Read Ebook: Graham's Magazine Vol. XXXIV No. 4 April 1849 by Various Graham George R Editor

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Kneeling before the monarch, Ho exclaimed reverently--

"Will your majesty once more graciously listen. At the last examination, this man of whom I have spoken was turned from the Scientific Halls in disgrace--his essay rejected by the Premier Yang and the General Kau. Will it then please thee to bestow some favor upon L?, that he may with more propriety come into this august presence?"

"It shall be done," exclaimed the emperor. "We confer upon L? the title of Doctor of the first degree, together with the purple robe and yellow girdle. Go bring him before us."

With this mark of royal patronage, Ho retraced his steps with all the alacrity of a lover, and made known to L? the gracious favors of the emperor, supposing, doubtless, that the student would rejoice as one long blind now suddenly restored to light, or as a famished man at a feast. But lo! coolly putting on the robes of office, as if he had but just cast them aside, with the air of a prince, L? signified to the great academician Ho his readiness now to obey the mandate of the emperor.

Entering the hall of audience with all the grace and ease of a man bred in courts, L? advanced to the throne, and after paying the customary homage, rose to his feet and looked proudly around upon the assembly of grave men and gallant courtiers.

Hwant-sung received the new doctor with condescension, and placed in his hand the document which he was required to make plain.

But L?, casting a meaning glance upon Yang and Kau, said:

"Can an indifferent scholar like myself presume to know more than these learned men! Know, O mighty emperor, thy servant was deemed unworthy of favor by thy commissioners Yang and Kau--surely, then, they must be more wise than L?."

Charmed with the boldness of the youth, the emperor graciously smiled upon him, and motioned the two mortified examiners to withdraw.

Then standing erect, his head thrown back, yet in an attitude of careless ease, L? opened the important missive, and without even glancing his eye over it to understand more fully its nature, read it aloud from beginning to end, in a clear, melodious voice.

The countenance of Hwant-sung grew black as midnight as he listened to this insulting claim, and but for the bold remonstrance of L?, he would have ordered the bearers of the embassy to instant death.

"May it please your majesty to summon the boorish ambassadors before us," cried L? boldly, "I will myself confer with them, and teach them how to respect the mighty Emperor Hwant-sung."

Immediately, therefore, the ambassadors were brought before L?, who conversed with them in their own language with the same haughty bearing as if he himself were emperor, interpreting as he did so to the indignant Hwant-sung. At length L? dismissed them, saying:

"To-morrow his sovereign majesty, to whom your prince is but an earth-worm, will indite an answer to your insulting embassy. Retire--and tremble as ye walk! Thank the gods that the gracious emperor deigns ye to live."

The audience chamber rang with acclamation, as the ambassadors obsequiously withdrew in compliance to the orders of L?, and all the courtiers pressed forward to compliment the young doctor--while the emperor, embracing him, conferred upon him at once the rank of academician, and ordered apartments to be prepared for him in the palace of the Golden Bell.

Now did it seem that all the trials of L? were over, his poverty but a dream long past, and that now upon the pinnacle to which his ambition had pointed from early youth, he stood ready to hurl back in the teeth of his enemies the disgrace which, only a few months before, they had heaped upon the name of L?.

The feast wore on even into the night--the wine circulated freely, and in the same breath the courtiers exalted the name of the emperor and of the young academician. What wonder that under the attendance of such charming cup-bearers L? should have drank more freely than was consistent with his new dignity! How from such hands could he resist the tempting goblet!

The result was, that when the next morning the emperor repaired to the Hall of Audience to treat with the embassy from Po-Hai, the academician L? was not in attendance--nay, did not make his appearance until after being twice summoned by royal mandate!

The courtiers with whom L? had feasted the night previous, shook their heads and looked significant. The Premier Yang and the General Kau resumed their usual boldness of demeanor, for no doubt this upstart, this vagabond L?, would find the anger of their Celestial Monarch more than his head was worth--decapitation would certainly follow such contempt of royalty!

