1 824.] Canonical and Moral 



the aiitliority of common sense. Under 

 tlie eye and direction of his just and faitli- 

 fiil fioveniment ; quickened, supported, 

 and invigorated, by t!ie full enjoyment of 

 a common liberty, the mcml)ers entrencli 

 themselves behind a inulnal interest, as an 

 impregnaijlf^ rampart. On this point the 

 cause of tlie s;overnini» and governed rests. 

 Such should be the state of the public 

 mind ; such should be the ideas, senti- 

 ments, and enlarged vieus, of a nation, 

 displayed throughout tiie whole of a 

 mcnaichy. It is a practical defect in the 

 constitution, which must obviously mili- 

 tate against the public felicity, when two 

 different species of interest are set up, in 

 the ii;;hts of the people, and the preroga- 

 tives of the prince. The duties of subjects 

 i^hould resemble the fraternal duties: the 

 tenderness due to children should be ex- 

 tended to a whole people. Can one, inca- 

 pable of laying down a system of educa- 

 tion, advance claims and pretensions to 

 effect a reform in the laws, and the new 

 .modelling of a civil goveniment ? It can- 

 not be. Those doctrines, only, which ap- 

 ply to the police of a family, are capable 

 of realisin;.', of rendering permanent and 

 _iespected, all the combined rights of the 

 different orders in a state, cinisidered as 

 .the organization of an assembled people. 



The Ode, bearing tiie name of 

 * Kang Kao,' makes the following ob- 

 .servatioDs, among other details wliic'i it 

 enters into, for laying the foniidatiou of 

 a new and equal government. 



A prince should protect and cherish his 

 people, as a niothcr watches over and non- 

 • jishes her infant. When the frank and in- 

 'genuous heart of the Child is eagerly pant- 

 jng for the possession of some object, 

 though she cannot exactly discover what 

 is wanted, she will frame a conjecture not 

 far removed from it. 



When families prove virtnou,», the na- 

 tion becomes virtuous. MMicn families 

 are easily accessible, polite, complaisant, 

 iiational affairs are put into such a train as 

 to accord with tlie^e acquirements. When 

 the individuals, of which families consist, 

 are for the most part covetous and per- 

 verse, a nation is on the point of being 

 Ifediiced to anarchy. Such are the tem- 

 pers or primary impr.lsions communicated 

 to human institntions, and such is the influ- 

 ence of their concentric directions. 



One of llicir jtrovcrbs is thus expres- 

 sed, (literally,) — 'A .single individual 

 fixes the state of a wliolc iialioii,' ]5ut 

 inorc is meant than meets the eye; for 

 it im|)orts tliat sovereigns have, com- 

 niouly, nothing more in view than (u 

 dr»w a veil between the eye of the pub- 

 lic and tiiKpialilicd despotism. Another 

 proverb contains a Useful hint, aposition 

 wliicti cannot Itc called in question, 

 tliat 'a matter may be cyidangercd iind 



Monthly Mac;. No. 394. 



Books of file Chinese. 223 



ruined by the expression of a single 

 word ;' or, faking it more af large, fliat 

 in enterprises of great pilli and moment 

 tiie current may be turned awry, may 

 lose the name of action, however sjtirited 

 and soundlhe advice may appear to be, 

 by employing a single word in some 

 particular sense. 



The 'J'a-iiio frequently probes the 

 sores inherent in ail absolute govern- 

 ments. In every reign, whether passing 

 for good or bad, every thing is to begin 

 over again. This shows into what a 

 chaos the people are plunged, by the 

 total subversion of all such rights as do 

 honour fo human nature, when a mon- 

 strous aristocracy, under the name of 

 monarchy, is eslablished, which, instead 

 of gaining the confidence and affections 

 of a people, seems better calculated to 

 rivet the chains of civil and religious 

 tyranny. 



The Tcliong-Yong, or Just Medium, 

 treats of moderation as a virtue, wliicli 

 ought to be always under the command 

 and control of the wise man. The 

 Lun-yu forms a collection of the senti- 

 ments of Confucius and his disciples, 

 on the virtues, good w-orks, and tlie art 

 of governing slates; we find iu it the 

 errors, Ihe passions, and t!ie love of 

 power, in ministers, by which they 

 cither embezzle the public moneys, or 

 misapply the national income, guided 

 by no other motives than that of their 

 own interest. But w aving these grand 

 objects of discussion, for want of room, 

 we pass on to the Mengtsee-tsee, of 

 which father Du Halde has given a very 

 extensive analysis, in the second volume 

 of his Description of China. 



This book forms a series of dialogues, 

 whereiii some princes are commended, 

 and many otliers blamed; it has iu 

 view, also, to point out wherein consists 

 the perfection, and the summum honum 

 of human nature, and fo expose^ the 

 dangerous errors of different sectaries. 



The Second Chapter of the First Part 

 contains the convcr.sations of King 

 Siuen-Viuig with iMeng-fsec, or Meii- 

 cins. 



' I am told,' says the king, * that the 

 park of Prince Ven-vang was seventy 

 stadia (furlongs) in circuit ; and the peo- 

 ple, then, considered it as too small; mine 

 is only forty stadia, and yet the people re- 

 ])ort it as too large. How am I to account 

 for these varying opinions ?' ' The reason 

 of this,' replies Mencius, ' is, that all 

 were allowed permission to enter the 

 park of Prince Ven-vang, to gather legu- 

 minous plants and wood, to hunt phea- 

 sants and hares; and, as no one was ex- 

 'Z C eluded, 



