the fupporters of the overture, are folicitous for exempting the members of the Church of Scotland from the ope ration of the Test Act, they are particularly cautious not to blend their caufe with the Diffenters in England. THE Artful Villainy brought to HERE was in the dynasty of Ming, in the fmall city Yúngkia, of the district of Ouentcheou, in the province of Tchekiang, a fcholar whofe name was Quang, and firname Kie, and whofe title of honour was Ouenhoa. He had married a lady called Lieou, who alone poffeffed his whole affection; he had no other child but one daughter: thus the whole family confifted of three perfons, befides flaves and domeftics. Though he was not rich, yet he lived in a handfome manner, and study was his whole employment; he had not yet taken a degree, but he was in queft of that honour; and in order to attain it he lived in retirement, conftantly taking up his time with books, and not fufpending his labour on any account, unless now and then to vifit two or three friends, who mutually communicated their productions to each other. As for the lady Licou, fhe was a model of virtue; he was witty, diligent, frugal, and induftrious; and thefe two perfons of fo a ntiable a character lived together in a perfect union. One afternoon, about the latter end of the fpring, in charming weather, a friend or two came to draw him from his books, with a defign to take a walk in the fields. Quang, invited by the sweetness of the feafon, was willing to take a little diverfion, and he and his company went and regaled themfelves, drank feveral bumpers, and fo parted. Ouang coming near his own houfe, found two fervants at the door, who were in a great pallion with a man in the street: this latter lived at Hou-tcheou, and was called Liu; he had a basket in his hand full of ginger, which he fold: the fervants pretended he had made them pay too dear for the quantity he had given them: the deal er, on the other hand, faid they would wrong him, if they with-held a fingle mite. Quang having learned the cause of the difference, turned towards the dealer, and faid, You are very well paid; go about your bufinefs, and don't make fuch a noife at my door." The dealer, who was a plain honeft man, replied with his ufual freedom, "It is not poffible for us fmall traders to bear the leaft lofs; and it is very ill done in you, who ought to have a great and generous foul, to be fo hard with us poor people." Quang, who was a little heated with wine, Hh VOL. XIV. No. 81. Light: a Chinese Tale. fell into a great paffion at thefe words. "You rascal you," faid he to him, "how dare you talk to me in this manner ?” Upon this, without confidering he was a man in years, he gave him a hearty push, and threw him down: the fall was violent, infomuch that the poor wretch lay without fense or motion. To fay the truth, ont ought never to be in a paffion, efpecially with people who get their livelihood by dealing in trifles: a mite or two can never be worth hagling about; and yet it is very common to fee fervants fheltering themfelves under their masters, who are often brought into trouble by that means; but prudent perfons give fuch ftrict orders, that all inconvenienciesof this kind are prevented. It is very certain, Ouang fhould have been more moderate; for want of this, he committed a great fault, and he was feverely punished for it, as will appear hereafter. As foon as ever he saw the ftranger fall at his feet without motion, and almoft without life, he was feized with extreme dread, which foon diffipated the fumes of wine: he went to his affiftance, and cried out for help; they carried the man half dead into the hall as he yet difcovered no fign of life, they poured into him a little hot tea, which recovered him from the fwoon. Then Ouang afked his pardon, and treated him with excellent wine, giving him fome thing to eat, to renew his ftrength; after which he made him a prefent of a piece of stuff to make money of. This good treatment foon turned his refentment into joy, which he teftified by a thousand thanks; after which he took his leave, and he made the best of his way to the side of a river, which it was neceffary to pafs before it was dark. If Ouang could poffibly have forefeen what would happen, he would have urged the ftranger to a longer stay, and maintained him for the two following months: this hofpitality would have prevented the croffes which he afterwards met with his conduct may afford a good leffon, which is expreffed in this proverb, We throw a