"The temples of Fo abound with more images than are found in moft Chriftian churches, and fome that bear a greater analogy to the ancient than the prefent worship of the Romans. One figure reprefenting a female, was thought to be fomething fimilar to Lucina, and is particularly addreffed by unmarried women wanting hufbands, and married women wanting children. The doctrine of Fo, admitting of a fubordinate deity particularly propitious to every with which can be formed in the human mind, would scarcely fail to fpread among thofe claffes of the people who are not fatisfied with their profpects, as refulting from the natural caufes of events. Its progress is not obstructed by any measures of the government of the country, which does not interfere with mere opinions. It prohibits no belief which is not fuppofed to affect the tranquillity of fociety. "There is in China no ftate religion. None is paid, preferred, or encouraged by it. The emperor is of one faith; many of the mandarines of another; and the majority of the common people of a third, which is that of Fo. This laft clafs, the leaft capable, from ignorance, of explaining the phenomena of nature, and the most expofed to wants which it cannot fupply by ordinary means, is willing to recur to the fuppofition of extraordinary powers, which may operate the effects it cannot explain, and grant the requests which it cannot other wife obtain. "No people are, in fact, more fuperftitious than the common Chinese. Befide the habitual offices of devotion on the part of the priests and females, the temples are particularly frequented by the difciples of Fo, previously to any undertaking of importance; whether to marry, or go a journey, or conclude a bargain, or change fituation, or for any other material event in life, it is neceffary first to confult the fuperintendant deity. This is performed by various methods. Some place a parcel of confecrated sticks, differently marked and numbered, which the confultant, kneeling before the altar, shakes in a hollow bamboo, until one of them falls on the ground; its mark is examined, and referred to a corre fpondent mark in a book which the priest holds open, and fometimes even it is written upon a fheet of paper pafted upon the infide of the temple. Polygonal pieces of wood are by others thrown into the air. Each fide has its particular mark; the fide that is uppermoft when fallen on the floor, is in like manner referred to its correfpondent mark in the book or sheet of fate. If the first throw be favourable, the person who made it proftrates himfelf in gratitude, and undertakes afterwards, with confidence, the business in agitation. But if the throw fhould be adverse, he tries a fecond time, and the third throw determines, at any rate, the queftion. In other respects the people of the prefent day feem to pay little attention to their priests. The temples are, however, always open for fuch as choose to confult the decrees of heaven. They return thanks when the oracle proves propitious to their withes. Yet they oftener caft lots, to know the iffue of a projected enterprise, than fupplicate for its being favourable; and their worship confifts more in thankfgiving than in prayer. "Few Chinese are feldom faid to carry the objects, to be obtained by their devotion, beyond the bene fits of this life. Yet the religion of Fo profeffes the doctrine of the tranfmigration of fouls, and pro E a mifes mifes happiness to the people on conditions which were, no doubt, originally intended to confift in the performance of moral duties; but in lieu of which are too frequently substituted those of contributions towards the erection or repair of temples, the maintenance of priefts, and a strict attention to particular <bfervances. The neglect of thefe is announced as punishable by the fouls of the defaulters paffing into the bodies of the meanest animals, in whom the fufferings are to be proportioned to the tranfgreffions committed in the human form." "The temples of Pekin are not equal to its palaces. The religion of the Emperor is new in China, and its worship is performed with moft magnificence in Tartary. The mandarines, the men of letters, from whom are selected the magif trates who govern the empire, and poffefs the upper ranks of life, venerate rather than they adore Confucius; and meet to honour and celebrate his memory in halls of a fimple but neat conftruction. The numerous and lower claffes of the people are less able than inclined to contribute much towards the erection of large and coftly edifices for public worthip. Their religious attention is much engaged, befides, with their household gods. Every houfe has its altar and its deities, The books of their mythology con tain representations of those who prefide over their perfons and properties, as well as over exterior objects likely to affect them. In the representation of Lui-fhin, or spirit prefiding over thunder, the violence of that meteor, which nothing is fuppofed capable of withstanding, the velocity of the lightning, which nothing can exceed, and their united effects, are reprefented by a monstrous figure, who is involved in clouds. His chin is terminated 5. in the beak of an eagle, to express the devouring effects of thunder, as his wings do his fwiftnefs. With one hand he grafps a thunderbolt, and in the other is held a truncheon for ftriking feveral kettle-drums with which he is he furrounded. The talons of an eagle are fometimes reprefented as fixed upon the axis of a wheel, upon which, with added velocity, he rolls among the clouds. In the original from whence this defcription is taken, the dreadful effects of this terrific spirit beneath the clouds are pointed out by the appearance of animals struck