We have reverentially received the edict of H.IM. the Empress Dowager Tze-hsi, ete., ete., announcing to us that the Board of Rites has memorialised upon the subject of the mourning to be observed by us in connection with the recent death of our mother, be given Her Highness, and I call upon othe Beaperoe is but sight that a similar: motion should "7 51 and H.1.ML's commands are as follows:
all assume deep mourning Your Majesty to bestow upon the late wear mourning for one Prine-s the appellation of The Emperor's Mother." Your Majesty is also requested to command the Board of Rites to deliberate upon the ceremonies necessary to be observed in this connection and report the same to the Throne for approval."
(2) We further reverentially _promulgate another edict of H.I.M. the Empress-Dowayer. Tze-hsi, ete, ete., to the following effect:—" H.1 A, the late Princess Ch'un, a Lady of the Yeh-lid-na-la Clan and Mother of the Emperor, was by nature a lady of mild, earnest, harmonious and chaste beloved and respected by ily connections. HLLH. the late Prince Ch'un, Father of the Emperor, in her administration of the domestic economy of his Palace Houseb-id, doing everything in accordance with the rules of propriety. And site always maintained while in life a close and intimate rel: with the inmates of the Inner Palace and myself, The extraordinary distinction and brilliant treatment' accorded to the late Princess in the Palaces was invariably received by her in a modest and unaffected manner, and instead of showing elation Her Imperial Hizhness invariably tried to be more careful in her bearing and conduct. Of Into, however, H.I.8.'s liver complaint had increased, in consequence of which she lost sleep and aprite. I, accompanied by H.I.M. the emperor, paid frequent visits to the Palace of the late Princess to enquire after her health and comfort her in her illness, and, moreover, expended every effort in trying to fight her complaints with the best of medicines, but unfortunately without success, and I am extremely grieved to have to record the fact that the Emperor's Mother died at about eight o'clock on the morning of the 18th of the present month (June). I therefore desire that a To-lo Prayer Coverlet (used to enshroud the corpse) be taken to-day by Your Majesty to be personally presented at the Palace of Your Majesty's Into Mother where Your Majesty is to assume the proper mourning and observe the necessary ceremonies required by Inw. Your Majesty will appoint Ktun Kang, Grand Secretary and Comptroller-General of the Affairs of the Board of Works Huai Ta-pu, President-of the Board of Rites and a' Comptroller-General of the Imperial Household Department; Wen Lin, a Comptroller-General of the Imperial Household Department and Junior Vice-President of the Board of Punishments and Ying Nien, Junior Vice-President of the Board of Works ("li Imperial Clansmen—Trans.), to take charge of the general direction of the funeral ceremonies that should be obs-ryed in this connection. In this way I hope to do what I can for the sake of the clanship which convected her late Highness to us."
(8) Tsui TSing-kuei, Brigadier-General of the Nanyang military circuit, of Honan province, is hereby commanded to resign his post' and come to Peking, when the Boatd of War shall present the said Brigadier-General for an audience.
20th June.
(ie., plain white garments of coarse cotton cloth—Zransiator) for the period of eleven days immediately' following her late Highness's death, and wear final mourning for eleven days (i.e., plain black or grey cotton cloth—Translator). During the period of one year's mourning (with the exception of the above, the mourning apparel may consist of any kind or colour Of fine cotton cloth garments—blue, black. white, or grey with their various shades—Jet, red, crimson and brown colours and silk stuffs being debarred—Translator) leaving aside the Court ceremonies which require the Emperor's presence such as paying visits of obeisance to the Empress-Dowager, sacrificial worship on extraordinary occasions at the temples, transacting State affairs in the palace and granting Imperial audiences, when the Emperor shall wear the usual Court dress, his Maje-ty shall usually occupy the " pri vote" (ie, where full Court ceremonit and dresses are excused) apartments of the Palace and shall wear on these occasions plain light mourning (really unadorned' garments). When it happens that an extraordinary function is to be performed ut sacrificial worship: in the Imperial temples the Emperor.shall proceed to them and worship in person, but on all occasions of ordinary sacrificial worship his Majesty shall be permitted to name substitutes to go in his stead. On the first day of the New Year his Majesty shall wear the full ceremonial costumes required by Court etiquette, when he goes to worship at the Imperial Ancestral Tablets and in like manner when he goes on that day to the Tzoning Palace to pay obeisance to me; but in going through his obeisances there s'all be no music as in ordinary years. When the Emperor goes to the Taipo Throne-hall, or Audience Roum, to receive the New Year obeisances ofthe Court, Ministers, Princes, and nobles, he shall also wear full Court ceremonial yarments but he shall not be required to have read to him the usual congratulatory memorials, while although the Palace musicians shall be required to be present they shall not perfucm on this occasion, When the Mongol Princes, Dukes, and nobles come to Peking to pay their customary loyal obeisance on New Year's day the Emperor shall give them the usual entertainments, but the hanguets usually. given to the members of the Imperial Clan and high ministers of the Court shall be omitted next year. In the funeral orations addressed to the late Princess they shall all bear the name of the Emperor as Chief Mourner. The Board of Rites is commanded to take careful note of the above edict of the Empress-Dowager.
(3) Chieh Ho, Tartar General of Hangchow, capital of Chekiang province, reports that although the leave of absence gear viously granted to him to look after his bodily complaints is about to expire, they have not been healed, and he, therefore, humbly prays us to permit him to resign his post and allow him to return to his Banner Reservation to convalesce, etc. Chieh Ho's prayer is hereby granted and he is permitted to return to Peking. '2Qist June.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.