Jui, and Liu Kuang-ti, we immediately ordered to be arrested and
imprisoned by the Board of Punishments: but fearing that if any
delay ensued in sentencing them they would endeavour to entangle
a number of others, we accordingly commanded yesterday (September
28th) their immediate execution, so as to close the matter
entirely and prevent further troubles."

This with the execution of one or two other officials is the
greatest crime that can be laid at the door of the Empress
Dowager--great enough in all conscience--yet not to be compared
to those of "good Queen Bess."

We now come to what is said to have been a secret edict issued by
the Empress Dowager to her viceroys, governors, Tartar generals
and the commanders-in-chief of the provinces, dated November 21,
1899. And this I regard as one of the greatest and most daring
things that great woman ever undertook.

After the Empress Dowager had taken the throne, Italy, following
the example set by the other powers, demanded the cession of
Sanmen Bay in the province of Chekiang. But she found a different
ruler on the throne, and to her great surprise, as well as that
of every one else, China returned a stubborn refusal. Moreover,
she began to prepare to resist the demand, and it soon became
evident that to obtain it, Italy must go to war. This she had not
the stomach for and so the demand was withdrawn. This explanation
will go far towards helping us to understand the following secret
edict of November 21st, to which I have already referred.

"Our empire is now labouring under great difficulties which are