n have deteriorated contemptibly
since this one's departure, it is quite impossible for our great
and enlightened Empire to be drawn into a conflict with the northern
barbarians whom you indicate, against our will. When the matter becomes
urgent, doubtless a prince of the Imperial line will loyally suffer
himself to Pass Above, and during the period of ceremonial mourning
for so pure and exalted an official it would indeed be an unseemly
desecration to engage in any public business. If this failed, and an
ultimatum were pressed with truly savage contempt for all that is sacred
and refined, it might be well next to consider the health even of the
sublime Emperor himself (or, perhaps better, that of the select and
ever-present Dowager Empress); but should the barbarians still advance,
and, setting the usages of civilised warfare at defiance, threaten an
engagement in the midst of this unparalleled calamity, there will be no
alternative but to have a formidable rebellion in the Capital. All
the barbarian powers will then assemble as usual, and in the general
involvement none dare move alone, and everything will have to be
regarded as being put back to where it was before. It is well said, "The
broken vessel can never be made whole, but it may be delicately arranged
so that another shall displace it."

These barbarians, less resourceful in device, have only recently emerged
from a conflict into which they do not hesitate to admit they were drawn
despite their protests. Such incompetence is characteristic of their
methods throughout. Not in any way disguising their purpose, they
at once sent out an army of those whom could be the readiest seized,
certainly furnishing them with weapons, charms to use in case of
emergency, and three-coloured standards (their adversaries adopting
a white banner to symbolise the conciliation of their attitude, and
displaying both freely in every extremity), but utterly neglecting to
teach them the arts of painting their bodies with awe-inspiring forms,
of imitating the cries of wild animals as they attacked, of clashing
their weapons together with menacing vigour, or any of the recognised
artifices by which terror may be struck into the ranks of an awaiting
foeman. The result was that which the prudent must have foreseen. The
more accomplished enemy, without exposing themselves to any unnecessary
inconvenience, gained many advantages by their intrepid power of
dissimulation--arranging their garm