At length Li walked carelessly into the hall--his dress somewhat disordered, and his feet thrust negligently into slippers. But for those who were hoping his ruin, what rage to see the emperor not only extend his own royal hand in signification that he would raise him from the ground, but also condescend to inquire after his health!

"I think, learned doctor, the wine was to thy fancy, yet methinks the fumes are still troubling thee! Ere we proceed to our public duties I would have thy wits clearer."

Saying which, Hwant-sung ordered a plate of hot-spiced fish-broth to be brought from the royal kitchens, that its effects might dissipate the evils of last night's debauch.

And when with unprecedented condescension their sovereign even took the chop-sticks, and himself cooled it for the palate of L?, amazement almost turned them to marble.

When his majesty deemed the senses of his new favorite sufficiently restored, the ambassadors were summoned into the hall.

Waving his hand condescendingly to L?, the emperor spoke: "Ascend the platform, learned doctor, and repose thyself upon the cushions at my feet, while I indite to thee our answer to these slaves."

"May it please your majesty," replied L?, "my feet are not in proper dress to approach so near the 'Glory of the Earth.' Will it please thee to command new buskins to be brought thy servant, that he may with decency ascend the platform."

This bold request was no sooner proffered than it was granted. And then, with a significant glance to the spot where stood Yang and Kau, pale with rage and envy, the audacious L? again addressed the emperor:

Never, perhaps, was an audience-chamber so insulted! Even the awe which, in the presence of the Celestial Monarch, rendered the courtiers less men than jackals, failed in this case to suppress a murmur of indignation which passed from one end of the hall to the other.

But Hwant-sung, well pleased to punish the injustice of his commissioners, immediately ordered them both to approach and do the bidding of L?!

Thus did L? accomplish his revenge, and triumph over his enemies!

Taking the pencil, he now, with rapid and easy strokes, proceeded to indite the answer, which the emperor vouchsafed to the Po-Hai embassy, and while he did so, Hwant-sung bent over him in astonishment, beholding the characters which he traced with so much rapidity to be identical with those which had so perplexed his court.

Then standing erect upon the right hand of the "Dragon's Throne," in clear distinct tones, L? read aloud the imperial answer--the ambassadors trembling with fear as they listened.

Kneeling reverently before the throne, and knocking their heads in token of submission, the ambassadors then withdrew to relate to their king that the "Celestial Empire was upheld by an Immortal from the skies!" who stood ever by the throne of the Dragon, and to whom all men did reverence.

From that day the star of L? was in the ascendent, and for many years he enjoyed the undivided confidence of the emperor, and attained a rank in the scale of letters, which renders the name of L? celebrated in Chinese literature. Many volumes of his beautiful poems and other works are still preserved in the Imperial Libraries.

Small feet.

Leagues.

THE NAVAL OFFICER.

BY WM. F. LYNCH.

Mr. Gillespie and his daughter had retired below when the sweeps were gotten out, and had now returned to the deck. Unconscious of danger, they looked admiringly upon the shining and beautiful scene. Nearly abreast the island of Porto Rico, in full view, lay basking in the beams of the setting sun, the dark, rich green of its luxuriant growth of cane, here and there varied by groves of the cotton-tree, amid which were seen clustering the settlements of the planters. Astern, but farther distant, Cape Engano stretched far to seaward, while inland, ridge over ridge, wooded to their summits, rose the picturesque mountains of St. Domingo. The numerous vessels in sight, mostly running before the wind, varying in size, in rig, and in the color of their canvas, enlivened the view, while nearer, the frigate in her towering proportions was borne majestically toward them.

"Oh, Edward! what a glorious sight!" said the maiden to her lover, who had stepped to her side, as she gained the deck. "Look, father! look at that splendid ship, doesn't she cleave the waters 'like a thing of life?' But what is the matter, Edward? You are silent, and seem dejected, do tell me?"

