　continued；　with



ingratiating　gallantry；　〃we　recognise　that　they　are　quite　necessary



for　the　purposes　of　preparing　our　food；　carrying　weighty　burdens；　and



the　like；　and　how　grotesque　an　action　would　it　be　for　poor　but



affectionate　parents　to　abandon　one　who　in　a　few　years'　time　could　be



sold　at　a　really　remunerative　profit；　this；　indeed；　being　the



principal　means　of　sustenance　in　many　frugal　families。〃







On　another　occasion　I　had　seated　myself　upon　a　wooden　couch　in　one　of



the　open　spaces　about　the　outskirts　of　the　city；　when　an　aged　man



chanced　to　pass　by。　Him　I　saluted　with　ceremonious　politeness；　on



account　of　his　years　and　the　venerable　dignity　of　his　beard。　Thereupon



he　approached　near；　and　remarking　affably　that　the　afternoon　was　good



（though；　to　use　no　subtle　evasion；　it　was　very　evil）；　he　congenially



sat　by　my　side　and　entered　into　familiar　discourse。







〃They　say　that　in　your　part　of　the　world　we　old　grandfathers　are



worshipped；〃　he　said；　after　recounting　to　my　ears　all　the　most



intimate　details　of　his　existence　from　his　youth　upwards；　〃now；　might



that　be　right？〃







〃Truly；〃　I　replied。　〃It　is　the　unchanging　foundation　of　our　system　of



morality。〃







〃Ay；　ay；〃　he　admitted　pleasantly。　〃We　are　a　long　way　behind　them



foreigners　in　everything。　At　the　rate　we're　going　there　won't　be　any



trade　nor　work　nor　religion　left　in　this　country　in　another　twenty



years。　I　often　wish　I　had　gone　abroad　when　I　was　younger。　And　if　I　had



chanced　upon　your　parts　I　should　be　worshipped；　eh？〃　and　at　the



agreeable　thought　the　aged　man　laughed　in　his　throat　with　simple



humour。







〃Assuredly；〃　I　replied；　〃after　you　were　dead。〃







〃Eh？〃　exclaimed　the　venerable　person；　checking　the　fountain　of　his



mirth　abruptly　at　the　word。　〃Dead！　not　before？　Doesn'tdoesn't　that



seem　a　bit　of　a　waste？〃







〃Such　has　been　the　observance　from　the　time　of　unrecorded　antiquity；〃



I　replied。　〃'Obey　parents；　respect　the　old；　loyally　uphold　the



sovereign；　and　worship　ancestors。'〃







〃Well；　well；〃　remarked　the　one　beside　me；　〃obedience　and



respectthat's　something　nowadays。　And　you　make　them　do　it？〃







〃Our　laws　are　unflinching　in　their　application；〃　I　said。　〃No　crime



is　held　to　be　more　detestable　than　disrespect　of　those　to　whom　we　owe



our　existence。〃







〃Quite　right；〃　he　agreed；　〃it's　a　pleasure　to　hear　it。　It　must　be　a



great　country；　yours；　a　country　with　a　future；　I　should　say。　Now；



about　that　youngest　lad　of　my　son　Henry'sthe　one　that　drops　pet



lizards　down　my　neck；　and　threatened　to　put　rat　poison　into　his



mother's　tea　when　she　wouldn't　take　him　to　the　Military　Turneyment；



what　would　they　do　to　him　by　your　laws？〃







〃If　the　assertion　were　well　sustained　by　competent　witnesses；〃　I



replied；　〃it　would　probably　be　judged　so　execrable　an　offence；　that　a



new　punishment　would　have　to　be　contrived。　Failing　that；　he　would



certainly　be　wrapped　round　from　head　to　foot　in　red…hot　chains；　and



thus　exposed　to　public　derision。〃







〃Ah；　red…hot　chains！〃　said　the　aged　person；　as　though　the　wo