SCENE I.

TOU NGAN COU, and Train.

CAN little escape me? I have fixed up an

Order, that if he is not found in three Days, all

the Male Infants under six Months old shall be put to

Death ; let somebody go to the Gate of the Palace

and look about, and if any one brings an Accusation

give me immediate notice of it. 

TCHING YNG, TOU NGAN COU, and a Solder.

TCHING YN G,

Yesterday I carry'd my own Child to Kong Sun,

and today I come to accuse him to Tou ngan cou. --

Let somebody give notice that I have News of the

Orphan Tchao.

SOLDIER.

Stay a moment, I beseech you, and I'll step in

and give an account of your coming. —Sir, [To

Tou ngan cou.] here is a Man that says little Tchao is

found.

TOU ANGAN COU.

Where is this man?

SOLDIER

At the Palace Gate,

TOU NGAN COU.

Let him be brought in.

TOU NGAN COU, TCHING YNG, and soldres

TOU NGAN COU.

Who art thou ?

TCHING YNG.

I am a poor Physician called srching.

TOU NGAN COU.

Where dost thou say thou has seen the Orphan Tchao?

TCHIN YNG.

In the Village Tai Ting, and it is old Kong sun that conceals him.

TOU NGAN COU.

How do you know it? 

Kong sun is of my Acquaintance; I was at his

House and saw by chance, in the Room where he lies

a Child in a rich Mantle ; I said then within

Kong sun is above Seventy, and has neither Son nor

Daughter, whence then comes this Infant? I discovered

my Thought; This Child, said I to him,

seems to be the Orphan so much wanted ; I took notice

that the old Man changed Colour, and could not

make any Reply, from whence I concluded that the

Infant which gives you so much trouble is at old Kong sun's

House.

TOU NGAN COU.

Go Rascal, do you think I shall credit this Story ?

You have hitherto no difference with the good

Man Kong sun, how then can you accuse him of so

great a Crime? Was it out of Affection for me? if

you say the truth fear nothing, but if you are found

in a Falsehood you are a dead Man.

TCHING YNG.

Stifle your Anger, Sir, but for a Minute, and onIy

hear my Answer: It is true have no Enmity to

Kong sun, but when I was told that you had ordered

all the Infants in the Kingdom to be brought to you

that they might be put to Death, I then had a design

on one hand to save the Life of so many Innocents ;

and on the other hand, being forty-five Years of Age,

and having a Son about a Month old, I should have

been obliged to bring him to you and have lost my

only Heir ; but the Orphan of Tchao being once discovered

the young Children throughout the Kingdom

will be saved, and I shall be in no pain about my

Heir; these are the reasons why determined to accuse

old Kong sun.

TOU NGAN COU.

I perceive you are in the right, old Kang was an intimate

Friend of Tchao tun, It is no wonder then he

is so desirous of saving the I'll take a Detachment

217 

of the Guards this Minute, and go with

Tching yng to the Village Tai Ping, which I will invest

and seize old Kong sun.

SCENE IV.

KONG SUN.

I consulted yesterday with Tching yng about raving

little Tchao; Tching yng is gone to day to inform

against me to the cruel Tou nga cou; I shall soon see the

Villain make me a Visit. [He sings. ] l What a Dust is

raised! what Company of Soldiers do I see coming!

it is the Murderer without doubt, I must resolve

to die.

SCENE V.

TOU NGAN COU, TCHING YNG, KONG SUN, and soldiers.

TOU NGAN COU.

We are at length arrived at the Village of Tai ping

let it be surrounded on all sides; Tching yng,

which is Kong sun's House?

TCHING YNG.

That there is it.

TOU NGAN COU.

Let 'em bring the Old Rascal hither. -- Kong sun,

do you know your Crime ?

KONG SUN.

I! I am guilty of no Crime that I know of.

TOU NGAN COU.

I know, Wretch, that thou art a Friend of Tchao

tun ; but thou be so bold as to conceal the

Remains of the Family ?

KONG SUN.

Tho' I had the Heart of a Tiger I should not have

Ventur'd to do it.

If he does not feel the Battoon he'll own nothing,

let somebody take one and lay it on handsomely.

KONG SUN. sings while he is beaten, and then says,

Who is witness of the Crime that I am accused of?

TOU NGAN COU.

Tching yng was the first that accused the.

KONG SUN.

This Tching yng has a very wicked Tongue : [Then he says to Tou ngan cou.] Are not you contented to

have put to death more than three hundred Persons?

Would you yet destroy a poor Infant who is left alone?

[He continues to sing.

TOU NGAN COU.

You villainous old Fellow, where is the Orphan

you have concealed ? Tel l me quickly, that you may

avoid a severe Chastisement.

KONG SUN.

Where have I conceal'd the Orphan ? — Who has seen me hide him ?

TOU NGAN COU.

What, you are not willing to make a Confession;

let him be chastised again. [They beat him.] Sure this

old Man has no feeling! Nothing moves him, he

confesses nothing: Tching yng thou didst accuse him,

take a Battoon and give him a hundred blows.

TCHING YNG.

Sir, I am a poor physician, and never learnt to

handle a Battoon.

TOU NGAN COU.

