The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-10-23
CHINESE PRINCES.
Tho Mental and Physical Exercise They
Receive While Being Educated.

Tho Mental and Physical Exercise The,
| Receive While Being Educated.
The sons of the Manchu Emperors
| (ha0GngtSz) undergo from their tender.
est youth system of the strietest edu.
cation. Rising about three o'clock in
the morning, they first take their les
son in Chinese literature, under the
superintendent of the only tutor who
has the title of St5t tu or master.
The tutor rises from his chair as soon
as the imperial pupils enter, and re-
ceiveS from the latter courtesy ITO
CHI ieR), which is then returned in the
same form. The tutor takes the seat
of honor, and when the lesson is learned
the pupil brings up his book, deposits
it before his teacher, and returns to his
seat to repeat the task by heart If the
| lesson is not learned the tutor requests
eunuch in attendance to bring the
ferule (ch'ing PAM, and makes show
| of administering correction. But each
imperial pupil is accompanied by eight
fellow students (pacan-tub) known in
the Manchu language as ha-hG-etu, who
study the same books as their young
master. When it becomes necessary
to admonish the latter, more seriously,
the ha-hG-cbW are beaten with the ferule
VIGOROUSLY; but when the imperial
pupil acquits himself we'll they are,
on the other hand, commended OF
rewarded. A recalcitcant and OBJ
stinate Prince is as the last resort
actually himself logged, though
probably only nominally, by the
teacher, or taken before the Emperor,
who directs a eunuch to pinch his
cheeks (ch'M pa-jop). The late EN-
peror T'ung-chih was frequently
tweaked in this way by order of the
Expresses. The Chinese lesson occu.
pies two hours; after this come the
Manchu and &ongol lessons in compo-
sition, given by the teachers who enjoy
the less honorable title of Setu, and who
are obliged to meet their pupil at the
door and make the first obeisance.
Then come lessons in various spoken
nguages-Ailnchu Mongol T'angut
and in local Chinese dialects. After
these come courses of instruction in
foot and horse archery (nsa-pu-chiena),
athletics, fencing, putting the stone,
etc, (tW1g-tau-Shth), under the guild
ance of class of instructors called
ou-la. The whole of the young
PEaces' day is taken up with mental
or physical exercises, and they retire
to rest at very early hour. At suit
able intervals their meals are weighed
out for them, and on no account are
they allowed to indulge in the pleas
ures of the table. At the age of fifteen
they must marry. One year before
wife isselected for the heir apparent
he is provided with handmade taken
from the families of the inner banners
(nei-cht) of the imperial household
| (pei-qgu-fat), who must be one year
older than himself, and prepare him
for husbands duties. On his
accession this handmade Zach iporEo-
ko) receives the title of tei, which is
given to her alone among those in
mates of the harem who are selected
from the inner banners. No one but
the Empress is allowed to pass the
night with the Emperor. The En-
peror sleeps with eight landmarks
(ch'ang-tsaD sitting upon his bed, and
sixteen others (tG-Dtnq) underneath
the bed, all of them girls from the ne
sou-tW. Their function is to keep watch
over His Majesty, and they are not al
lowedto sneezc, cough, spit or utter
any sound. The movements of the
Emperor after awakening in the
morning are signalized by a clapping
of hands on the part of the eunuch on
guard. Once a year-on New Years
day-the Emperor and Empress pre-
side at a grand banquet, the Empress
sitting on the Emperor's left hand,
This is the only occasion during the
year on which the Emperor can see his
wives together and compare their re-
spective merits. The Empress presents
articles of food (be-Shih) to the eunuchs,
who receive it from her Majesty on
their knees, and the Emperor performs
the same politeness to the women.-
Hong Kong Daily Press.