golden net with both hands, and catch a hundred misfortunes. Ouang no fooner faw that he was gone, but he entered into the inner part of his house, and rejoiced with his wife that he was fo foon got rid of so troublefome an affair: as it was night, the Lady Liebu Called her flaves, and ordered them. them to ferve in fupper: fhe began with giving her husband a draught of hot wine to recover him from his fright; he had already regained his fpirits, and his heart was at reft, when he heard a fudden knocking at the door. He was feized with a new cread, and taking a lamp, went haftily to fee what was the matter; he found a man called Tcheou-fe, mafter of the ferry-boat by which they croffed the river; he had in his hand a piece of ftuff, and the merchant's basket. As foon as he perceived Quang, he faid with a wild look, What a dreadful affair you have fallen into! you are abfolutely loft. What! a fcholar like you to kill a poor trader! This was like a clap of thunder to the unfortunate Ouang: what is it that you fay, replied he trembling? Don't you know what I mean, antwered Fcheou-fe? I fup pofe you know this stuff and this, bakket, Yes, I do, faid he ; a dealer in ginger belong ing to Hou-tcheou, came to my houfe, and had this piece of stuff of me today, and this basket in which he carried his ginger, How did they fall into your hands? It was almost night, faid Tcheou-fe, wher a man of Hou-tcheo, called Liu, wanted a paffage in my boat; he was hardly got in before he complained of a violent pain in his breaft, which reduced him to the last extremity; then telling me it was the effect of blows which you gave him, he put the basket and ftuff into my hands: thefe will be a proof when you profecute this affair, which I conjure you to do: for this reafon, go to Hou-tcheou as foon as you can to acquaint my relations, and pray them to revenge my caufe with the life of him who deprived me of mine when thofe words were end ed he expired; his body is ftill in the boat, which I have brought into your port at the entrance of the river you may examine into the affair yourself, and fo take proper mcafures for your fafety, At this relation Quang was fo full of terror he could not fpeak one word, his heart was agitated like that of a lawn who is hemmed in on all fides, and feeks on all fides a paffage to efcape by. At length coming to himself, he endeavoured to diffemble the confufion he was in: what you relate, faid he boldly, cannot poflibly be: however he ordered a fervant to go privately to the bark, and examine if what he had faid was true: the fervant returned very speedily, and affured him that the dead body was certainly there. Ouang was a man of an irrefolute mind, and could not fee very far into tranf actions; he goes back into the houfe, aimoft out of his wits, and told his wife what he had just heard: It is quite over with me, cried he, I am a loft man, the form is ready to burft over my head, nor do I know any remedy for my misfortune, unless I can bribe the waterman to conceal > *་ the body in fome place or other while it continues dark. Upon this he takes a purfe of filver, amounting to about twenty taels, and returning haftily to the waterman, Mafter, faid he, I hope you will keep the fecret, and I will intruft you with the whole affair: I must own I had a hand in this unfortunate business, but more thro' imprudence than malice: we are both natives of Ouentcheou, and I flatter my felf that you will ufe me like a fellow citizen: would you ruin me for the love of a ftranger; what advantage can you gain by it? is not it better to huih up this affair? if you will, my acknowledgment fhall be proportionable to the benefit received from you; take then the corpfe, and throw it into fome by-place; the darkness of the night favours our defign without its coming to the knowledge of any perfon whatever. What place can I chufe, replied the water-man? if by chance any fhould discover the mystery to-morrow, and there should be a fearch for the criminal, they will look upon me as an accomplice in the murder, and by doing you fervice I fhall equally involve myfelf in this troublefome affair. You know very well, faid Ouaug, the fepulchre of my father is very near; and is a place not at all frequented; befides, the night is very dark, and there is no fear of meeting one foul by the way'; be then fo kind as to fetch the carcafe front your boat. This is a likely method, replied the waterman, but what will you pay me for the fervice? Then Ouang took the purfe and gave