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persons questioned. In Chatsworth we have all that wealth can procure, all that luxury can demand, all that a refined and highly cultivated taste could select. On the other hand, in Haddon Hall we have a revelation of the facts of human history during several consecutive centuries, and that recorded in characters so plain that the simple man may decipher them, and with a little effort of the imagination may re-people the mouldering solitude and recall the daily life of the generations that have passed away. For our part, while we confess to being far more impressed by the contemplation of Haddon Hall than by the splendours of Chatsworth, we would advise the reader by all means to see both places, and to go first to Haddon Hall.

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Sonnets of the Sacred Year.

BY THE REV. S. J. STONE, M.A.

FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance."-Gal. v. 22, 23.

FAIR is the Garden of the Lord: and fair

The Stream therein that by its sevenfold rills Brings life's renewal from th' eternal hills; And fair the Tree the Lord hath planted there; Ninefold the fruit the living branches bear: Love, that the soul with noble ardour fills; Joy, that the heart with happy prospect thrills; Peace, that makes quit the mind of all its care; Long-suffering, that can feel and yet endure; Gentleness, the sweet-eyed and soft of hand; Goodness, the true, the upright, and the pure; Faith, that can see beyond the border-land; Meekness, that counts the pride of life as loss; Temperance, that nails indulgence to the cross.

"FA

"FATHER IS COMING."

ATHER is coming-make the fire burn bright!" Now the poor walls are gilt with ruddy light, Stands the rude table in the pleasant shine, And crystal water glows like yellow wine. "Hush, baby, hush! and make a pretty smile, Father is coming in a little while!"

Children with rosy faces, tidy hair,

Sweep up the hearth, and spread the simple fare. "Say the night-prayers, here, kneeling at my knee: 'Great God, be kind to us who trust in thee!' Father is coming, after the toilsome day; Oh, let our blessings meet him on the way!

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O the music of young voices, O the tuneful little feet, How they rise and fall together, keeping time in cadence sweet;

Like the ever-moving planets making harmony above, So the happy notes of childhood vibrate on the chords of love.

On the settle sits the grandsire with his eyes so old and dim,

That the little sunny faces seem like fading dreams to him;

But he hears their merry voices, and it almost makes him young,

As he tries to catch the meaning of each little prattling tongue.

O the merry laughing voices, how melodiously they flow,

Bringing to the old man's memory happy days of long ago,

When he, too, could shout with gladness, when he, too, was bright and bold,

Long before his children's children told him how the world grew old.

And the music of young voices, long as this fair earth shall last,

Will re-link the joyous present with the half-forgotten past;

And the ring of little footsteps, pattering on the cottage floor,

Will be heard, the wide world over, till there shall

be time no more.

MARY FRANCES ADAMS.

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THE MANDARIN'S DAUGHTER.

A STORY OF THE CHINESE GREAT REBELLION, AND THE EVER-VICTORIOUS ARMY."

BY SAMUEL MOSSMAN, AUTHOR OF "NEW JAPAN: THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN," ETC.

TIME

CHAPTER XV.-A TAIPING EMISSARY.

IME passed on and I became more and more intimate with the mandarin, his daughter, their kindred, and friends. A-Lee's lady connections quizzed her unmercifully for having a "barbarian" lover, for it was by this time understood by all that my visits were something more than ordinary friendly calls. "We are both Christians," she would say to them, "and it does not matter what country we belong to, if we are sincere in professing that faith, and become united in the holy ties of wedlock, under the blessings of a religion which makes that union equal between husband and wife in the eyes of God and man. I have imbibed the doctrines preached by the missionaries of our church, and learned from their teaching the superior condition of females in Christian countries compared to what it is here. When I consider their physical and mental degradation, I dread the thraldom I would have to submit to in espousing a husband among my own countrymen."

Amongst my comrades it was well known that I was waiting for my time to expire to make A-Lee my wife, and settle down to some occupation in China. Upon several occasions I met a stranger at the mandarin's, who gave his surname as Wo and his proper name as Cut-sing. Ho was about thirty years of age, of the middle height, and had a thickset figure. His forehead was low, with stronglymarked eyebrows, overhanging acute-angled eyelids that shaded restless piercing eyes. In manner he was officiously polite, but a sneer which frequently crossed his features while making his humble obeisance, indicated insincerity of disposition. He was a native of South China, and, though a scholar, he spoke the mandarin dialect of Peking with a peculiar provincial accent. There was something about the man that was displeasing, yet he was most assiduous in his attentions to secure my good opinions.

