ut receiving the sealing ordinance,
or taking his instructor into confidence, Siu-tsuen returned to his
home at Hwa-hien and began to propagate his new creed. His talents
and zeal won adherents, whom he organised into a society called
_Shang-ti-hwui_, "the Church of the supreme God." Persecution
transformed it into a political party, to which multitudes were
attracted by a variety of motives.

Following the early Church, in the absence of any modern model, his
converts expected and received spiritual gifts. Shall we describe
such manifestations as hysteria, hypnotism, or hypocrisy? Their
fanaticism was contagious, especially after their flight to the
mountains of Kwangsi. There Siu-tsuen boldly raised the flag of
rebellion and proclaimed that he had a divine call to restore the
throne to the Chinese race, and to deliver the people from the curse
of idolatry. In this twofold crusade he was ably seconded by one
Yang, who possessed all the qualities of a successful hierophant.
Shrewd and calculating, Yang was able
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at will to bring on cataleptic fits, during which his utterances
passed for the words of the Holy Ghost.

The new empire which they were trying to establish, they called
_Tai-ping Tien-kwoh_, "The Kingdom of Heaven and the reign
of peace." Hung was emperor, to be saluted with _Wansue!_
(Japanese, _Banzai!_) "10,000 years!" Yang as prince-premier
was saluted with "9,000 years," nine-tenths of a banzai. He was
the medium of communication with the Court of Heaven; and all their
greater movements were made by command of Shang-ti, the Supreme
Ruler.

On one occasion Yang went into a trance and declared that Shang-ti
was displeased by something done by his chief, and required the
latter to receive a castigation on his naked shoulders. The chief
submitted, whether from credulity or from policy it might not be
easy to say; but thereby the faith of his followers seems to have
been confirmed rather than shaken. Nor did Yang take advantage
of his chief's disgrace to usurp his place or to treat him as a
puppet.

Through Yang it was revealed that they were to leave their mountain
fortress and strike for Nanking, which had been made the capital on
the expulsion of the Mongols, and which was destined to enjoy the
same dignity on the overthrow of the Manchus. That programme, one of
unexampled daring, was promptly put into execution. Descending into
the plains of Hunan, like a mountain torrent they swept everyt