dead, and lying proftrate on the ground, buildings overturned, and trees torn up by the roots." "No legal tax is impofed in China on the score of religion. Ce remonies are ordained by it, in the performance of which fome time is neceffarily confumed, and facrifices are required, which occafion expence, on the new and full moon; and in fpring and autumn; and likewife in the beginning of the year. On the latter occafion, particularly, much diffipation takes place. Some good alfo is effected. Acquaintances renew their fufpended intercourfe; friends offended are reconciled; every thing dates as from a new era. The poorest cottager looks forward and prepares, during the preceding months, for an interval, however brief, of enjoying life, after having fo long dragged on laboriously the burden of it." "The Chinese have no Sunday, nor even fuch a divifion as a week. The temples are, however, open every day for the vifits of devotees. Perfons of that defcription have, from time to time, made grants, though to no great amount, for the maintenance of their clergy; but no lands are fubject to ecclefiaftical tithes." "The "The country about Tongchoo-foo, for feveral miles, is level and fertile. Some of the English gentlemen were fupplied with horfes, to ride about in the neighbour hood. The horses were strong and bony. The breed does not feem to have been improved by care. Mules bear a greater price than common horfes, as fubfifting on lefs food, and capable of more labour. Many of the horfes were fpotted as regularly as a leopard, fuch were fo common, as to remove the fufpicion of any fraud by artificial colouring. The race of thofe fpotted horfes is fuppofed, among other means, to be obtained by croffing thofe of oppofite hues. The faddle furniture differed as much from the neatnefs of what is made in Eng. land, as the cattle themselves from Arabian courfers. The riders met feveral Chinese on horfeback, who, on approaching, alighted in civility to the ftrangers. This is a mark of refpect fhewn here always to fuperiors, and the custom has been extended to other parts of the Eait. The Dutch governor and counfellors of the Indies exact, in imitation, that kind of homage from all perions refident in Batavia. It appeared indeed, from several inftances, in Java, Sumatra, and Cochinchina, that China gives the ton to the countries bordering on the Chinese feas. The distinction of yellow colour, for example, by the Emperor, is affected by every fove reign in the eastern part of Áfia. The mixture of eaftern and western cuftoms, is to be feen fometimes in China. Thus in the neighbourhood of Tong-choo-fuo, the feason of the harveit gave occafion to obferve, that the corn is fometimes threshed with the common Aail of Europe, and fometimes preffed out by cattle treading on the theaf, as is described by Orien tal writers. A roller is likewife moved over it by the Chinese. For thefe operations a platform of hard earth and fand is prepared in the open air. A machine has been always ufed here for winnowing corn, exactly fimilar to that which has been introduced, within this cent. tury, it is faid, in Europe. It is probably a Chinese invention. "Indian corn and fmall millet formed, in this place, the principal produce of the autumn crop. There were few inclosures, and few cattle to make them neceffary. Scarcely any fields to be feen in pafture. The animals neceffary for tillage, or for carriage, and those destined to ferve for food, were mostly fed in ftalls, and fodder collected for them. Beans and the finer kind of ftraw cut fmall, compofed a greater proportion of the food for horfes. The roots of corn, and coarfer ftems, are frequently left to rot upon the ground for the purpofe of manure. "The houses of the peafants were scattered about, instead of be ing united into villages. The cottages feemed to be clean and com fortable: they were without fences, gates, or other apparent precaution against wild beafts or thieves. Robbe ry is faid to happen feldom, though not punished by death, unless ag gravated by the commiffion of fome violent affault. The wives of the peafantry are of material affistance to their families, in addition to the rearing of their children, and the care of their domeftic concerns; for they carry on most of the trades which can be exercised within doors. Not only they rear filk worms, and fpin the cotton, which laft is in general use for both fexes of the people; but the women are almoft the fole weavers throughout the empire. Yet few of them fail to injure their healths, or at least E 3 their their active powers, by facrificing, in imitation of females of fuperior rank, to the prejudice in favour of little feet; and though the operation for this purpofe is not attempted at fo early a period of their infancy, or followed up afterwards with fuch perfevering care, as in the cafe of ladies with whom beauty can be come an object of more attention, enough is practifed to cripple and disfigure them. "Notwithstanding all the merit of thefe helpmates to their bufbands, the latter arrogate an extraordinary dominion over them, and hold them at fuch a distance, as not always to allow them to fit at table, behind which, in fuch cafe, they at tend as handmaids. This dominion is tempered, indeed, by the maxims of mild conduct in the different relations of life, inculcated from early childhood amongst the lowest as well as highest claffes of fociety. The old perions of a family live generally with the young. The former ferve to moderate any occaLional impetuofity, violence, or paffion of the latter. The influence of age over youth is fupported by the fentiments of nature, by the habit of obedience, by the precepts of morality ingrafted in the law of the