ABSTRACT
Seventy-two years of age was the Chinese philosopher Ch'ang-Ch'un when, in May 1220, he set forth on his long westward journey across fifty degrees of longitude. Never before in the history of the world, except in ancient China where philosophers were sometimes appointed to the highest offices of State, had an emperor honoured a sage as the barbarian chieftain Jenghiz Khan honoured the Taoist monk Ch'ang-Ch'un. Some of the tribes had risen, and the cares of war claimed Jenghiz Khan's attention. Jenghiz Khan referred to the difficulties of government. Jenghiz Khan recognised their greatness, realised that they conveyed something worthy of respect, so he said to his Orlok. Jenghiz Khan was pursuing a wounded boar, which suddenly turned and charged in blind wrath. Jenghiz Khan said he would like to hear Ch'ang-Ch'un's opinion. Jenghiz Khan could not realise that at sixty-one he might already be too old for hunting.
