NOTES, 42 q 



red to another family, and leaving a memory loaded with fuch 

 execration, that the Chinefe Hillorians never give him any other 

 name but the Robber, without once beftovving on him the title 

 of Empei"or. 



" At the fame time," fays Father le Ccmte, *' they deftroyed 

 ' his palace ; and, in order to tranfmit to pofterity the memory 

 ' of worthlefTnefs fo eminent, they fufpended the lamps of it in 

 ' all the quarters of the city. Thisruftom was repeated annually, 

 ' and became, from that time, a remarkable feftivity all over the 

 ' Empire. It is celebrated at Yamt-Cheou, with more magni- 



* ficence than any where elfe, and it is faid that, formerly, the 

 ' illuminations on this occafion were fo beautiful, that one Em- 

 ' peror, not daring avowedly to quit his Court, and refort thither 

 ' to enjoy the fpeftacle, put himfelf, the Queen, and feveral 

 ' Princefles of the Blood, into the hands of a magician, who 

 ' engaged to convey them to it in a very fiiort time. He made 

 ' them mount, in the night- time, on fuperb thrones, which were 

 ' carried aloft by fwans, and which, in a moment, arrived at 

 ' Yamt-Cheou. 



" The Emperor, wafted through the air, on olouds which gra- 

 ' dually defcended over the city, contemplated the whole feftival 

 ' at his leifure : he afterwards returned thence, with the famé 

 ' velocity, and by the fame vehicle, without it's being perceived 

 ' at Court that he had been at all abfent. This is is not the 

 ' only fable which the Chinefe relate. They have hiftories rela- 



* tive to every fubjefl, for they are fuperftitious to an excefs, 

 ' and on the fubjeft of magic, in particular, whether feigned or 



* real, there is not a People in the World to be compared with 

 ' them." Memoirs of the Prefcnt State of China^ by Father le 



Comte. Letter FI. 



rn-iis Emperor, who was thus.tranfported through the air, ac- 

 cording to Father Magaillans, was called Taw, and this event 

 took place two thoufand years after the reign of Kieu ; that is 

 about fixteen hundred years ago. Father Magaillans, who ex- 

 prelTes no doubt refpefting the truth of the event, though he ftip- 

 pofes it to have been performed by magic, adds, after the Chi- 

 nefe, 