"In a moment, dearest," he whispered, as he left her to approach the captain, who had beckoned to him.

"Mr. Talbot," said the last, "my little craft is in great peril, and less than an hour must decide her fate. The Spaniard will not be silent much longer, and I advise you to get the passengers below."

"I was about to propose it," replied Talbot, and returning to Miss Gillespie's side, said, "summon your fortitude, Mary, the ship which you admire so much, is a Spanish frigate, and is endeavoring to capture the vessel we are in."

"Oh, how unfortunate! and will they harm us? Can they hurt you and father and Frank? Good God! what is that?" and she shrieked as the ship luffed to the wind, and fired a shot, which went plunging across the bows of the schooner.

"Come below, dearest! come quickly! Help me, Mr. Gillespie, for she has nearly fainted."

The maiden and her father were conducted to the most secure place below, when, resisting the entreaties of his mistress, Talbot returned to the deck, which Frank had refused to leave.

At the first report of the frigate's gun, the captain had called out, "Edge her away, quarter-master, keep her off a point; let the guns alone," he added, addressing some of the crew, "let them be, it would be worse than useless to fire them--the 'Bird' must now trust to her wings alone."

The little vessel was in fact at the very crisis of her fate. The last shot had told that they were within reach of the guns of the enemy; they felt that their only avenue of escape was through a gauntlet of fire, and that the loss of a single spar would certainly insure their capture. It seemed perfect madness for such a wee thing to abide the wrath of the huge leviathan, panoplied in thunder, and possessing almost the power of annihilation. But, in the forlorn and desperate hope of sustaining the enemy's fire for a few moments, without material injury her captain steadily pursued his way, but cut his anchors from the bow, and threw four of his guns overboard. If the wind had been light, the schooner's chance would have been a fair one; but the breeze instead of lulling, seemed to freshen as the sun went down. As it was, however, there was a bare possibility of escape, for already the little vessel, lightened of so much weight, began to increase her velocity--still there was an abiding, a stunning fear of being sunk or disabled by the broadside of the frigate. The latter had already opened her fire, and near the chase, the fierce, iron hail had fairly lashed the water into foam, but the schooner was yet materially unharmed, when a voice more potent than that of gunpowder, hushed the loud artillery.

Unobserved by either, a light and fleecy speck, more like a wift of smoke than a fragment of a cloud, had risen over the land, and swift as a meteor shot across the sky. It was what sailors term a "white squall," and it had caught the chaser and the chased wholly unprepared. Almost simultaneously it struck them both. The frigate's fore-mast and main-topmast went by the board, and every sail that was set, was blown into perfect shreds. The "Humming Bird," light and resistless, felt the blast but to succumb before it--she was whirled over and capsized in an instant. A number of the crew, entangled in the sails and rigging were immediately drowned. The remainder clambered to the upper-rail, to which they clung with the tenacity that endangered life. In a paroxysm of anguish, Talbot had thrown himself down the cabin-hatchway as he felt the vessel going over, and at imminent hazard had rescued Miss Gillespie, but her father and the servant-maid perished. Frank had been saved by one of the seamen, who held him firmly with one hand, while with the other he clung to the shrouds.

As soon as the survivors were assured of their immediate safety, they looked around to see if there were any hopes of being rescued from their position before the night set in. The frigate had driven past them, and under a single after-sail was hove-to, clearing her hull of the wreck. To the westward, distinct in the reflected light of the sun, which had descended, were several vessels again unfolding to the breeze the canvas which they had wisely furled to the passing gust. Some of the larger ones were again standing boldly out to seaward, while the others like affrighted wild-fowl, were hovering toward the shore. They were all too distant, and the air was fast becoming too obscure for them to see the wreck, or the unfortunate beings who were perched upon it.

On the first recovery from her swoon, the grief of Miss Gillespie for the loss of her father was almost inconsolable. It required all the endearment and entreaties of her lover and her brother to prevail on her to struggle against the spasms which threatened her very existence.

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