Ch'ang-gan; but as the business which he had in hand was important, he
went south to the Capital; and at an interview with the masters there
exhibited the Sutras and the collection of the Vinaya which he had
procured.

After Fa-hien set out from Ch'ang-gan, it took him six years to reach
Central India; stoppages there extended over six years; and on his
return it took him three years to reach Ts'ing-chow. The countries
through which he passed were a few under thirty. From the sandy desert
westwards on to India, the beauty of the dignified demeanor of the
monkhood and of the transforming influence of the Law was beyond the
power of language fully to describe; and reflecting how our masters had
not heard any complete account of them, he therefore went on without
regarding his own poor life, or the dangers to be encountered on the sea
upon his return, thus incurring hardships and difficulties in a double
form. He was fortunate enough, through the dread power of the three
Honored Ones, to receive help and protection in his perils; and
therefore he wrote out an account of his experiences, that worthy
readers might share with him in what he had heard and said.

[Footnote 1: What these vegetables exactly were it is difficult to say;
and there are different readings of the characters for kwoh, brings the
two names together in a phrase, but the rendering of it is simply "a
soup of simples."]

[Footnote 2: It is likely that these men were really hunters; and, when
brought before Fa-hien, because he was a Sramana, they thought they
would please him by saying they were disciples of Buddha. But what had
disciples of Buddha to do with hunting and taking life? They were caught
in their own trap, and said they were looking for peaches.]

~THE SORROWS OF HAN~

[Translated into English by John Francis Davis]

INTRODUCTION

"The Sorrows of Han" is considered by Chinese scholars to be one of the
largest tragedies in the whole range of the Chinese drama, which is very
voluminous. Although, properly speaking, there are no theatres in China,
the Chinese are passionately fond of dramatic representations. Chinese
acting is much admired and praised by travellers who are competent to
follow the dialogue. The stage is generally a temporary erection
improvised in a market-place, and the stage arrangements are of the most
primitive character; no scenery is employed, and the actors introduce
themselves in a sort of prologu