Produced by Meredith Bach, Eric Skeet and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) EMPIRES AND EMPERORS OF RUSSIA, CHINA, KOREA, AND JAPAN EMPIRES AND EMPERORS OF RUSSIA, CHINA, KOREA, AND JAPAN NOTES AND RECOLLECTIONS BY MONSIGNOR COUNT VAY DE VAYA AND LUSKOD _WITH ILLUSTRATIONS_ NEW YORK E. P. DUTTON AND COMPANY 1906 [Illustration: _Monsignor The Count Vay de Vaya and Luskod._] PREFACE As the name of the author of this book may not be so well known to some English readers as it is on the Continent, I have, at his request, undertaken to write a few lines of introduction and preface. Count Vay de Vaya and Luskod is a member of one of the oldest and most distinguished families of Hungary. Ever since his ancestor took part with King Stephen in the foundation of the Hungarian Kingdom, nine hundred years ago, the members of his family, in succeeding generations, have been eminent in the service of that state. The Count studied at various European universities, and was destined for the diplomatic service, but early in life he decided to take Holy Orders and devote himself to the work of the Church. In this capacity he attended the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897 as one of the envoys of Pope Leo XIII. The chief enterprise of his life, however, has been to study the work of the Roman Catholic Church in all parts of the world--her missions, charitable institutions, schools, and organizations of all kinds. Few men have travelled so far and into such remote quarters as the Count Vay de Vaya has, with this object. His position has secured for him access to the leading and most accomplished circles wherever he has been, and his linguistic attainments, as well as his wide personal experience of men and affairs in every quarter of the globe, give him an almost unique opportunity of describing and commenting on the countries which he has visited--their people, rulers, and institutions. Seldom has any region been subjected to such complete and revolutionary changes as have the countries which he describes in the following pages. Russia has been compelled to relax that grip on the Far East which seemed to be permanently tightening and closing: at home she has been subjected to a social upheaval which at one time threatened the existing form of government and the throne itself. And for the first time we have witnessed the triumph of an Asiatic race over one of the leading Powers of Europe. The substance of this volume was written in 1902 and the following year, before any of these events had occurred, or were dreamed of, and this may cause some of the details of the record to be a little out of date historically; but the change, far from diminishing, has, on the whole, probably increased its value to all thoughtful readers.