Page:The Visit of the Teshoo Lama to Peking.djvu/28

 Some of the commentators of the Teshoo Lama's journey to Peking, such as A Rémusat, and Koeppen, are inclined to attribute his death to poison administered by order of the Emperor, who, they say, suspected ulterior designs on his part, on account of his connection with the Government of Bengal and Warren Hastings, and who was afraid that the Lama, with British assistance, would try to overthrow the Dynasty and get hold of the Supreme power in the Empire. Although the records of the Dalai and Pan-ch‘an's successions may abound with hideous nightmares of clandestine murders and poisonings, yet this particular supposition seems unfounded, and it is not at all likely that the Emperor Ch‘ien Lung would have nourished fears of the above nature, and would have been driven to take refuge in the Borgian method of eliminating dangerous rivals.

In his letter to the Dalai, the Emperor details his intense grief, which would, at least publicly, disclaim the truthfulness of the above suspicious accusation: "The afflicting intelligence"—he says—"was immediately communicated to me. The shock overcame me. With a heart full of the most poignant grief, and eyes bathed in tears, I repaired to the Yellow Chapel (temple) where, with my own hands I fumed perfume to him etc., etc." The Emperor likewise issued orders to pay all due honor to the Pan-ch‘an's earthly remains. A splendid receptacle was constructed for the purpose of holding his remains, which were enclosed in a pure gold shrine (金龕). This was again placed in a copper case. Prayers were unceasingly uttered at the bier, and when the hundred days of deep