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Transcribers Notes:

1. Passages in italics are surrounded by _underscores_.
2. 4 minor spelling corrections have been made. See list at end of text.




                           Edition d'Elite




                           Historical Tales

                        The Romance of Reality


                                  By

                            CHARLES MORRIS

    _Author of "Half-Hours with the Best American Authors," "Tales from
                         the Dramatists," etc._


                          IN FIFTEEN VOLUMES

                              Volume XII


                         Japanese and Chinese


                       J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY
                       PHILADELPHIA AND LONDON


              Copyright, 1898, by J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY.

              Copyright, 1904, by J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY.

              Copyright, 1908, by J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY.


[Illustration: GREAT GATE NIKKO.]




                             _CONTENTS._


                                                         PAGE

      THE FIRST OF THE MIKADOS                              5

      HOW CIVILIZATION CAME TO JAPAN                       12

      YAMATO-DAKE, A HERO OF ROMANCE                       19

      JINGU, THE AMAZON OF JAPAN                           27

      THE DECLINE OF THE MIKADOS                           35

      HOW THE TAIRA AND THE MINAMOTO FOUGHT FOR POWER      41

      THE BAYARD OF JAPAN                                  51

      THE HOJO TYRANNY                                     59

      THE TARTAR INVASION OF JAPAN                         67

      NOBUNAGA AND THE FALL OF THE BUDDHISTS               73

      HOW A PEASANT BOY BECAME PREMIER                     80

      THE FOUNDER OF YEDO AND OF MODERN FEUDALISM          86

      THE PROGRESS OF CHRISTIANITY IN JAPAN                97

      THE DECLINE AND FALL OF CHRISTIANITY IN JAPAN       106

      THE CAPTIVITY OF CAPTAIN GOLOWNIN                   113

      THE OPENING OF JAPAN                                123

      THE MIKADO COMES TO HIS OWN AGAIN                   133

      HOW THE EMPIRE OF CHINA AROSE AND GREW              142

      CONFUCIUS, THE CHINESE SAGE                         150

      THE FOUNDER OF THE CHINESE EMPIRE                   156

      KAOTSOU AND THE DYNASTY OF THE HANS                 172

      THE EMPRESS POISONER OF CHINA                       180

      THE INVASION OF THE TARTAR STEPPES                  186

      THE "CRIMSON EYEBROWS"                              192

      THE CONQUEST OF CENTRAL ASIA                        197

      THE SIEGE OF SINCHING                               202

      FROM THE SHOEMAKER'S BENCH TO THE THRONE            205

      THREE NOTABLE WOMEN                                 212

      THE REIGN OF TAITSONG THE GREAT                     217

      A FEMALE RICHELIEU                                  223

      THE TARTARS AND GENGHIS KHAN                        228

      HOW THE FRIARS FARED AMONG THE TARTARS              236

      THE SIEGE OF SIANYANG                               242

      THE DEATH-STRUGGLE OF CHINA                         249

      THE PALACE OF KUBLAI KHAN                           255

      THE EXPULSION OF THE MONGOLS                        264

      THE RISE OF THE MANCHUS                             272

      THE MANCHU CONQUEST OF CHINA                        281

      THE