it to the waterman, whơ, finding by the weight that it was not very confiderable, How! faid he, with a fcornful-air, here is a murder in the cafe; and you think to get out of the fcrape for fo fmall a fum: It was my good fortune that conducted this man to my boat; heaven has given me an opportunity of changing my condition for a better, and you would put me off with fo little; this bufinefs is worth at least a hundred taels. Ouang, who was very eager to get rid of the danger as foon as poffible, durft not contradict him; he fignified by a nod that he accepted the condition, and immediately went into the houfe, where he haftily took the remainder of his filver, together with ha bits, his wife's jewels, and fuch like things, and returned fpeedily to offer all to Tcheoufe, telling him that what he brought a mounted to about fixty taels, which was all that his circunstances would permit him to give, and he befought him to be contented therewith. In effect Tcheou-fe feemed to be mollified; I will not, faid he, over-rate the misfortune, but as you are a man of letters, I hope hereafter you will have a regard for me. Ouang began to be revived from this moment, and became a little cafy: he got a collation for the water man, man, and while it was preparing fent two flaves for fhovels and mattocks; the name of one of the two was Hou; he was a brutal fellow, for which reafon he had the furname of Hou the Tiger. The company fet out foon after; and when they were come over against the fepulchre, they chofe a place that was foft and easy to dig, where they made a grave and buried the carcafe; after which they returned to the houfe. However, this labour took up the greatest part of the night, and the day begun to break before they came home: after breakfafting, the waterman took his leave. Ouang fent away his fervants, and went into his wife's apartment to hewail their misfortune. Is it poffible, cried he, that a man of my profeffion, and of fo ancient a family, fhould be reduced to fubmit to a wretch to whom, upon any other occafion, I fhould not condefcend to speak? At thefe words he fhed a flood of tears. His wife endeavoured to mitigate his forrow, faying, Inftead of murmuring as you do, praise heaven that has protected you in this misfortune; compose yourself for reft as well as you can, for you have need of it after the troubles and fatigues of the night. Ouang followed her advice, and went to bed. As for the waterman, he fold his boat, and with the money the fcholar had given him opened a fhop, and applied himself to trade. 7 difficulty, greatly bruifed with the strokes As Ouang was walking in his gallery, The Mandarin gave orders to search the fepulchre, and the bones were found. The crime is plain, fays the Mandarin, and was going to put Quang to the torture, when he made this defence: "It is plain thefe are "the bones of a perfon murdered long ago, The common faying is true, that mis- "dered to appear, and they declared, that a- Hh 2 tion, tion, and he was ordered to be baftinadoed. Immediately two lufty fellows belonging to the Tribunal feized the scholar, threw him down, and laid on him twenty ftrokes of the battoon, This had fuch an impreffion upon Ouang, whofe conftitution was tender and delicate, that he made no fcruple of confeffing whatever they pleafed. The Mandarin faid, It is no longer a doubt that you deferve to die, yet as no friends of the murdered perfon appear to demand juftice, your execution fhall be delayed for fome time.Quang was conducted into a dungeon, and the flaves, returning home, acquainted their Lady with all the tranfactions. She fainted away for fome time, and when fhe came to herfeif, fhe made the neighbourhood echo. with her cries. Her grief being fomewhat abated, the dreffed herself in another habit, and fet forward with what filver fhe could command, with one of her flaves following her; the croffed the city, and came to the gate of the prifon, where obtaining entrance, fhe gave her husband the money to diftribute to the jailor and keepers, that they might treat him with more mildness during his confinement. For fix months Ouang led this folitary life in a dungeon, which pro duced a distemper that was likely to baffle all the phyficians art; and which filled his Lady's heart with grief. While he was wholly taken up with the diftrefs and melancholy fituation of her husband, the fervants in the lower part of the boufe faw a man, advanced in years, enter, carrying a prefent, and afking for the mafter of the