STUDY X. 291 



iFrom another chimera, yellow appears to the 

 Chinefe the moft diftinguiflied of all colours, be- 

 caufe it is that of their emblematical dragon. Yel- 

 low is, in China, the imperial colour, as green is 

 in Turkey. The Chinefe, neverthelefs, if we may 

 depend on the authority of IJbrants-Ides reprefent 

 their Gods and Heroes, on the ftage, with their 

 faces ftained a blood colour *. All thefe Nations, 

 .the political colour excepted, confider red as the 

 mofh beautiful, which is fufficient to eftablifli, 

 with refped to it, an unanimity of preference. 



But, without dwelling longer on the variable tef- 

 timony of Man, we have only to appeal to that of 

 Nature. It is with red that Nature heightens the 

 moft brilliant parts of the moft beautiful flowers. 

 She has given a complete clothing of it to the rofe, 

 the Queen of the Garden : (lie has beftowed this 

 tint on the blood, which is tl|e principle of life in 

 animals : fhe inverts moft of the feathered race, 

 in India, with a plumage of this colour, efpecially 

 in the feafon of love. There are very few birds, 

 on which flie does not then beftow fome (liades, 

 at leaft, of this rich hue. Some have their heads 

 covered with it, fuch as thofe which are called 

 Cardinals ; others have a breaft-plate of it, a- 

 necklace, a capuchin, a fhoulder-knot. There 



* Journey from Mofcow to China, page 141. 



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