Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-12-21
CHINESE PRINCES.
The Mental and Physical Exercise They
Receive While Being Educated.


Receive While Being Educated.
The sons of the Manchu Emperors
IttUangtsE) undergo from their tender
est youth system Of the strictest edu'
cation. Rising about three o'clock in
the morning, they first take their les
scn in Chinese literature, under the
superintendence,of the only tutor who
has the title of Shh fu or ''mastcr."
The tutor rises from his chair as soon
as the imperial pupils enter, and re-
ceiveS from the latter q courtesy (ta-
cHien), which is then returned i'll 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 II the
lesson is not learned the tutor reque ,ts
eunuch in attendance to bring the
ferule (ch'ing PAM, and makes Il show
of administering correction. But each
imperial pupil is accompanied by eight
fellow students (pwan-tub) known in
the Manchu language as hd-ha-ctu, who
study the same books as their young
master. When it becomes necessary
to admonish tho latter, more seriously,
the ha-ha-chp are beaten with the ferule
vicariously, but when the imperial
pupil acqu.ts himself well they are,
on the other hand, commended or
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 elnuch to pinch his
cheeks (ch'M pd-iOn). The late En-
peror T'ung-chih was frequently
tweaked in this way by order Of the
Empresses. The Chinese lesson occu-
pies two hours; after this come the
Manchu and Mongol lessons in com. 20.
stion, 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 obcisance.
Then come lessons in various spoken
languages -Manchu, MOngol, T'angut
and in local CEanese dialects. After
these come courses of instruction in
foot and horse archery (ma-pu.oaien,
athletics, fencing, putting the stone,
ETC., (kw g-taa.shih), under the guid-
anoe of n class OF instructors called
aa-ld. The whole of the young
Princes day is taken up with mental
or physical exercises, AMI they retire
to rest at very early hour. At suit
able intervals their meals are weighed
out for them, AMI 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 a
wife isselected for the heir apparent
he is provided with hand-maid taken
from the families of the inner banners
(nei-cNi) Of the imperial household
(nei-tOu-fiD, who must be one year
older than himself, and prepare him
for a husbands duties. On his
accession this handmaid Zach iporbo-
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 handmaid'
fcKang-tsaD sitting upon his bed, and
sixteen others (ta-yinq) underneath
the bed, all of them girls from the ne
wu-fu. Their function is to keep watch
over His Majesty, and they are not al
lowedto sneeze, cough, spit or utter
any sound. The movements of the
Emperor after awakening in the
morning are signallzed by clapping
Of hands on the part of the eunuch on
guard. Once year-on New Years
day-the Emperor and Empress pre-
side at a grand banquet. the Empress
sitting on the Emperor'a left hand,
This is the only occasion during the
year on which the Emperor can see his
wives together and compare their re
spectiye merits. The Empress presents
articles of food (ke-shih) tothe eunuchs
who receive it from her Majesty or
their knees, and the Emperor performs
tho same politeness to the women.- -
Hong Kong Daily Press.