highest offices of Staie. He was intensely fond of poeiiyf and would recite to his friends for honrs together; and at his death he left behind him a small collection of yerses of his own composition.
2385 Yang Hung i^ ^^ (T. ^^). Died A.D. 1451. A natiTe of ^ ^ Lin-ho in Eiangsn, who distinguished himself as a militaij commander and in 1448 was ennobled as Earl. He then fell into disgrace oyer the capture of the Emperor (see Ck% ChH-chSn) and was thrown into prison. From this he was released to defend the capital, and after an overwhelming victory over the rebels be was restored to fayonr and ennobled as Marquis. Canonised as
2386 Yang I ;^ 2fe (T. ^ ^- H. ^ ^). 9th cent. A.D. A natife of ^ Tou-chou in Euangsi, employed as an oflBdal astronomer and geomancer under the Emperor Hsi Tsung of the T^ang dynasty. In 880, when Huang Gh'ao attacked the Conrt, he stole the secret cabbala inscribed on tablets of jade which belonged to the Imperial Treasury, and made off with them, leading thereafter a wandering life. He was the founder of the Eiangsi school of geomancy, and is said to have marked 15 days in the year, known as ^^ ^ ^, as exceptionally unlucky.
2387 Yang I ^^ (T. 3^^^). A.D. 974-1080. A native of Pu- ch'^ng in Shensi. Just before his birth his father dreamt that a Taoist priest, named ^ 3& ^J ^, came to make a call; and when the little boy was bom, he was found to be covered with hair over a foot long, which however disappeared within a month. For some years he could not speak; until at length being one day carried up to the top of a pagoda, he burst out with the following well-known lines: *
Upon this tall pagoda's peak
My hands can nigh the stars endose;
I dare not raise my voice to speak, For fear of startling God's repose.
