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History of the Ming Dynasty

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malady, and having drank the liquor of immortality, he died instant- ly. His son, a diffident youth of 16 years, whose reign is called Hitsung, ascend-

天啟 Tienkí, and his ancestorial name

ed the throne in 1621. He did nothing to blame or praise, and had the happiness of seeing a rebellion which extended through Sz'chuen, Kweichau and Yunnan, entirely quelled. The officers on the east- ern frontiers continued to irritate the Mantchous. The governor sent a haughty letter to their prince, the successor of Tienming, claiming divine honors for his emperor. The rude chief, exasperated at this presumption, complained of the haughtiness of a fellow mor- tal, and asked redress for various injuries, with a request to establish an exchange of the respective commodities of their countries. To this remonstrance an evasive auswer was returned, and the Man- tchous resolved upon an appeal to arms. But Tienkí did not behold this catastrophe, dying in 1627, when still very young.

Tsungching his successor, known in the ritual as f Hwáitsung, was a great friend of letters, but proved quite unable to face the gathering storm. All resistance against the Tartars was in vain, and Taitsung, their leader, in an edict demanded uncondi- tional submission to his arms. The Chinese, perceiving that he was in earnest and could no longer be driven back by words, began to bless the rising sun, and fail in allegiance to their own master. In this emergency, one of the best ministers advised peace at all risks, but was beheaded in the streets as a traitor. Táitsung, becoming more and more sure of winning the prize, finally yielded to the represen- tations of his nobles, as well as of the Chinese who had come over to his side, to adopt, in 1635, the title of emperor of China, and to give the name of Tá Tsing, i. e. Great Purity, to his dynasty. The Chi- nese however, might have still resisted, and successfully, if their country had not been convulsed by internal feuds. One of them a cruel monster, Lí Tsz'ching, devastated and pillaged the central pro- vinces, and arrived at last at the gates of Peking. The eunuchs opened to him, and the emperor was still dreaming of the great vie- tories obtained by his generals, when a servant brought the news of the surrender of the city and palace. Instead of meeting the foe like a man, he put his harem to death, one of his daughters only escap- ing, and then cowardly hung himself. In his girdle was found an ac- ensation of himself and a request to spare the people. Thus departed The last of the Ming emperors in 1611

Wit Sankwer, a relation of the imperial family, was at this time tationed on the frontiers to defend them against the Mantchous