an, and while it was preparing fent two Ilaves for fhoveis 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 eafy 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 break fafting, the waterman took his leave. Ouang fent away his fervants, and went into his wife's apartment to bewail their misfortene. Is it pollible, cried he, that a man of my profeilion, and of fo ancient a family, hbuld be reduced to fubmit to a wretch to whom, upon any other occafion, I fhould not condefcend to fpeak? At thefe words he shed 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; compofe yourfelf 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 himfelf to trade.

The common laying is true, that misfortunes ride poft, and fuccced one another : The daughter of Onang whom I mentioned before, entered on her third year, when fhe was attacked with the fmall pox of a malignant fort; they prayed heartily for their only daughter, and procured the best physicians to come to her allittance: the parents fpent days together, weeping by her bedfide at length they learnt that there was a phyfician in the city called Siu, great ly experienced in thefe diftempers, and who had faved a great number of children that were given over. Ouang wrote a very preffing letter, and gave it to Hou the Tiger, his flave, charging him to make all poflible hafle; but Hou did not return home till Dxt day at noon. The flave ftopt at a public henfe, where he got drunk, and returning home told his mafter the phyfician was not at home, and that he waited for him all day to no purpose; which greatly asginemed the father's grief. Some days t' ereafter the father difcovered the trick by meats of fome of the domestics. At this news, Quang being tranfported with anger, called the reft of his flaves: Be quick, faid he, take this rafcal, and lay him on the ground, and give him fifty hearty blows with a bartoon, and be fure to lay them Bandfonely on. When the correction was over he withdrew, full of grief, into his apartment. The flave got up with great

difficulty, greatly bruifed with the strokes he had received, and crawled to his room as well as he could. There, full of rage, and debating with himself like a madman; Cruel maker, faid he, you fhail pay dear for your brutality. I'll be revenged for this. Then, after he had confidered a moment, I need not go far, fays he, to feck for an opportunity, it is near at hand, and I will not let it flip; as foon as my wounds are healed, you fhall know what I can do, I shall teach you, according to the old proverb, Whether it is the bucket hung by the rope that goes down into the well, or whether it is the water out of the well falls into the bucket.

As Ouang was walking in his gallery, one day, he obferved a company of officers enter. who put a cord about his neck, and carried him away to the Mandarin. In vain did he plead he was one of the learned, and deferved better treatment. When he came to the tribunal, he perceived his flave was become his accufer, and immediately conjecured it proceeded from revenge. The Mandarin accefted him thus, You are acrufed of having killed a merchant of Houtcheou; what do you fay to the accufation? Sir, replied Ovang, you are the reprefentative of righteous heaven, do not liften to the calunnies of this wretch. My accufer is one of my flaves whom I catched in a fault, and for which I feverely corrected him, and in revenge he has formed a defign to ruin

me.

Hou the tiger, thiking his forehead against the ground, Sir, as you act in heaven's tead, I conjure you not to regard what this learned perion has faid, who has an excellent talent at counterfeiting. It is cafy to clear up this matter; fearch, and you will find the bones of the murdered perfon in his fepulchre.

The Mandarin gave orders to fearch 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, "why did not my accufer appear against me "fooner? He has procured this fkeleton to "fix the calumny upon me." But Houreplied, “It is true, this perfon was killed long

ago, and I have connived at it too long.

I hoped my mafter would have corre& d "his paffionate temper, but he is growing "every day more brutal, and I was afraid I "fhould have at lait shared the fame fate : "But let his fervants and neighbours be "fent for, and they will teftify concerning "this affair." They were accordingly ordered to appear, and they declared, that about a year ago, Quang beat a dealer in ginger till he fainted away, but he came to humfelf again, and we know not what hape pened afterwards. This fruck Quang fo, that he contradicted himfelt in his exuinina

tion, and he was ordered to be bastinadoed. 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 impreflion upon Quang, whofe conftitution was tender and delicate, that he made no feruple of confefling whatever they pleased. 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 juice, your execution fhall be delayed for fome timeQuang 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 she came to herself, the made the neighbourhood echo with her cries. Her grief being fomewhat abated, the dreffed herself in another habit, and fet forward, with what filver she could command, with one of her flaves following her; fhe crofled the city, and came to the gate of the prifon, where obtaining entrance, he 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 Quang led this folitary life in a dungeon, which produced a diftemper that was likely to baffle all the phyficians art; and which filled his Lady's heart with grief. While fhe was wholly taken up with the diftrefs and melancholy fituation of her husband, the fervants in the lower part of the bouse saw a man, advanced in vears, enter, carrying a prefent, and afking for the master of the house. When they had looked at him a little, they ran all off crying, "A ghost! A ghoft!" The stranger took hold of one of them by the arm as he was running off, and faid, "Are you all mad, why do you miftake me for an apparition?" The lady, hearing the noise, came haftily out to fee what was the matter. The good old man advanced, and made her obeisance, faying, you have doubtless forgot the old man of Houttcheou 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 stuff. 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 mafter's deftruction! The Lady Lieou filenced the fervant, and addreffing herself to the franger, faid, "As far as I can comprehend, there is no reafon to believe you have rifen from the dead; but my husband has fufiored greatly on your account.

