Chinese Novels; Translated from the Originals the Shadow in the Water, the Twin Sisters, the Three Dedicated Chambers, with Observations on the Language and Literature of China (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1843 edition. Excerpt: ...occasion endeavoured to brow-beat and get the better of her husband. That on common occasions, he was ready to submit to this, but the marriage of his daughters was a thing of such importance, that he could never think of giving up his right into her hands." The judge, seeing that what he said was also reasonable, felt himself at a loss to decide between them. He then addressed himself to both, saying, " According to rule, the husband has a right to be arbitrator on such an occasion as that in dispute, but in family affairs it is sometimes not possible to adhere strictly to general rules, nor to consider things too much in the abstract. Wait until I call your daughters before me, and hear what they have to say: whether they think that their father or their mother is doing what is best for them." Both the husband and the wife prostrated themselves, and said they were quite satisfied with this arrangement. The Mandarin then issued a written order, and sent persons to summon the daughters. When these were gone, he said to himself, that "as the parents were both so plain and ordinary in their appearance, it was not likely that fair flowers should be produced from reeds: but if the daughters were still more ugly than the parents, there was no telling where it would end " He then, with a countenance on which surprise was ready depicted, waited their arrival in his hall. As soon as they were arrived, all the inferior officers and attendants, without their usual regard to decorum, pressed forward in a crowd to gaze, as if some prodigy had dropt down from the skies. As for the Mandarin himself, he was altogether amazed, and could not guess whence two such divine persons could have flown thither. Luckily for him, his emissaries at...