It was always in the evening when Cut-sing made his appearance at Meng-kee's house, and generally he and his host would retire into the library, holding secret converse together. Apparently, he was not a favourite with any one, except the mandarin himself, who paid him great attention. From what I saw, however, I concluded that those were matters of importance discussed between them, which they were unwilling to speak of before the members of the household or their friends.

One evening when this stranger called, I was asked to join them in the library, which I assented to, as I felt somewhat curious to know the topic of their conversation. On this head I was soon enlightened by Meng-kee, who said, after they had been seated

"My friend, Foong Cut-sing, is anxious to know if your honourable officials at the embassy have heard any late news of the Taiping movements at Nanking and the middle provinces."

"Yes, noble sir," the stranger added, "you will make me your humble debtor, if you can tell me. I trust that I do not infringe on your honour by asking you to give me any information on the subject." "Not at all," I replied. It is no breach of con

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fidence to tell you what I hear, for the news is published in our newspapers at Shanghai, so that any one who reads English knows all about it." "Ah!" said Cut-sing, "I wish I could speak and read your honourable language, as you do ours."

"The latest news received by steamer, informs us that the Taiping army under Chung Wang have captured Soo-chow and Hang chow, and numerous smaller walled cities in Kiang-soo and Che-kiang, which have been garrisoned by forces said to be two hundred thousand strong."

On hearing this the stranger's eyes twinkled, and he remarked, in a suppressed tone of voice, “This is great news, indeed. These two cities are the most famous in our great flowery land for their wealth and luxury. The poet has said that 'Paradise is in heaven above, but Soo-chow and Hang-chow are on the earth below.' What successes these are! The conquering armies of the Heavenly Kingdom of Great Peace will prevail over the imps." "I don't know exactly what you mean," rejoinder, "but I tell you that the British and French authorities at Shanghai are becoming afraid for the safety of that settlement. Admiral Hope has been to Nanking, and held a parley with the rebel chiefs, saying that the British forces will not interfere with the progress of the rebellion, if the Taiping hordes approach no nearer than ninety lee (thirty miles) of that treaty port. Should they cross the boundary, our troops will fire upon them."

was my

This piece of information seemed to displease Cut-sing, and he quickly interrupted, saying, "Pardon, noble sir, they would not dare to injure one of your people. For are they not both God-worshippers, and believers in the elder brother Jesus Christ? Is not theirs a form of religion most effectual for propagating the truth of Christianity? Before their progress all forms of idolatry are totally destroyed, without distinction, and the ruins of Pagan temples and the remains of Buddhist idols are to be seen far and near wherever their victorious arms have been." "Ho! ho!" I thought, "our inquisitive stranger is a rebel;" so I remarked at once, From what you say, I conclude you are a Taiping?

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"I am," he replied, unhesitatingly, "and I glory in being a humble subject of the Taiping Tien-wang. I came last from Nanking to this city of the Tartar imps, where if I was suspected I would be cut to pieces by them. But you, honourable sir, will not, I am sure, inform upon me."

"Certainly_not," I said, " you may rely on the

honour of a British soldier. Besides, I am not a friend of this treacherous Tartar Government, who tortured and murdered our men; and if your Taiping Government succeed in overthrowing them, without hurting us, why we should be glad, especially as you profess to be imbued with the spirit of Christianity."

"We not only profess the doctrines of your religion, but we practise it in the Protestant form which prevails in your honourable country. It is based upon the Holy Bible, which your learned missionaries have translated into our language, and distributed throughout the land. Our decalogue is literally the same as that of the English Church, but with annotations to some of the commandments applicable to the Taiping worshippers. The principal sacraments of the Protestant religion are observed; the Holy Communion is rendered by an offertory of tea upon the altar every Sunday during service; and no one

can enter our ranks without being baptized with water. Our creed is the same apostolic creed as yours; our prayers are the same, including the Lord's Prayer; and our hymns are in praise of the heavenly God; while our great festival is at Christ

mas."

"I have heard all this before, and that when your chief, Hoong Lew-tseuen, first disseminated his views, he and his followers were simple and sincere. But now, after the lapse of ten years, when his armies have overrun the country and defeated the imperialists, I have been told that, under his new title of Tien-wang, he assumes divine power himself, and his followers have degenerated into bands of banditti, who plunder and kill friend and foe alike, without establishing any peace in your distracted land."

"It is true, noble sir, that our armies have devastated the country in their progress from south to north, but that is the fate of all places where the scourge of war is introduced; as it has been where your own victorious army has defeated the Tartar forces and destroyed the palace of Heen Foong. But as your honourable chiefs have made peace with the imps through defeating them, so we expect to found our Great Peaceful Heavenly Kingdom on the ruins of the Tartar dynasty. Ah! if your armies and ours would but combine, we could destroy their power for ever, and raise up a dynasty of Christian emperors to last for all time."