houfe. When they had looked at him a little, they ran all off crying, "A ghost! A ghoft!" The ftranger took hold of one of them by the arm as he was running off, and faid, "Are you all inad, why do you miftake me for an apparition ?" The lady, hearing the noife, came haftily out to see what was the matter. The good old man advanced, and made her obeifance, faying, you have doubtlefs forgot the old man of Hoitcheou called Liu, who dealt in ginger 'tis I myself, and I fhall always have a grateful remembrance of your husband's entertainment, and the prefent he made me of a piece of ftuff. I have now brought fome trifles from my own country, that I take the liberty to make you a prefent of. I cannot comprehend what could induce your people to take me for an apparition? One of the domeftics who lay fnug in a corner called out, "Madam, take heed what you do, for he has certainly affumed this fantastic body to embroil your affairs, and complete my master's destruction! The Lady Lieou filenced the fervant, and addreffing herself to the ftranger, faid, "As far as I can comprehend, there is no reason to believe you have rifen from the dead; but my husband has suffered greatly on your account. "The waterman Tcheou-fe brought a dead "body to our door, and produced the basket " and the piece of ftuff that we gave you faying, that you had delivered it to him "as a proof you was killed by my husband. "We prevailed on him by money to conceal "it, and he affifted in burying the dead bo"dy. But about a year thereafter, Hou in"formed against his master at the tribunal, "and by torture my husband was obliged "to confefs all, in confequence of which he "was caft into a dungeon where he still "lies." At the Lady Lieou's relation, Liu violently beat his breaft. "Ah, madam," said, he," is it poffible there fhould be a man "under heaven capable of fo black an ac «tion. When I left you last year, I went directly to the bark to cross the river."The waterman feeing the piece of stuff in my hands, demanded where I had it. Having no fufpicion of his villainous defign, I informed him, that being thrown "down by your hufband, and lain fome. "time fenfelefs, I was afterwards kindly en"tertained, and received the piece of stuff "as a prefent. He defired me to fell it to "him, which I did; he defired likewise my bamboo basket, which I gave him for my paffage, but could any one have gueffed the horrid villainy intended?" My good friend," replied the Lady," I could "not be certain before I fpoke to you, that the accufation against my husband was a forgery; but where had he the dead bo 66 dy?" Liu, having confidered a moment, faid, "I now recollect, that while I was in "the boat, I faw a dead body float near the bank of the river; which I fuppofe he "has ufed for his diabolical purpofe; but " in this affair there is no time to lofe."-The Lady took the prefent, ordered dinner, and fet out for the Mandarin's palace, attended by her flaves, and followed by the "old man. She informed the Mandarin of all that had contributed to her husband's difgrace, and ended with saying, that this was the very dealer in ginger her husband was accufed of killing. The Mandarin having beard her attentively, made Liu draw near in his turn to be examined, Liu related the beginning and end of the difpute in which he was hurt by the fall: he explained the manner in which he was prevailed upon to fell the piece of stuff, and gave entire fatisfaction to all the questions that were afked him. "But (faid the Mandarin) has not "this woman prevailed upon you by money "to give this evidence ?" Liu, ftriking his forehead against the ground, immediately replied," Such a trick is impracticable; am a merchant of Hou-tcheou, and have "traded in this city for several years; I am “known by a great number of persons ;— "haw quaintance to give them a commiffion to "demand juftice? was it likely that I should give this charge to a perfon unknown ?