CHINA. 1751. 295 



lie was able to command his pafiions under a 

 bad father, unnatural mother, and quarrel- 

 fome brother, fo he would likewife have fuffi- 

 cient ilrength of mind to direct the helm of 

 an empire. They fay that he really afcended 

 the throne, and that during his reign he took 

 great care of husbandry, made feveral ca- 

 nals for the convenience of the country, and 

 wrote feveral books on agriculture. His fuc- 

 •cefTors have always contributed more and 

 more towards the improvement of the coun- 

 try : in particular the emperor Yen-ti y who 

 lived 179 years before the birth of Chriji. 

 He affembled his council, and confulted with 

 its members how his fubje&s, after de- 

 Itructive wars, might be moll flrongly induced 

 to practice agriculture. Their refolution was, 

 that he himfelf fliould give them a good ex- 

 ample. Accordingly he himfelf began plough- 

 ing, and the queen planted mulberry trees. 

 This is looked upon as the foundation of a 

 great feilival which is held every year in 

 China. The emperor goes into the fields in 

 fpring, and ploughs fome acres to encourage 

 the countrymen ; the nobles who accompany 

 him have each their bufmefs ; one prepares the 

 facriflce, another makes the fpeech which the 

 emperor is to deliver on this occaiion \ another 

 U ^ erects 



