【正文】 etically described, including with translations of some of Sus poems on the four month spectacular trip. Chapter Six, Gods, Devils and Men (pp. 5774), starts with Tungpos departure for his post as assistant magistrate of Fengshiang and his poetic letters to his brother. His official duties included praying to end a drought: On top of the Taipo Mountain, in front of a Taoist temple, there was a little pool where lived the God of Rain, a dragon who could disguise himself in the form of any small fish. Su Tungpo went up to this and prayed. He pleaded for the farmers, but, like a good lawyer, he tried to make the Dragon God see that a drought or famine was not to the gods own interest. p. 61 When this initially failed, it was felt the god could be displeased by his demotion to count. Su verified that Tang referred to the god as duke, drafted a memorial requesting the emperor restore this rank, sent a messenger to so inform the god and to return with a basin of water from the sacred pool. Rain came with the basin. The men in the chapters title include the old soldier Chang Chun. Su Tungpo, after his three year term, returned to the metropolis where he was assigned to the department of history. His young wife died and a year later his father. He observed the traditional thrice nine months mourning for a parent. After this he married again and returned to the capital. Chapter Seven, Experiment in State Capitalism (pp. 7598), introduces the central political reality of Sus life, the reforms of Wang Anshih. Lin Yutang lists the three great upheavals previously: those of Shang Yang of the Chin Dynasty, of Han Wuti and of the usurper Wang Mang. All, including the efforts of Wang Anshih, are assessed as failures. The portrait the author paints of the brilliant reformer resembles the caricature of the mad scientist, so absorbed in his thoughts he has no awareness of his immediate surroundings. He had steadily declined all promotions, preferring to remain a local magistrate, but at last he accepted. Wang Anshih advanced his ideas as based on the traditional intent of the sage rulers Yao and Shun. This enabled him to portray those who opposed his reforms as just like the evil ministers of those rulers: The most important and the best known were nine in number, which I have for the sake of convenience arranged in three groups. There were three state capitalist enterprises, three new taxes, and three systems of registration for a plete regimentation and control of the people. The three state capitalist enterprises were: a government bureau for national trade, a bureau for government stores in retail trade, and the famous loans to the farmers with an official interest of twenty per cent and an actual interest of thirty per cent (., plus application and registration charges). The three new taxes were the draft exemption tax, the excise tax, and the ine tax. The systems of registration were the anizing of all citizens into groups of ten families for military draft (the paochia), and the reregistration of land and of horses. pp. 8788 The farmers loans had enormous impact. There had been grain store houses to offset bad years. However, the new loans forced on farmers slow in voluntarily subscribing hit hard those faced with paying them back with high interest. Wang Anshih also set aside previous mentaries on some of the Confucian classics and presented his own views as authoritative. These Commentaries were so bad that they were soon fotten after his death, and no copy has been preserved. But while he was in power, they were the bible of the scholar candidates at the examinations the slightest variation from the interpretation of the premier was enough to disqualify a paper. p. 95 The chapter closes by laughing at Wang Anshihs fanciful etymologies, mentioning his modern defenders, but asserting that the results of his reforms are the only criteria and these condemn them. Chapter Eight, The BullHeaded Premier (pp. 99124), begins with reference to a Sung short story with this title, derived from the determination of Wang Anshih and his opposition to freedom of expression. There follows a description of Sung government and a list of the personalities involved. Wang Anshih had opposed to him his two brothers and some of his former friends, as well as Ssuma Kuang and the Su brothers. However, he had the support of the young Emperor Shentsung and that was the one deciding vote. Wang moved against the censors. Their function of speaking up frankly was unacceptable to him. Many others, including Su Tungpo, also spoke up against the harm of Wangs reforms. There followed resignations and demotions. Su Tungpos memorial in 1070 stated that what was against reason and against nature would fail, that deeds not words counted in arousing opposition to the reforms by those effected by them, and that the upright cannot be silenced. But since history began, force has never been able to suppress the people. In ancient days scholars were threatened with knives and saws in front and the boiling pot behind, but that did not stop them from voicing their convictions. p. 111 His memorial of 1071, nine thousand words long, asserted that popular support of the monarch depended on freedom of expression, that the censorate unimpeded was essential and that what was needed was action, not words. You have established the bureau of economic planning which is for the purpose of securing revenue. You have sent out over forty tax missioners, whose evident objective can only be to raise money for the government. It is useless for a man to ride out to the forests with a pack of greyhounds and announce to th