Page:History of Corea, ancient and modern; with description of manners and customs, language and geography (1879).djvu/174

 150 siKLa and a more solid grievance to form a casus beUi, for the Coreaa king T^as next year murdered by a subject TheD, and in more ancient times, there was a hereditary aristocracy in Corea. It existed in the time of the Manchu conquest of Corea two centuries ago ; and though Coreans have, to the author, denied its existence now, the Jesuits are probably correct in asserting its present existence, though it it is certainly not now so extensive as in olden time& Of these aristocracy, there was, at the time we write of, one Chuen G^isoowun, whose lands and people were in the eastern bounds of the kingdom. He is said to have been a powerful, unscrupulous man, who defied the law. It is not impossible that the laws deserved to be defied The king consulted with his ministers as to the best means of putting an end to him. He heard of it ; laid under arms every man he could muster, keeping them meantime in the back-ground. He then provided a grand banquet for the king and his ministers to the south of the capital, whither he invited them. The ministers were on their way to the banquet when Gaisoowun's men fell upon and murdered over a hundred of them. He himself thereupon rode into the palace, and with his own hand killed the king, throwing the body into a ditch. He then proclaimed as king, Dsang, the nephew of the murdered king, himself becoming Moliju, equivalent to the Chinese Presidents of "War "and "Appointments;" thus securing all power into his own hands, and " the far and the near " submitted to him. He was a man of large and powerful body, and of great eloquence. He carried five swords on his person. Those who attended him on his right and left, dared not raise their eyes to his face. When mounting or dismounting his horse, a great minister bent his body down to serve as a footstooL A large band of well trained men followed him wherever he went; and when their warning voices were heard at a great distance, every person had to clear off the road ; and even in narrow gullies nb person was allowed to stand at the side, — ^he must get completely out of the way. The roads were deserted, and all bitterly lamented the pass to which matters had come. Such is the Chinese story.