Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 618

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History of the Ming Dynasty.

Nov.

sions into the Chinese territory, and so much enraged Wangchin, that he (^. d. 1450) assembled a large army to chastise hin. But he had forgotten to provide an effective commissariat, and when the troops had advanced into the desert, they found themselves destitute of everything. In this emergency, they were attacked by the Tar- tars, and completely routed; and the young emperor himself taken prisoner. His wife and mother both gave up all their jewels to ransom Yingtsung, but Yesien disdainfully refused every offer. Great consternation reigned at the court; the. eunuchs were de- nounced as the authors of all the evils that befell the land, and some of them were slain in the precincts of the palace. The empress dowager, seeing the throne vacant, appointed prince Chin, a brother to the captive monarch, acting emperor, under the name of Kingtí, who was so pleased with the possession of power, that when Yesien proposed to liberate the autocrat, he placed many ob- stacles in the way. Yingtsung, however, was by no means ambitious. On his return from Tartary, he willingly retired to a private station, and reäscended the throne only on his brother's death in 1458. After thus having experienced many changes of fortune, he was again exalted, and employed his power in waging war against the eunuchs. This genus of the human race seems, however, to be en- dowed with great natural vivaciousuess, for scarcely had one party been driven from the harem, when another came again into power, and from simple servants rose to be privy counselors. They soon arranged a conspiracy, and when the emperor was off his guard, attacked the palace, but were beaten off. The authors were capitally punished, and the monarch believed himself to be firmly seated on the throne, when the hand of death closed his career in a. d. 1465.

Chinghwa, called in the ancestorial chronicles

His son

Hientsung, was a complete child of the palace, reared and cherished by women and eunuchs. To increase the power of the latter, he instituted a committee of public safety, to put down all rebels, and the eunuchs were nominated members of this dread tribu- nal. They soon became a terror to the whole empire, and their spies and unexpected seizures filled every officer with consternation. No censor had sufficient influence to prevail upon the monarch to dis- card these villains, and the land resounded with unheeded murmurs. The whole administration was in a wretched condition and no melio- ration could be expected from mere parasites who had not the slight- est claim to merit. The emperor died of grief on account of the death of his wife, leeving the empire in a miserable condition.