Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 156

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Notice of the Works of Sú Tungpo.

MARCH,

pride most willingly performed every kotom required of him. The matter soon attracted Sú's notice, aud on consideration, it occurred to him, that there could be no necessity for such commerce and fish- eries, as the emperor himself derived no profit from them. Why then should rude barbarians be benefited by the merchandize carried from the stores of China? In consequence of this, an order was straightway issued prohibiting all intercourse between China and Corea. The Chinchew men however thought differently; and away they went with their junks, brought back large cargoes, and in order to put a fair face upon their proceedings, took with them an envoy, a priest of Budha, as plenipotentiary from the august monarch of Corea. This daring act highly irritated the minister; he exclaimed, “This man has come hither to spy out the land, he has deceived us, and the whole object of his mission is to obtain maps of this country to pre- sent to our enemics the Ketans, who will then invade the southern provinces." The clamor of such an influential man incensed the whole cabinet against the poor priest, who had lost his life if Sú had not bethought himself to avoid provoking hostilities, and sent him back, with orders never to return. The act of non-intercourse which was thus passed has never been revoked. Some traitorous natives, however, continued still to hover amongst the islands, but the whole trade was changed into smuggling, and Sú flattered himself that he had achieved a very good object.

After these memorials, we have commissions sent to the different military and civil authorities under the seal of the minister. Then follows a whole series of documents in praise of meritorious officers, who were conspicuous for their loyalty, under the most trying cir- cumstances. These productions are written in a very lively style, and are rich in comparisons. We have also a collection of the mi- nister's official correspondence; his letters are extremely short and much to the point, and the long discourses in the memorials are here condensed to a few sentences. It was thus he managed to keep up his interchange of letters with the principal functionaries, and to im- part his pithy orders for their obedience.

In whatsoever point we view Sú Tungpo, he seems to have been a sort of universal genius; whilst he writes an episode in honor of Budha, he also draws up a prayer for the emperor, to use on special occasions. There are also petitions for rain, supplications in time of danger, and other ejaculations, but all so very short, that devotion can find no resting point. Even the slightest allusions to the Supreme Being do not occur, materialism had taken too deep a root, to allow anything but the grossest idol worship