"Well! the imps, as you call the imperialists, had a very narrow escape last year in a change of dynasty. If the allied forces had driven them out of Peking, and the Government had refused to come to terms, there is no saying but what they might have recognised your chief and placed him on the throne." "It may not be too late yet, noble sir, to effect that union. Who can tell what the year may bring forth? We know through our agents that this is but a hollow peace the Tartars have made with you. There is no doubt there are some who are sincere in upholding it, but there are more among the war party, who look upon it as temporary, and bide their time to renew the struggle, and drive your armies, if they can, into the sea.'

"We know these things also, but our commanders are fully prepared for them, as they are on their guard at Shanghai to drive back your troops should they threaten to invade the suburbs of that city and settlement. I must tell you plainly," I added, "that some of them are in favour of maintaining the strictest neutrality, and allow the insurrection to take its course, but the majority have as little reliance in their faith as that of the Tartar Government. Besides, they find your chiefs to be ignorant men, excepting a few who have recently joined the movement."

"There you are rightly informed, and it is for the purpose of enlisting scholars in our righteous cause that I have been sent by the Chung-wang, the commander-in-chief of our armies, to Peking on a secret mission. Our honourable friend here, Meng-kee, is favourable to our cause, and I am empowered to offer him a high post should he join us."

"That is the case," said the mandarin, "and I am so disgusted with the corruption and favouritism of these Manchoos that I am seriously thinking of going over to the Taipings, who may in the end be the rulers of China. But let us return now to the ladies' apartments, to prevent them taking too much notice of our interview."

CHAPTER XVI.-DEATH OF THE EMPEROR.

WHEN I reflected on what the Taiping emissary had said, and the inducements he held out to enlist the mandarin in the cause, I became alarmed for the safety of the father of my beloved. I knew well, from what had transpired at Canton, of the sanguinary punishments inflicted on the rebels, even if only suspected, as proved by the wholesale decapitations by the monster Yeh. Nothing of the kind had occurred in Peking, as the Government had too much on hand with foreign affairs to look after these internal matters. This in a great measure accounted for the impunity with which Cut-sing had gone about his mission.

Of course I was careful not to whisper a word at the embassy about the secrets divulged by the emissary, but thought it advisable to ask Loo A-Lee if she was not afraid that his frequent visits would cause suspicion to fall upon her father, and he might come under the wrath of the Board of Punishments.

"I am indeed, and I have told my father that it is not safe to see Cut-sing come so often to the house. He agrees with me, and that man-of whom I have an involuntary dread-has been told to make his visits less frequent, to prevent any of us getting into trouble."

This information was satisfactory in more ways than one, as I had a strong suspicion that the sinister-looking Taiping emissary cast an amorous eye on the mandarin's daughter, and that his frequent visits were on her account as much as that of the father. Be that as it may, I did not see Cut-sing at the house again, though I heard from Meng-kee that he saw him occasionally for a short time in the evening after it was dark, and that his mission was progressing favourably without creating any suspicion.

"The fact is, my honourable son, the present condition of the Government is so disjointed, that any important event may cause it to fall to pieces; and the ministers have been rendered powerless by the successes of your victorious army, and also those of the Taipings. Moreover, the emperor is known to be seriously ill at his retreat of Je-hol in the fastnesses of the Tartar mountains; and the empress, whom we supposed to be in the secret apartments of the palace here, has been in close attendance on her lord in case he succumbs to his disease."

"This is important news, my honourable father, and may be of value to our embassy; so may I make use of the information, without compromising you in the matter?"

"You may do so, but be careful that my name is not mentioned as your informant."

At the embassy they had heard something about. the emperor's illness, but as it was officially reported in the "Peking Gazette" that he was well, they were inclined to disregard the rumours. But I heard that Mr. Bruce's Chinese secretary had an interview with Prince Kung that afternoon, who appeared in very low spirits. Wan Se-ang, the prime-minister, was also present, who wished to know from Mr. Wade if he had any recent news of the movements of the Taipings, and put the question point-blank, as to whether, in the event of their attacking the Takoo forts or Tien-tsin, we would defend those places. The secretary replied that the Taipings had no ships, and that there was no risk whatever of their coming near any place where the Allies were in military occupation. This functionary excused the dulness of

the prince, as it was probably from some domestic cause, and there was nothing politically wrong. However, this explanation was not satisfactory to the members of the legation, and on further inquiry among their Chinese agents they learned that the information about the emperor's dangerous illness

was correct.

