Page:Frank Owen - The Scarlett Hill, 1941.djvu/98

RV 93 (THE PEAR GARDEN) from this day forth, Lo Ssu-yuan must cast no more shadow in Changan than the wind."

Afterwards, however, Ming Huang frequently attempted the trick of invisibility. It was regrettable that Lo no longer dwelt at the Palace. Not till the moment when he had watched Wu Tao-tzu disappear into the magic mountain did chagrin leave him, for Wu had as much ability with magical forces as Lo Ssu-yuan. In addition, he was an unsurpassed artist. Ming Huang smiled. Then his face grew grave, for now Wu, also, had disappeared.

Ming sighed. Sometimes, in truth, it was difficult to be an Emperor.

To the Court at Changan came so strange and varied an assortment of emissaries, that frequently it was termed "The Court of the Blessed." Buddhism strode in from India, haughty, slightly arrogant, sure of its power, and not without reason. Those Chinese who adopted it, revamped it to suit their needs.

Buddhism was sold to the world with a technique unsurpassable. Mountainous obstacles were tom down with steel-claw tenacity. Repetition endlessly. Over and over again all the tenets and prayers until new converts could repeat them by rote. Largely through Buddhistic zeal, printing was developed into a fine art. In the beginning scrolls were hand written, each copy passed about from hand to hand. Then the priests used little RV 93 (93)