'The peasants living in the neighjpourhood have a further tale of their Jown, and old men who were present, Jat the scene and with whom I my~ self ave spoken, confirm the story ju all'its details,' According to their. Jaccount, when the pit was being dus round the roots, a mass of long black snakes came wriggling forth out of the hole and made off in a south-Jwesterly direction. These snakes, they aver, afterwards tumed into ibexers, and thus avenged the [sacrilegious deed committed by the Empress-Dowager, 'Nor could there be any doubt about this, For did not the Boxers originally Jeome from the southwest? And did not their activities bring down the greatest (tribulation on the head of the all-powerful Empress-Downger Inerselt?' Not to mention the fact, that one of the first to be beheaded for his complicity in the Boxer movement was that -very same Ying. Nien, who had first put the idea into, the Empress-Dowager's head.
"The felling of this ginko tree is a historical fact, and a huge piece of, the sawn-up trunk can still be seen lying on the spot to this day. But! Jeven if it be permissible to doubt the irt_about the transformation of the snakes, the story as a whole is at. Jany vote an excellent allegory. For it was the Empress-Dowager who by. her superstitious folly brought about [the disasters of the Boxer year and thereby Laid the axe to the roots of the Manchu Dynasty, while the Emperor stood helplessly by.
Royal Superstition The attention of the _Empress-Dowager was first drawn to this tree by a certain Manchu official of her Court, Ying Nien by name. Trading, on his mistress's superstitious dis position, he tried to. ingratiate himself with her by telling her that this tree was the real cause why the direct succession to the throne had not remained in her family. Accord~ ing to the—soothsayers, so he told her, this ginko tree Was draining away from her family all the Feng shut (good luck) into the "Chun branch of the Manchu house. To put an end to that, she ought to-out down the tree, when the succession would revert once more to her own branch, This suggestion made such a deep impression on the superstitions mind of the old lady that she could never yet the tree out of her head! again, Her heart was set on cutting it down, But as it would be scarcely recent if she herself were to suggest eteerating her brother-in-Law's tomb, in this way, she made certain Court 'oMelals approach the Emperor on the Subject, "At the very mention of stich sacrilege the Emperor flew into violent rage. "Don't any of you slare to touch that tree dig rather than give my permission, And he even ventured to reproach his aunt herself for harbouring such Intentions. For months the tree remained a subject of constant dispute hhetween them. The more obstinate the Emperor showed himself, the greater her anxiety to have the tree cut down, Finally she lost patience fund (ook matters into her own hands, Early one fine stimmer morning in 1806, when she was in residence at the Summer Palace, the Empress-Dowaxer suddenly ordered out her sedan-chair with its eight bearers and proceeded to Prince Chun's tomb, On Feaching the spot she found 60° carpenters assembled, ready for the evil Work, and also a string of camels with loads of Hime. Wit hands the Bmpress-Dowager the first strokes of the axe. short time the giant tree was felled.
With sich secrecy hail the Empress surrounded hier movements, that it was several hours before the Em~ peror learnt through a confidential eunuch of her departure and the rection that she had taken, Full of foreboding, he, 100, ordered out his chair and hastened after hier, Too late! For when he came to the top of a rise from where the tree had hitherto been always visible, It was. hho longer to be seen. By the time he reached the scene, the Empress-Dowayer hod already' toft, and the workmen were busy putting the rushing touches to their work destruction. Some were sawing up the mighty trunk, and stripping the branches, while oihers were digging rear pit round the roots, which her special orders was being Aled with lime, so as to prevent the tree from ever sprouting again. After prostrating himself before the tomb
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.