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History of the Southern Sung Dynasty,
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ART. II. Năn Sung Chi-chuen, or History of the Southern Sung dynasty. 5 volumes, small octavo. Reviewed by a Corres- pondent.
At the beginning of the tenth century, there lived a man called Kiáu Likí, who begat a son, whom he called Kingtáng, and who as he grew up displayed a great fondness for military exercises. When ten years old, happening to be with his elder brother on a hunting party, they both saw a goose, at which each shot an arrow; and having brought it down, began to quarrel about its possession, and soon came to blows. Kingtảng, not daring to return to his father, as he considered himself the guilty party, ran away. He had not wan- dered far, when he saw a temple dedicated to Yu, where he offered his prayers; a man there, looking upon the stripling, had compassion upon him, and took him into his service, sending hini to the field to tend his sheep.
Here he amused himself by drilling his charge regularly. On a certain day there came a wolf and took away a sheep, but Kingtang jumped on the back of the beast, and rescued the prey. This attracted the notice of his master, who asked him, why did he not learn military exercises. King assured him, that he was well versed in the art. A number of lads were soon assembled in order to hold a shain fight. Being victorious, he roused the envy of a powerful family, whose son he had shot through the eye. His master, therefore, directed him to steal a horse and run away, and having given a sum of money to the adventurer, he bade him good luck. Kingtáng entered into the ariny, where he was soon at home. In various engagements he was the foremost, and exposed himself to every dan-
ger.
Once his chief stumbled upon his horse in the midst of battle, but Kingtáng assisted him to remount, and protected his life in the thickest of the fight. The general was grateful for this proof of his attachment, and gave him his daughter to wife. The name of this leader was Sz'yuen, who under the ancestorial name of Chwáng- tsing founded the After Tang dynasty in A. D. 923. Kingtang's fortune was thus made; he was appointed an officer of the body guard, and a son-in-law to his sovereign. Once when he was hunting, an officer brought to him a pair of white foxes. Kingtang wished to kill them, but the foxes spoke and besought him not to do so.
He complied, and in return for this generosity received the assurance that after the
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