— "but if I had been really dead, would none "of my relations at Hou-tcheou, when they "found I was a long while abfent, come and "make an enquiry after me? If I had been all that had paffed. This relation so trans ported him with joy, that one would have thought the most spirituous effence was poured upon his head, or the fweetest dew fallen upon his heart, and the fame moment his diftemper left him. "I was chiefly pro"voked (laid he) at the vile, flave, whom Į "looked upon as a monter, and did not be"lieve there was a more wicked man to be "found; but the villainy of the waterman far exceeds his: is it poffible to carry wic kedness to fo great an excefs? If this good "old man had not appeared himself, I should "never have known whether I had died for a real or a fuppofed crime; but at length the truth is manifeft." killed, as has been faid, would they not "have carried my accufation to your tribu "nal? how then comes it to pass, that for "a whole year together no body has appear" "ed; and instead of one of my relations, a "flave should take upon him to accufe his "mafter? I returned to the city but this ❝day, and therefore could be informed no "fooner of this horrid fcandal: in fhort, "though I have contributed nothing to the "mifery of this unfortunate scholar, yet as "I am in fome fort the occafion of his fuffer ❝ingwas not poffible for me to fee innocence oppreffed without emotion; and "this is the only motive that has brought "me to your foot-flool; give orders, I be feech you, that enquiry may be made con"cerning what relates to me, for nothing " can be more eafy." "Since you are known "here by many. (replied the Mandarin). ❝ mention fome, that I may examine." Liu mentioned to the number of ten, whofe names the Mandarin took down, but fixed on the four laft whom he fent for. When they entered the hall of audience, it was ob fervable, that as foon as they perceived the old man Liu, they faid one to another,→→→→→ "Ah! here is our antient friend Liu, of the "city of Hou-tcheou; he is not dead then, "as was given out. The Mandarin order ed them to draw nearer, that they might take the better notice of him. "Are our The Lady Licou did not fail to be at the audience with old Liu, whom she had handfomely regaled at her own houfe: they had by cunning prevailed upon Tcheou-fe to be there, who, after he had quitted his boat, opened a fhop, and was become a ftuff-merchant; the officers of the tribunal had perfuaded him that their mafter would make a good purchafe, fo that he entered the hall of audience with an air of fatisfaction, however the juftice of heaven was on the point of difcovering itfelf. When he thought leaft of the matter, and was turning his head here and there in a confident manner, he perceived old Lin: in an inftant, by an emotion of his mind which he could not com mand, his ears became as blood: old Liu called to him with a loud voice, Well, Mr Boatman, how have you done fince the day that I fold you the piece of stuff and the bamboo basket? has the traffic been lucky? At these words Tchcou-fe hung down his, head and made no reply, but his countepance fuddenly appeared like the branch of a tree that is withered by the fun : they introduced at the fame time Hou the Tiger: this wretch, after he had betrayed his mater did not return back to his master's houfe, eyes inchanted? (added they) no; 'tis he but lodged in another place as if he had "himfelf: this is the dealer in ginger that ceafed to be a lave, and was coming that મંદ was faid to have been killed by the fcho- day to the audience for the fake of diverfion, "lar Quang." The Mandarin gave orders and to fue what was doing; the officers of to fome of the officers to inform themselves the tribunal met him very luckily near the fecretly where the waterman Tcheou-fe Mandarin's palace. We were looking for lived, and to amufe him with falfe hopes, you, faid they to him, because to-day fenthat he might come directly to the tribu- tence is to be paffed on your mafter; the nal, without having the leaft fu picion of relations of the murdered perfon profecut the bufinefs in hand. As for Hou the Ty-ed the caufe, and there is nobody wanting ger, who had given in the accufation, as he had a perfon bound for him, he was cafy to be found: the order was given that they fhould both be brought into court in the afternoon; the officers replied with a fhout that teftified how readily they obeyed, and feparated immediately to go to different parts of the city. In the mean time the Lady Licou, who had orders to be there with old Liu at the fame hour, went to the prifon, where the informed her husband of but you, who are the informer, to condemn him to the punishment his crime deferves.— Hou the Tiger, tranfported with joy, followed the officers and kneeled down at the foot of the tribunal. When the Mandarin faw him, Doft thou know that man? faid he, pointing to old Liu with his finger. Hou the Tyger, after he had beheld him a little earnestly, was immediately in fuch confufion and aftonishment that he could not speak a word. The Mandarin perceiving the em barrafimient |