nything. She laid out
for him a magnificent garden full of fruit-trees and flowers of all
sorts, and there he is always shut up, passing his time walking about.
They say that in Europe there are other countries where women rule. Is
it so? Are their husbands also shut up in gardens? Have you in the
kingdom of France any such usage?" "No, in France the women are in the
gardens, and the men in the state." "That is right, otherwise all is
disorder."

[Picture: Portrait of Ki-Chan]

Ki-Chan inquired about Palmerston; and whether he was still at the head
of foreign affairs. "And Ilu, {192} what has become of him? Do you know
him?" "He was recalled; your fall involved his." "That is a pity. Ilu
had an excellent heart, but he was devoid of prompt resolution. Has he
been put to death or banished?" "Neither the one nor the other. In
Europe they do not proceed to such extremities as you at Peking." "Ay,
truly; your Mandarins are more fortunate than we: your government is
better than ours: our Emperor cannot know everything, and yet he judges
everything, and no one may presume to object. Our Emperor tells us, That
is white; we prostrate ourselves and answer, Yes, that is white; he then
points to the same thing, and says, That is black; we again prostrate
ourselves and reply, Yes, that is black." "But if you were to say that a
thing cannot be at once white and black?" "The Emperor would perhaps say
to a person who exhibited such courage, You are right; but, at the same
time, he would have him strangled or beheaded. Oh, we have not like you
a general assembly of the chiefs (Tchoung-Teou-Y; so Ki-Chan designated
the Chamber of Deputies). If your Emperor wished to act contrary to
justice, your Tchoung-Teou-Y would be there to stop him."

Ki-Chan related to us the strange manner in which the great affair of the
English in 1839 had been managed at Peking. The Emperor convoked the
eight Tchoung-Tang who constituted his privy council, and spoke to them
of the events that had occurred in the south. He told them that some
adventurers from the western seas had manifested themselves rebellious
and insubordinate; that they must be taken and punished severely, in
order to give an example to all who might be tempted to imitate their
misconduct. After thus stating his opinion, the Emperor asked the advice
of his council. The four Mantchou Tchoung-Tang prostrated themselves and
said, "Tche, tche, tche