43 Prin. Alas! the cruel destruction of our house!-Tching-ing, I indeed. sent for you, and this is the cause: the father of this infant, ere he died, gave him the name of the Orphan of the house of Tchao.-Tching-ing, you belonged to our household; we have always treated you with kindness: - are there no means of withdrawing my child from hence, that he may one day avenge his family?

Tching. I perceive, madam, you are not yet fully aware of your situation. The traitor Tou-ngan-cou knows you have a son, and has placarded all the gates with an order to the effect, that if any one dare to conceal this little orphan, he and all his family shall be put to death. Now, pray, how is he to be concealed or withdrawn from the palace?

Prin. Tching-ing, it is a common saying, when we want speedy relief we resort to our parents; when we are in danger we have recourse to our friends: if you save my son, our house will in him possess an heir. [She falls on her knees.] Tching-ing, have compassion upon me; the three hundred persons massacred by Tou-ngan-cou are centered in this orphan.

Tching. Rise, madam, I entreat you.-If I conceal my young master, and the traitor should happen to know it, he will ask you where your son is; you will say, I gave him to Tching-ing: then I and all my family will be put to death; and how will that preserve your son?

Prin. Then all is over: go, Tehing-ing; be under no apprehension: observe me-behold my tears: - his father died beneath the knife; his mother now follows. [She strangles herself with her girdle.]

Tching. I could not have supposed that the princess would strangle herself as she has done. I dare not stay here an instant. Let me open my medicinebox, and put the young prince into it, and cover him with packets of medicinal herbs. O heaven! have pity upon us; the house of Tchao has perished: this poor orphan alone remains. If I save him, it will yield me happiness, and I shall acquire no little merit. But if I am discovered! then I and all minė must die!-Reflect a little in thine own mind, Tching-ing: if thou desirest to save this orphan, thou must contrive to get out of the clutches of Tou-ngancou; and to hope to accomplish that, is to hope to get beyond heaven and earth. [Exit.

SCENE III.-The exterior of the palace of the Princess,

Enter HAN-QUA, attended by soldiers.

Han. Tou-ngan-cou has ordered me to guard this palace: and for what reason? because the princess has had a son, and he fears it may be carried off. He desires me to take especial care; and if any one attempts to withdraw the child, he and his family are to lose their heads. Well, Tou-ngan-cou, you devote to death, according to your pleasure, the best subjects of the realm; those especially who are the most meritorious.—[To his soldiers.] Be upon your guard, and if any one leaves the palace, let me know it.

Enter TCHING-ING, from the palace.

Han. Seize that fellow with the box of medicines :-who are you?

Tching. I am a poor physician, named Tching-ing.

Han. Whence come you? whither are you going?

Tching. I come from the princess; I have been taking some physic to her. Han. What physic have you been giving her?

Tching. Such as is usually given to ladies in her condition.

Han. What have you got in that box?

Tching. It is full of various medicines.

G 2

Han.

Han. What medicines ?

Tching. Common medicines.

Han. Is there nothing in it besides ?

Tching. No; there is nothing besides.

Han. If that be the case, go your way; begone!-[He calls him back.] Tching-ing! come back !—what have you really got in your box?

Tching. Medicines.

Han. And nothing besides?

Tching. Nothing at all.

Han, Away, then !—[He calls him back again.] There is certainly something concealed in that box: when I say, begone! you fly; but when I desire you to return, you do not advance a step without infinite reluctance. Do you fancy, Tching-ing, that I am deceived? You are of the house of Tchao; I am under the orders of Tou-ngan-cou; it must be that you are carrying away the child. O, Tching-ing! how will you be able to leave this tiger's den? Am I not the second general next to Tou-ngan-cou? Ought I to allow you to pass without interrogation? Tching-ing, I know you are under great obligations to the family of Tchao.

Tching. I avow it: I am sensible of them, and wish to repay them.

Han. You say you wish to repay the benefits you have received; but I fear you will not be able to save yourself.-[To his attendants.] Retire; you need not approach till I call you.

Han. [Opening the box.] O, Tching-ing! you said here was only medicine; but behold a little man!

Tching. [Falling on his knees in terror.] Great sir, do not be angry; let me reveal to you the real state of the case: Tchao-tun was one of the most faithful subjects of the King; Tou-ngan-cou was jealous of him; he wished to destroy him by means of a dog; Tchao-tun escaped, and fled from the palace; his carriage would not proceed; the brave Ling-tcha remembered his obligations to Tchao-tun, and bore him to the mountains; no one knows what has become of him. The King believed the calumnies of Tou-ngan-cou; the son of Tchao was ordered to kill himself; the princess was confined to her palace: she had a son, whom she called the Orphan; mother and child were succourless; the princess confided her offspring to me; I have fallen in with you, sir, and persuaded myself that you would not blame me.-Can you prevail upon yourself to tear away this poor tender sprout, and extinguish his family for ever?

