Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/142

 118 IMPEBIAL TEN. miserably perished the Moyoong family, which had risea by pradence and bravery ; by their abilities had acquired an empire and shaken all China; and by imprudent selfishness had so suddenly come to this fate. Hoong was honoured after his death more than during his life, — ^Eang Lien canonizing him with the title of " Jaochung Emperor/' The Imperial Sung Commander Baijii, sent with 7000 men to welcome Hoong, was angzy at his fate, attacked the two Gaoli commanders, slew Qao and took Swun alive. A Qaoli army hasted to the rescue, seized Baijii, and threw him into prison. As Qaoli was so far away, the Sung emperor did not meddle with the matter ; hence the prisoner was by and by permitted to return to his own southern home. And this Was the last of Yen. We have followed the Yen in their rise, progress, and decline; both to give a living picture of the times, and to show how an insignificant border tribe gradually increases, by wise skill rather than by bravery, into a large kingdom ; and how easily a large kingdom is broken up by selfish incompetence, which keeps worth firom its proper position; and calculates and works, not for country, but for the minister. When passmg judgment on the facts hei^ given, let the reader remember that they took place when Britain wad divided into Britcmnia Romoma and Britcmnia Barbara, when Carausius assumed imperial rank in Britain; when Constantino assumed the titles of Caesar there, and afterwards withdrew the Roman troops, leaving the enervated south open to the ravages of the savage Picts and Scots. It was when the forefathers of the Prussians were called Goths ; and when, in their southward migration, their eyes first beheld the civilization, the walled cities and the fertile fields of rich com of Pagan Rome. Germania was then known as an extensive foraging ground for its numerous independent nomadic and savage tribes ; and the Suevi, Cimbri, Alemanni, Franci, &c., were still ignorant of a world where orders could be given in writing, and thoughts and deeds preserved on skin or paper. It was before there was a Greek empire, before Russia was known to exist, and a fuU