land, and by the unremitted policy and honeft hearts of parents to that effect. They who are paft labour, deal out the rules which they had learned, and the wisdom which experience taught them, to thofe who are rifing to manhood, or to thofe lately arrived at it. Flain fentences of morals are written up in the common hall, where the male branches of the family affemble. Some one, at leaft, is capable of reading them to the reft. In almost every boufe is hung up a tablet of the ancestors of the perfons then refiding in it. References are often made, in converfation, to their actions. Their example, as far as it was good, ferves a an incitement to travel in the fime path. The defcendants from a common flock, vifit the tombs of their forefathers together, at stated times. This joint care, and indeed other occafions, collect and unite the most remote relations. They cannot lofe fight of each other; and feldom become indifferent to their respective concerts. The child is bound to labour and to provide for his parents' mainte nance and comfort, and the brother for the brother and fifter that are in extreme want; the failure of which duty would be followed by fuch detefiation, that it is not neceffary to enforce it by pofitive law. Even the most diftant kinfman reduced to mitery by accident or ill health, has a claim on his kindred for relief. Manners, ftronger far than laws, and indeed inclination, produced and nurtured by intercourfe and intimacy, fecure affiftance for him. Thefe habits and manners fully explain the fact already mentioned, which unhappily appears extraor. dinary to Europeans, that no fpectacles of distress are seen, to excite the compaffion, and implore the cafual charity of individuals. It is to be added, that this circumstance is not owing to the number of inftitutions of public benevolence. The with, indeed, of the Perfian monarch is not realized in China, that none fhould be in want of the fuccour administered in hofpitals; but those establishments are rendered little neceffary, where the link which unites all the branches of a family, brings aid to the fuffering part of it without delay, and without humiliation. "It feldom, indeed, happens that the infirmities of men, or the weakness of children, render them utterly incapable of making fome return return of industry for the fubfiftence they receive. In the manufactures carried on within doors, very material affiftance may often be afforded, with little exertion of ftrength; and abroad, the foil is light, and tillage eafy. Oxen are ufed for ploughing in this part of China, being too cold for buffaloes, which are preferred where they can be reared. Cattle are yoked by the neck, inftead of being fo by the horns, as upon the continent of Europe." "The reader will obferve, that the names of the Chinese mentioned in this work, are, independently of the additions of their qualities, all of one fyllable; as is every word in the Chinese language. The additions are the more neceffary, as a name implies no diftinction in favour of the family which bears it. There are but one hundred family names known throughout the empire; and the expreffion of the hundred names is often used as a collective term for the whole Chinese nation. Individuals, how ever, occafionally affume, at different periods, or under different circumitances of their lives, other appellations expreffive of fome quality or event. Each family name is borne by perfons of all claffes. Identity of fuch names implies, however, fome connection. All who bear it may attend the hall of their fuppofed common ancestors. A Chinese feldom, if ever, marries a woman of his family name; but the fons and daughters of fifters married to hufbands of two dif ferent names, marry frequently; thole of two brothers bearing the fanie name, cannot. Though names always do not denote diftinctions, and though no hereditary nobility exifts in China, pedigree is there an object of much attention. He who can reckon his ancestors to a diftant period, as if diftinguished by their private virtues, or public fervices, and by the honours conferred upon them in confequence, by the government, is much more refpected than new men. The fuppofed defcendants of Confucius are always treated with particular regard, and immunities have been granted to them by the emperors. The ambition of an illuftrious defcent is fo general, that the empe rors have often granted titles to the deceased ancestors of a living man of merit. Indeed, every means are tried to ftimulate to good, and to deter from evil, actions, by the reward of praife, as well as by the dread of thame. A public regifter, called the Book of Merit, is kept for the purpose of recording every ftriking inftance of meritorious conduct; and, in the enumeration of a man's titles, the number of times that his name has been fo inferted, is particularly mentioned. For faults, on the other hand, he is fubject to be degraded; and it is not deemed fufficient that he fhould affume only his reduced title; but he must likewife add to his name the fact of his degra dation.". "In China there is lefs inequality in the fortunes, than in the conditions of men. The ancient annals of the empire tettify that, for a long period of time, the earth, like the other elements of nature, was enjoyed by its inhabitants, almoft in common. Their country was divided into Imall equal districts; every district was cultivated conjointly by eight labouring families, which compofed each hamlet, and they enjoyed all the'profit of their labours, except a certain fhare of the produce referved for public expences. It was true, indeed, that after a revolution, deplored in all the Chinese hiftories, which happened prior to the Christian era, E 4 the |