Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 6.djvu/423

Rh people. On the capture of Kang-hoa in 1866, found a  of 3000 or 4000 s finely covered with green and crimson, and arranged and preserved with great care. One volume particularly attracted 's attention; it consisted of a number of tablets, united by gilt  hinges; each tablet was protected by a cushion of scarlet, and the s were in  incrusted on the. .—As in, so in Corea, is ostensibly in high estimation, and all public officials must pass certain s. The student is left perfectly free to follow any system and receive instruction from any teacher whatever,—the, who are appointed by the Government, taking account of nothing but results. The most important s are held once a year in the, and candidates flock thither from all the provinces. After the is over, those who have passed put on the s of their new title, and proceed on back with sound of  to visit the chief dignitaries of the state, the, &c. Then follows a  which, though not enforced by, is rendered imperative by custom. The novice has his face stained with and besprinkled with, and is otherwise subjected to whimsical insults. There are three separate s, that of the tcho-si, that of the tsin-sa, and that of the keup-tchiei,—the last or highest being obtainable at once without the previous possession of the others. The tsin-sa are destined to fill administrative posts in the province, the keup-tchiei the higher positions about the and the. The military degree, which is also known as the keup-tchiei, involves but little, and is sought only by the poorer. The whole system is in a state of great decay, and the purchasing of s or of al is far from uncommon. Besides the possessors of the above-mentioned s there is a special class of scholars, known as the middle class, who devote themselves from father to son to the study of various special branches necessary in public employ:—the interpreters, who are trained either in, (Hon-hak), or ; the koang-sang-kam, or school of s, devoted to , , and ; the ei-sa, or school of , including a branch for the royal service and another for the public; the sa-tsa-koan, or school of recorders, employed in the preservation of the archives and the drawing up of official reports for ; the to-hoa-si, intrusted with the preparation of s, and the execution of the  of the king, which after his death is added to the royal gallery; the nioul-hak, or school of , which deals mainly with the  ; the kiei-sa, from which s are obtained for the financial and public works department; and the hem-nou-koan, which is intrusted with the management of the Government. .—, according to native tradition, was introduced into Corea in the 4th century of, and under the of Korio it became the official. On the establishment, however, of the Tsi-tsien in the 14th century it gave place to the doctrine of, which continues to the present day as the established. In its main features the of Corea is identical with the ; but it is accompanied and intermingled with various popular superstitions. is offered not only to the Sia-tsik, or of the kingdom, but also to the Siang-tiei, whom some regard as a, and others identify with the. To the latter public s, consisting of s,, and s, are offered for the purpose of preventing or obtaining , removing s, or otherwise interfering with the course of natural events. The Sia-tsik is hardly known in the provinces; but in the his  is the most sacred of all. Among the classes the only form of  in real force is the  of their ancestors, and consequently the greatest importance is attached to all the  details of s,, and tombs. In every district there is a temple of called kiang-kio, with an extensive domain attached; and if the  is not sufficient to maintain the necessary expenses, the  of the district must supply the. There still exist several of the large s erected during the period of the official status of ; they are built in the, and are frequently remarkable for the beauty of their situation. Except in the province of Kieng-sang the, or , retain no influence; they have but little , and their numbers are diminishing. The belief in evil s is common among the Coreans; their action is frequently controlled by the propitious or unpropitious character of s and s, and almost every event is the sign of fortune or mishap. The is the object of superstitious respect; and, instead of killing it, the Corean feeds it as regularly as his. Of first importance for the happiness of a family is the preservation of the ancestral, and every housewife has all the anxiety and responsibility of a. The number of and  throughout the country is extraordinary. The are reputed to be endowed with special  aptitude, and, as a natural consequence, a large proportion of those who are  make gain of their affliction. In the these  s are formed into a regular   recognized, and their services are in great request for the discovery of secrets, the, and the  of s. In this latter operation they trust principally to noise as a means of frightening the s, whom they ultimately catch in a  and carry off in triumph. Manners and Customs.—Women hold a very low position in Corean estimation, and count for little in the sight of the. Not only are they destitute of all and  influence, but they are not held personally responsible for their actions, and live in a state of lifelong age. At the same time they enjoy a considerable amount of freedom, and it is only among the upper classes that they are kept in seclusion. is altogether an affair of ; the terms are settled by the heads of the families, and the bride and bridegroom have no opportunity of seeing each other till they meet on the platform, and  to each other as man and wife. After there is little social intercourse between the pair, both men and women keeping company with their own sex. Among the lower classes second s are equally permissible to both sexes; but among the the second  of a widow is considered so reprehensible that the offspring of such a union is branded as. is not permitted, but is a recognized. Strong affection for their children is one of the better characteristics of the Coreans, and and exposure are almost unknown. is a common expedient to prevent the extinction of a family, and the choice of the child is regulated by a rigid. is in the highest estimation, and the conduct of a son towards his father is guided by innumerable rules. If he meets him on the way, he must do him humblest obeisance; if he writes to him, he must employ the most respectful forms in the ; if the father is sick, the son must attend him; if the father is in prison, the son must be at hand without; if the father is exiled, the son must accompany him on his journey. On the death of his father the eldest son becomes the head of the family, responsible for all the duties of a father towards 