Han. Tching-ing, you cannot but be sensible that if I carried this child to its enemy, the wealth and honours I should obtain would be unlimited; but Han-qua has too much virtue to commit such an act.-Tching-ing, carefully cover up this dear orphan; if Tou-ngan-cou inquires of me where it is, I will answer for you.

Tching. Great sir, I am extremely obliged to you. [He covers up the child, goes, and returns, falling upon his knees.]

Han. Tching-ing, when I desired you to go, it was not my design to betray you; go away quickly.

[Goes, and again returns.] You fear I shall deceive

Tching. A thousand thanks to you, great sir. Han. Why do you retrace your steps so often? you. O, Tching-ing, if you have not the courage to expose your life, why attempt to save that of the orphan? Who imposes the office upon you ?Know that a faithful subject dreads not death; he that fears to die is no faithful subject.

Tching.

Tching. Great sir, if I leave the palace, I shall be pursued and taken, and this poor orphan will be put to death: let me be arrested at once: go, sir, receive your reward; all I wish is to die with the orphan of the house of Tchao.

Han. Tching-ing, you may easily save yourself and the orphan too: but you have no resolution. [Stabs himself.]

Tching. What do I see? Han-qua slain by his own hand! If any of his soldiers should advertise Tou-ngan-cou of this affair, what will become of me and the child? Let me retreat with expedition; I will bend my course, without manifesting alarm, towards the village of Tai-ping, and there consider what further steps are to be taken. [Exit.

ACT II.

SCENE I-Palace of Tou-ngan-cou.

Enter Tou-NGAN-COV, attended by soldiers.

Tou. To ensure our success in an undertaking, we should not be too eager. When I learned that the princess had a son, named the Orphan of Tchao, I sent Han-qua to guard the avenues of the palace, and published an order, that if any person concealed or carried off the orphan, the offender and his whole family should die: this miserable abortion cannot surely escape beyond the sky. Yet I receive no intelligence, which disturbs me.-Let some one inquire without.—

Sold. Sir, there is very bad news.

Tou. Whence, and of what kind?

Sold. The princess has strangled herself with her girdle, and Han-qua has killed himself with a dagger.

Tou. Han-qua destroyed himself! The orphan has surely been carried off! What intelligence is this!-What is to be done!-The only expedient I can think of is, to forge an order of the King, and command that all the children throughout the kingdom, under the age of six months, be brought to my palace, and I will stab them with my own hand.* The orphan will doubtless be of the number, and I shall then be sure of being rid of it.-[To his attendants.] See my will obeyed! Let an order be fixed up, that all those who have sons under six months old, do bring them to me at my palace; and that if any one presume to disobey, he and all his family shall be put to death.—I will destroy all the children in the kingdom of Tsin; the orphan will die, and he shall have no sepulture: though he be made of gold and precious stones, he cannot escape the edge of my sword. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.-The village of Tai-ping.

Enter TCHING-ING, with his box upon his back.

Tching. Tching-ing, what hast thou to fear?-My little master, how dear art thou to me!-Tou-ngan-cou, how I abhor thee !-Scarcely had I got this' little victim beyond the walls, when I learned that Tou-ngan-cou had heard of its escape, and that he has ordered all children under half a year old to be brought to him; and then, without inquiring whether the orphan is amongst them or not, he will dismember them, and cut them into pieces. Where can I conceal it? This is the village of Tai-ping, the retreat of Kong-lun: this old gentleman was one of the friends of Tchao-tun; he has quitted the court, and passes his life calmly in this retreat; he is a man of honour and sincerity; I will lodge my treasure with him. I will go to him directly: I will hang my box *Tou-ngan-cou here literally out-Herods Herod.

box beneath these banyan-trees:-my dear little master, wait here a moment for me; as soon as I have seen Kong-lun, I will return to you. [Exit. SCENE III.-Kong-lun's house.

Enter KONG-LUN and TCHING-ING.

Kong. Tching-ing, what business brings you here?

Tching. Finding that you had secured yourself in this retreat, I have come to pay my respects to you.

Kong. Have all the great officers of the court been well since my retirement from thence?

Tching. Ah! matters are not as when you were in office; Tou-ngan-cou is master, and all is greatly changed.

Kong. The King should be informed then.

Tching. My lord, you well know that villains have always existed: were there not four wicked men in the reigns of Yao and Tchun? [Kong-lun here intimates that he knows what has happened to Tchao-tun.] Heaven, my lord, has good eye-sight :-the house of Tchao is not without an heir.