You don't know how to handle a Battoopn! --

You are afraid he should discover you an Accomplice.

TCHING YNG.

Sir, you shall see me beat him. [Takes a Battoon.

Tching yng, you have taken such a small Battoon

as if you were afraid of hurting him; surely you

must be afraid he should make a Discovery.

TCHING YNG.

I'll take one that is larger.

TOU NGAN COU.

Hold, at first you took a Twig, now you are for

taking a Beam which will do his business at two

Strokes, and then he'll die without making a Confession.

TCHING YNG.

You order me to take a Battoon, and I take a small

one; then I take another and you say it is too big

what must I do to please you?

TOU NGAN COU.

Take one of a moderate size, and let this Rascal

feel it sufficiently. --You old Wretch, do you

know 'tis Tching yng that beats you ?

TCHING YN G.

Confess all. [He beats him three times.

KONG SUN.

I am terribly maul'd, and this last Beating was

worst of all ; who gave it me?

TOU NGAN COU.

'Tis Tching yng.

KONG SUN.

What, Tching yng beat me in this manner ?

TCHING YNG.

Don't mind this old Fellow, he does not know what he says.

KONG SUN sings.

Who has beaten me so barbarously? O Tching yng,

what have I done to you? Am I then your Enemy

that you treat me in this manner ?

TCHING YNG.

Make haste and confers all. 

I will confess all.

TCHING YNG.

Confess then quickly if you are not willing to die by beating.

KONG SUN.

Well, 'twas thus then, 'twas thus. We consulted both together in what manner to save the Orphan.

TOU NGAN COU.

That is as much as to say he has an Accomplice.

Tell me, old Man, you say you are two ; one is

yourself, who is the other? If you speak the truth I'll

save your Life.

KONG SUN.

You are willing I should tell you, and I'll satisfy

you, his Name is -- at the end of my Tongue, but I have sent it back again.

TOU NGAN COU.

Tching yng, does not this affect you at all ?

TCHING YNG [To Kong Sun.]

Ah! you old Man, will you slander an innocent Person ?

KONG L UN.

Tching yng, what hast thou to fear ?

TOU NGAN COU.

You mention'd two, why don't you confess who the other is ?

KONG SUN.

You ordered me to be beaten, so that I did not know what I said.

TOU NGAN COU.

If you will not go on you shall be killed in good earnest.

SOLDIER.

My Lord, I bring you good News; searching in Cellar in his House I have sund the Orphan.

221 

TOU NGAN COU, laughing.

Let the little Wretch be brought hither that I may

see it, and have the pleasure of cutting it in pieces :

—You old Villain, you said you did not hide the

Orphan — who then is this that I hold ?

KONG SUN sing, reproaching the Tyrant With all his crimes, and says,

His barbarous Heart will not be contented without shedding the Blood of an Orphan not many Days old.

TOU NGAN COU.

The sight of this Infant excites my Anger. [Kong sun sings, the Tyrant takes the Dagger, and Tching yng seems greatly concerned.] I take this cursed Branch, and I plunge the Dagger in his Heart three times. —

Now I am at the height Of my Wishes.

[Kong sun sings, expressing his Regret; Tching yng hides his tears.

KONG SUN.

Tou ngan cou, thou art the most wicked of Mankind; take care of thyself, impious Wretch, for know there is over thy Head a Heaven that beholds all thy Crimes, and will not let them go unpunilhed:

As for myself I have no Regard for Life, I'll therefore throw myself down this Staircase of Stone, it is the kind of Death that I chuse.

A SOLDIER.

Old Kong sun has just killed himself.

TOU NGAN COU, laughing.

Since he is dead let his Name be mentioned no

more. [He continues to laugh, and speaks toTching yng.]

You have done me excellent Service in this Affair, without you I could not destroyed my Enemy.

TCHING YNG.

Sir, I have told you that had no particular Enmity to and what I have done has been to save the Lives of the little Innocents in the

Kingdom, and among the rest that of my own Child. 

You are a Man that may be trusted, you mall therefore

live in my own Palace and be honourably treated ;

you shall there likewise educate your Son ; when

he is of a proper Age you shall bring him up to

Learning, and I will take care to teach him the Art

of War: I am now fifty Years old, and have no

Heir, I adopt your Son, and intend to resign my Office

to him when he shall be of Age to take it upon

him: What do you say to it?

TCHING Y NG.

I return you, Sir, a thousand Thanks; but I am

not worthy of so great an honour.

TOU NGAN COU.

The Favour that Tchao tun enjoyed made me very

uneasy ; but now the whole Family is extinct, and I

have nothing farther to apprehend,

THE FOURTH PART.

SCENE I.

TOU NGAN COU.

ABOUT twenty Years ago I killed the Orphan

of Tchao with my own Hand, and I adopted the

Son of Tching yng, his present Name is Tou tching ;

he has gone through all his Exercises, I have taught

him eighteen various ways of Fighting, and he understands

his Business so well that no one can outdo him

except myself; he is now grown up, and in a short

time I intend to make away with the King, and

ascend the Throne myself, then my Son have

the Office I am in at present, and all my Wishes

will be accomplish'd ; at present he is performing

Exercise in the Camp, when he returns consult

about it.