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1841.
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Sketch of Kwanyin.
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she was imprisoned in a cold and desolate room of the palace. Day and night the female attendants of the palace, as well as her father and mother pressed their intreaties upon her, but Meaou Shen remained inexorable, and becoming outrageous she railed in angry speech at her father. The father himself also became greatly enraged, and forthwith granted his permission to Peihleih really to decapitate her. The god Tooshin hastened and announced this intention to Yũh te, who gave her a red brilliant light to screen her body, and when the ax of the executioner attempted to do its work it broke in sunder; and trying to spear her the instrument was severed to pieces; and they then put her to death with a long red silken cloth. Just then a tiger leaped in and bearing the corpse upon his back ran off with it;-upon which her father exclaimed, "Unfilial child; it is right that you should obtain a woful recompense!" But he was not aware that Heaven had sent for her. This fierce tiger bearing the corpse as be- fore entered a forest of black fir trees, and verily was Shen fully allow- ed to be a genuine religious, contemplator. For a time she remained in unbroken sleep, and her spirit roamed in regions unknown. Sud- denly there appeared to her a lad holding a chwung fan in his hand, and making his obeisance, said, 'the Yenkeun have ordered me to make known their requests to your royal highness.' Shen said, 'what are they?' The lad replied, having heard that your royal highness" exercises the most enlarged mercy and benevolence, ten of the yen gods, are waiting your appearance at the Pooteen bridge.' Shep yielding to their commands accompanied him, and at the entrance of the gate of perdition she beheld a god with the head of a cow kneeling at the door, and saw the god Taycha holding a candle, while a god with an iron head was sweeping the yard. Entering per- dition she saw one prison house where punishment was inflicted by cutting the flesh from the body. Shen inquired about it, and she was told that such punishment was for unfaithful ministers, and unfilial children. She saw another den where punishment was inflicted by pounding with a pestle, and grinding in a mill, and they told, her that this punishment was for those who would throw away what they had to spare of the five grains rather than give it to the poor; and for those also who would take the life of any living thing. She also saw a place where punishment was administered by means of a large brass boiler, and was told that this was for those who prided them- selves in their overbearing wickedness. Shen asked, Why are your punishments, so very rigorous? They told her that they had punish- inents than still more severe even these. At present, said they, in
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