“The waterman Tcheou-se brought a drad "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 mafter at the tribunal, "and by torture my hufband was obliged "to confefs all, in confequence of which he "was caft into a dungeon where he still "lies."

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At the Lady Lieou's relation, Liu violently beat his breaft. "Ah, madam," faid he, is it poffible there should 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 trufband, 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 likewife 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 ho"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 used for his diabolical purpose; 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, at tended by her flaves, and followed by the old man.

She informed the Mandarin of all that had contributed to her husband's disgrace, and ended with faying, that this was the very dealer in ginger her hufband was accufed of killing The Mandarin having heard 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 asked 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; I "am a merchant of Hou-tcheou, and have "traded in this city for feveral years; I am "known by a great number of perfons→→

"how

f how then can I carry on an impofture? if "that which they have feigned concerning "my death was true, do you think when I "was ready to die, I fhould not have order "ed the waterman to fetch some of my acquaintance to give them a commiflion to "demand juftice? was it likely that I fhould "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 "killed, as has been faid, would they not "have carried my accufation to your tribu"nal? how then comes it to pals, that for "a whole year together no body has appear"ed; and inttead of one of my relations, a "flave fhould 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 co atributed nothing to the "mifery of this unfortunate fcholar, yet as "Jam in fome fort the occasion of his fuffer"ing, 'twas not poflible for me to fee innocence opprefied without emotion; and "this is the only motive that has brought "me to your foot-ftool: give orders, Liveferch you, that enquiry may be made concerning what relates to me, for nothing "can be more eafy." "Since you are known here by many (replied the viandarin) "mention fome, that I may examine." Liu mentioned to the number of ten, whofe names the Mandarin took down, but fixed ou the four lath whom he fent for. When they entered the hall of audience, it was ob Tervable, that as foon as they perceived the old man Liu, they said one to another,→→ "Ah! here is our antient friend Liu, of the "eity of Hou-tcheou; he is not dead then, "as was given out." The Mandarin ordered them to draw nearer, that they might take the better notice of him. "Are our ** eyes inchanted? (added they) no; 'tis he hmfelf: this is the dealer in ginger that "was faid to have been killed by the feho "lar Quang," The Mandarin gave orcers to fome of the officers to inform themselves fecretly where the waterman Tcheou-fe lived, and to amufe him with falle hopes, that he might come directly to the tribunal, without having the leaft fulpicion of the business in hand. As for Hou the Tyger, 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 af. ternoon; 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

all that had paffed. This relation fo trans ported him with joy, that one would have thought the mot fpirituous effence was poured upon his head, or the sweetest dew fallen upon his heart, and the saine moment his diftemper left him "I was chiefly pro"voked (faid he) at the vile flave, whom I "looked upon as a monfter, 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"kednefs to fo great an excefs? If this good "old man had not appeared himself, I fhould "never have known whether I had died for "a real or a fuppofed crime; but at length "the truth is manifeft."

The Lady Licou did not fail to be at the audience with old Lin, whom the had handfomely régaled 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 per fuaded him that their mafter would make a good purchase, fo that he entered the hall of audience with an air of fatisfaction, however the juftice of heaven was on the point of difcovering itself. When he thought leaft of the matter, and was turning his head here and there in a confident manner, he perceived old Lu: 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 thefe words Tchou-fe hung down his head and made no reply, but his counte nance fuddenly appeared like the branch of a tree that is withered by the fan: they introduced at the fame time Hou the Tiger: this wretch, after he had betrayed his mafter, did not return back to his mailer's house, but lodged in another place as if he had cealed to be a flave, and was coming that day to the audience for the fake of diverfion, and to fee what was doing; the offers of the tribunal met him very lockily near the Mandarin's palace. We were looking for you, faid they to him, becaufe to-day fertence is to be paffed on your matter; the relations of the murdered perfon protecnted the caufe, and there is nobody wanting but you, who are the informer, to condemn him to the punishment his crime def rves.--Hou the Tiger, tranfported with joy, followed the officers and knecked down at the foot of the tribunal. When the Mandarin ftw him, Doft thou know that man? said he, pointing to old Liu with his finger. Hou the Tyger, after he had beheld him a little earnelly, was immediately in fuch confafion and aftonishment that he could not speak a word. I be Mandarin perceiving the em barrafiment