f importance to know which is the true one. Let us examine
both sincerely and attentively; if yours is the best, we will
adopt it; how could we refuse to do so? If, on the other hand,
ours is the best, I suppose that you will be rational enough to
follow it."

Of course, the tolerant Regent thought that he was not promising much;
and, as usual on such occasions, each party made sure of converting the
other. Still, one sees so many people who defend what they are convinced
is the truth with as little temper and good faith as though they were
maintaining what they know to be a falsehood, that we must allow that he
had some merit. The controversy then began; the Regent, with great
courtesy, allowing the Christians, as his guests, to expound their
doctrine first. But our controversialists soon found out what so many
other disputants would do well to remember--viz., that in order to give
or receive a clear definition, it is essential that both antagonists
should be agreed as to the value of its terms. The argument was carried
on in Chinese, and neither M. Huc nor M. Gabet were sufficiently
conversant with the language to be able to convey metaphysical ideas by
its means. The truth-seeking Regent, therefore, proposed that the
theological conversations should be suspended until his adversaries
should have learned the language of Thibet; and he himself furnished
them with a master.

Ki-Chan, on his part, was equally curious, but on other matters:

During the short period of our prosperity at Lha-Ssa, we had
some familiar intercourse with the Chinese ambassador, Ki-Chan.
He sent for us two or three times, to talk politics, or to use
the Chinese expression, to speak "idle words." He talked much
of the English, and of Queen Victoria. "It seems," said he,
"that she is a woman of great understanding; but her husband,
in my opinion, plays a very foolish part. She does not let him
meddle with any thing. She has had magnificent gardens laid out
for him, with fruit-trees and all kinds of flowers; and there
he is always shut up, and spends his life in walking about....
They say there are other countries in Europe where women
govern--is it true? Are their husbands also shut up in gardens?
Is that, too, the custom in France?" "No; in France the women
are in the gardens, and the men direct public affairs." "That's
right--any other plan produces