Shortly afterwards a rumour was current that the emperor had died ten days before, and that it has been the policy of the Government on such occasions to keep the event secret until they deemed it proper to announce the fact publicly. There is one peculiar law put in force after such announcements, namely, that subjects of his deceased majesty are not allowed to marry for nine months. In view of his actual demise the matrimonial market at Peking was excessively busy concluding engagements that otherwise would not have been consummated until the following year. Great was the traffic among the match-makers, and the purveyors of wedding furnishings raised their prices in consequence of the demand for their wares and services. The number of marriage processions seen in the streets quadrupled from what I had seen in ordinary times. Some of these were on a much grander scale than usual-camels were introduced into them, with the bridal chair, covered with gorgeous trappings, on the back, like the howdah on the elephant in India. Altogether the anxiety to get out of the state of single blessedness seemed to be the great characteristic of the day among the young Pekingese.

This uncertain state of affairs continued for more than a fortnight, and the people were "marrying and giving in marriage " until they ceased altogether. Then the official announcement of the emperor's death arrived from Je-hol. At the same time a decree was published, proclaiming his eldest son, a boy between six and seven years of age, as his successor, with a council of eight ministers to assist him in carrying on the government-in fact, leaving him a mere puppet in the hands of the council, which consisted of those who had shown the greatest aversion to foreign intercourse, while all the best statesmen friendly to foreigners, including Prince Kung, were carefully excluded.

This event created great consternation among all classes of the Pekingese, and caused considerable anxiety to the members of the foreign legations. It was evident to every one that a serious crisis in the government of the empire was at hand; I therefore lost no time in calling upon the mandarin.

He was alone in his library, busy with his duties in connection with the State ceremonies to be arranged on the occasion of the Court going into mourning, and making preparations for the funeral of the deceased emperor. There was a careworn expression on his face, and this appearance was heightened by the change in his apparel, which was blue and white, without any ornamental work, according to the rules laid down in the Book of Rites, when the people mourn for a dead monarch.

"How will this event affect you?" I inquired,

after salutations were over.

"Very seriously, my son," replied Meng-kee. "As you are aware, the members of this new council of State are inimical to foreigners, and should they hold supreme control over the various Boards, they will remove from office every one whom they suspect to be friendly to your countrymen here. Now I am not only suspected of this, but there are spios about

our offices who would denounce me as a Taiping for the sake of obtaining promotion. Seeing that there is trouble in store for me, I must be very circumspect in my conduct, even towards you. To-morrow all relations between the Government and the embassies will be suspended for twenty days, during which there must be no intercourse between us. You will therefore, my son, have to postpone your visits for that period, so that I may not get into further trouble." It was a sad parting with Loo A-Lee. Tears glistened in her eyes, and she sobbed at the thought of our future, though she almost recovered her composure before I left, and promised to write to me by a faithful messenger should anything important happen.

In the streets preparations were being made everywhere for the public mourning at the emperor's death, which was to continue for a hundred days. The shopkeepers were taking down all the red ornaments on their shop-fronts, and were hanging up strips of white and blue calico, or silk if the proprietors could afford it. All the richly-gilded signboards which hung outside the doors were also taken down, and a modest white sign substituted. Unusual activity prevailed, likewise, amongst the barbers, every person having his head shaved for the last time for three months, during which the hair is allowed to grow, as a token of mourning for the monarch.

On reaching the embassy I saw the British standard hoisted half-mast high, and I learned that Mr. Bruce, the minister, had received a despatch from Prince Kung containing an official notification of his brother the emperor's death. The letter and envelope were in Chinese mourning, namely, white, the latter having a light pink stripe round it, and its contents, when translated, were to the following effect:

"The prince with all solemnity informs the British minister that, on the 17th of the present month (22nd August), his majesty the emperor departed on the great journey, ascending on the dragon to be a guest on high; and that nearly related as his royal highness is to the emperor, his grief is greater than words can express. Also, that occupied as he will be by the numerous and important obsequial rites the performance of which he has to superintend, he will necessarily be compelled to postpone for twenty days the discussion of matters relating to foreign affairs, which otherwise it would be his duty to attend to."

Thus closed the mortal career of Hien Foong, Emperor of China, whose reign was one of turbu lence and disaster, of internecine strife and foreign

wars.

NOTES ON BOOKS.

11.

BY JOHN TIMBS.

SALE OF THE VALDARFER DOCCACCIO.

THE Roxburghe Club claims its foundation from the sale of the library of John Duke of Roxburghe, in 1812. The sale lasted forty-two days-we abridge the story from the Rev. T. F. Dibdin-and among the many curiosities was a copy of Boccaccio, published at Venice in 1471, the only perfect copy of this edition. Among the distinguished company who attended the sale were the Duke of Devonshire, Earl Spencer, and the Duke of Marlborough,

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