I always found it helpful that we retained one elderly member of staff who could offer a different perspective. “Well,” he would begin, “the last time we had one of these shemozzles…”. The mere fact that he could remember past disasters – and had lived to tell the tale – was reassuring.

Ye see then we are but as snayles, and are chaunged incontinent. And is it meet that we shoulde poke out our hornes agaynst God?

The niche-figures and reliefs of the Jui-yun Pagoda at Fu-ch'ing date from the end of the Ming dynasty, as the tower was constructed between 1607 and 1615;⁴¹ these sculptures are amongst the best in the province. The bas-reliefs of Fu-ch'ing, some of which are full of expression (pl. 64a, b), point to a later period of Chinese plastic art, that of the porcelain statuettes produced at Tê-hua 德化 near Ch'uan-chou, and of the wood carvings of Fu-chou, which have flourished from the Ming era up to the present day.

There is a litter ready; lay him in’t And drive towards Dover, friend, where thou shalt meet Both welcome and protection.