tate, but, in that case,
his reign will be disturbed, and many misfortunes will ensue. If,
however, his position should only be that of a great personage in the
country, his fortune may be different."

This Udaiben was a clever scholar. He had with the Corean pleasant
conversations, and they also interchanged with one another some
Chinese poems, in one of which the Corean said what great pleasure it
had given him to have seen before his departure, which was now
imminent, a youth of such remarkable promise. The Coreans made some
valuable presents to the Prince, who had also composed a few lines,
and to them, too, many costly gifts were offered from the Imperial
treasures.

In spite of all the precautions which were taken to keep all this
rigidly secret, it did, somehow or other, become known to others, and
among those to the Udaijin, who, not unnaturally, viewed it with
suspicion, and began to entertain doubts of the Emperor's intentions.
The latter, however, acted with great prudence. It must be remembered
that, as yet, he had not even created the boy a Royal Prince. He now
sent for a native physiognomist, who approved of his delay in doing
so, and whose observations to this effect, the Emperor did not receive
unfavorably. He wisely thought to be a Royal Prince, without having
any influential support on the mother's side, would be of no real
advantage to his son. Moreover, his own tenure of power seemed
precarious, and he, therefore, thought it better for his own dynasty,
as well as for the Prince, to keep him in a private station, and to
constitute him an outside supporter of the Royal cause.

And now he took more and more pains with his education in different
branches of learning; and the more the boy studied, the more talent
did he evince--talent almost too great for one destined to remain in a
private station. Nevertheless, as we have said, suspicions would have
been aroused had Royal rank been conferred upon him, and the
astrologists, whom also the Emperor consulted, having expressed their
disapproval of such a measure, the Emperor finally made up his mind to
create a new family. To this family he assigned the name of Gen, and
he made the young Prince the founder of it.[17]

Some time had now elapsed since the death of the Emperor's favorite,
but he was still often haunted by her image. Ladies were introduced
into his presence, in order, if possible, to divert his attention, but
without success.

There was,