perform a like benevolent charity for yourself. Having expressed
himself upon these general subjects, this person now makes a last and
respectfully-considered desire, which it is his deliberate wish should
be carried to the proper deities as his final expression of opinion:
That Yang Hu may grow as supple as the dried juice of the
bending-palm, and as straight as the most vigorous bamboo from the
forests of the North. That he may increase beyond the prolificness of
the white-necked crow and cover the ground after the fashion of the
binding grass. That in battle his sword may be as a vividly-coloured
and many-forked lightning flash, accompanied by thunderbolts as
irresistible as Buddha's divine wrath; in peace his voice as
resounding as the rolling of many powerful drums among the Khingan
Mountains. That when the kindled fire of his existence returns to the
great Mountain of Pure Flame the earth shall accept again its
component parts, and in no way restrain the divine essence from
journeying to its destined happiness. These words are Ping Siang's
last expression of opinion before he passes beyond, given in the
unvarying assurance that so sacred and important a petition will in no
way be neglected."

Having in this manner completed all the affairs which seemed to be of
a necessary and urgent nature, and fixing his last glance upon Yang Hu
with every variety of affectionate and estimable emotion, the Mandarin
drank a sufficient quantity of the liquid, and placing himself upon a
couch in an attitude of repose, passed in this dignified and
unassuming manner into the Upper Air.

After the space of a few moments spent in arranging certain objects
and in inward contemplation, Yang Hu crossed the chamber, still
holding the half-filled vessel of gold-leaf in his hand, and drawing