Page:Brinkley - China - Volume 2.djvu/70

the people, and quite capable of restraining the police; who, again, under a kind master soon fall into the habit of reasonable obedience and fairness. I once had a very faithful black guard in my service (lent to me by a hien ruler for my protection) who nearly lost his life in my defence, and who used to tell me frankly of his own former crimes as we walked along the lonely country road together. There is a substratum of good in most hien (the current name for chi-hien) and their myrmidons. "'Tis oft the sight alone of means to do ill deeds makes ill deeds done.' With all this, however, it must be stated that most magistrates supplement their gains on land-tax account by considerable profits under the head of "justice," and the lawyer, or special "justice secretary who "shapes the law" is the most important person behind the hien's back.

There are other little pickings in the way of inquests (blind-eyes), licenses, permits, presents from gentry, transfers of land, posts, storage of official grain, purveyances, etc., which go to make up the magistrate's fortune; for it is an understood thing at Peking that "outside expenditure" requires "miscellaneous funds," while the provincial magnates in turn also understand that a magistrate who is bound by unwritten custom to repair and furnish their yâmens, keep all public buildings in order, forward their despatches, supply their transport, and (under breath be it said) grease their palms, must have something pecuniary wherewith to do it all. Besides, most viceroys have a son who is a hien, and "if you won't scratch my back, I won't scratch your back." Consequently there is a comfortable feeling all round that "the less said about insignificant details the better for all concerned."