syfi OSBECK'S VOYAGE. 



founded on long experience c ; and their huf- 

 bandry is admired for the perfection it has rifen 

 to. But the want of the true knowledge of the 

 Supreme Being is an imperfection which out- 

 weighs all their other knowledge. 



The religion in China is pagan; but by 

 their own accounts, there are almoft as many 

 feels as perfons among them : for as foon as a 

 Chinefs expects the leaft advantage from it, 

 he is without any confideration to-day of one 

 religion, to-morrow of another, or of all to- 

 gether : however, there are three principal 

 feels, of which we have an account in Du 

 Halde's Defcription of this Empire* 



The firfl: principal feci: is called Tao-tfa, and 

 their founder Daokiun. Its followers endea- 

 vour to difengage themfelves from every thing 

 which tends to difquiet the reft of the foul, to 



c This is proved by their Per.i-fa-o, or books of plants, 

 which were wrote by little and little. The emperor Sbin- 

 zongs made a beginning with it, and defcribed 360 medici- 

 nal plants, in three volumes. Afterwards feveral things 

 were published concerning natural hiftory, all which was 

 at laft reduced to 16 claffes by Li-kbe-tcbin; who likewife 

 added their ufe in phyfic, and their other ufes. Of this fee 

 pu Baliie*! Defcription of China. 



live 