Kong. All his family, to the number of three hundred persons, has perished; his son has stabbed himself; the princess, his daughter-in-law, has strangled herself;—where is the heir you speak of ?

Tching. My lord, since you know so well what has happened, I shall say no more; yet, I will tell you what, perhaps, you do not know; that the princess, whilst a prisoner in her own palace, brought a son into the world, whom she named the Orphan of the house of Tchao;-now are you ignorant of the heir of whom I speak?-All I fear is, that Tou-ngan-cou should come to know it, and should seize it; for if it once falls into his gripe, he will put it to a cruel death; and then the house of Tchao will be indeed without an heir. Kong. Has any one saved the poor little orphan ?—where is it?

Tching. My lord, you manifest so much compassion for this family, that I can hide nothing from you.-The princess, before her death, entrusted her son to me, conjuring me to take care of him till he was of a proper age to wreak vengeance on the enemy of his house. When I left the palace, with the precious deposit, I found Han-qua at the door; he suffered me to come out, and killed himself in my presence. I fled with the little orphan, and can discover no safer retreat for it than your house. I know, my lord, that you were the intimate friend of Tchao-tun; and I doubt not you will have pity upon his poor grandson, and save his innocent life,

Kong. Where have you left the dear child?
Tching. Beneath the banyan-trees without.

Kong. Fear not; go and bring him in.

Tching. Blessed be heaven and earth !—The little prince was asleep. [Exit. Kong. Tching-ing says that all the hopes of the family of Tchao are vested in this child; I am of opinion, however, that he is the cause of all his house's misfortunes.

TCHING-ING returns.

Tching. My lord, you know not that Tou-ngan-cou, finding the orphan had escaped, wishes to destroy all the children of his age; I thought of concealing the infant with you; thereby I shall acquit myself of my obligations towards his parents, and I shall save the lives of all the little innocents in the kingdom by the following expedient: I am in my forty-fifth year; I have a son of the age of our dear orphan; it shall pass for the little Tchao; you shall go and give information to Tou-ngan-cou, and accuse me of harbouring the orphan,

which he will search for. I and my son will die: you shall raise up the heir of your friend until he is of an age to avenge his parents. What say you to this plan ?-Do you not approve of it?

Kong. What is your age, do you say?
Tching. Forty-five.

Kong. Twenty years must elapse before this orphan can avenge the wrongs of his family. You will then be sixty-five; but I shall be ninety. How could I assist him at that age? O, Tching-ing, since you have the resolution to sacrifice your son, bring him hither, and accuse me to Tou-ngan-cou; tell him that I conceal in my house the orphan he seeks. He will surround the village with troops; I shall die along with your son, and you will rear the orphan of Tchao till he can avenge his whole family. This project is surer than yours: what say you?

Tching. The plan is good enough; but it will cost you too dear. Let my child have the dress of little Tchao; impeach me to the tyrant, and let my son and me die together.

Kong. What I have proposed I resolve on: do not attempt to oppose it. Twenty years hence we shall be revenged. Could I expect to live so long? Tching. My lord, you are vigorous.

Kong. I am not what I have been; but I will do what I can: Tching-ing, follow my advice.

Tching. You lived in tranquillity here, and I have thoughtlessly obtruded this mischief upon you: how I repent it!

Kong. What do you tell me?-A man of seventy, like me, must expect death shortly; of what consequence is it to go a day or two earlier?

Tching. My lord, you have proposed this plan; take heed how you retract : observe well your promise.

Kong. Of what use are promises if they cannot be depended upon.

Tching. If you save the orphan, you will obtain immortal glory. But, my lord, if Tou-ngan-cou arrest you, how will you answer his interrogatories, and endure the torture? You will disclose my name; my son and I are sure to die; I only regret that the heir of Tchao cannot thereby be preserved, and that it is I who have inveigled you into this distressing affair.

Kong. I know that the two houses were irreconcileable. When Tou-ngancou shall arrest me, he will offer me numberless insults: "old rascal, old wretch," will he say," although you knew my orders, you concealed my enemy expressly to effect my ruin." However, fear nothing, Tching-ing; when the hour arrives I will not fail: do you take care of the orphan: it is of little consequence what becomes of an old man like me.

Tehing. Such being the case, then, there is no time to lose: I will soon bring hither my son; it is with joy I substitute him for the orphan: on my side it is a species of justice; the sacrifice of the magnanimous Kong-lun is an act of generosity. [Exeunt.

[To be concluded next month.]

EPIGRAM.

FROM AUDENUS.

To a poor Physician.

You give a patient drugs, he gives a fee,
And thus each cures the other's malady.

LAND