490 
suspended over an abyss, on the point of a 
rock, or sunk in the fetid waters of a 
gulph, he would procure for it the honours 
of a tomb, The turtle-dove complains 
alone, in the silence of the woods ; but I, 
in my affliction, have a brother who shares 
it with me. The tenderest friend I have 
only seeks to condole with me in my trou- 
bles; ‘but my brother feels them, as I do, 
they become his own, The transports of 
wrath and anger may disturb our family 
tranquillity, but no sooner am I assailed, 
than my. brother shields me with his pro- 
tection. How pleased he is to rescue me, 
how’ overjoyed when he finds me con- 
‘tented and happy! We impart a portion 
of our felicity to our friends and relatives, 
the presence of a brother angments it. No 
festivals are so grateful to me as those 
wherein I tind him, seated by my side; my 
soul verges to him, as a flower discloses its 
blossoms to the air. Fraternal friendship 
has in it all the tenderness of conjugal 
affection. Anamiable and virtuous spouse 
enriches you with all the gifts of hymen; 
your wishes are gratified in children 
worthy of you. Would you perpetuate 
your happiness? Let it be cemented by 
brotherly fve. It rules, in families, like 
the instruments of music, the Aim and the 
ché, in concerts, which support and set off 
the full chorus of voices. © fraternal 
amity! blessed are the families wherein 
thou presidest. All the virtues gather 
round thy attractions; and, at thy pre- 
sence, all the vices disappear. 
On the whole, we have reason to 
infer, that it could be no vulgar nation 
which, prior to the times of Homer or 
Solomon, could depict and find plea- 
sure in such noble sentiments, ex- 
pressed in such a fine style of versifi- 
cation, in songs equally sweet and 
sublime. 
The fourth work, the Li-Ki, consists 
of forty-nine chapters, only seventeen 
of which are authentic, chiefly treating 
of the Chinese ritual, and of the differ- 
ent obligations enjoined in their mora- 
lity. An infinite value is attached to 
this book, from particular details on 
religion, goyernment, the Jaws, man- 
ners, and customs, of the ancient 
Chinese, from the commencement of 
the monarchy to the fifth century pre- 
ceding the Christian wra. We find 
several very curious lectures in it, on 
fulfilling the duties of filial piety. 
A well educated son will not take up 
his lodgings in the middle apartment, will 
not sit down in the middle of the carpet, 
will not pass through the middle of the 
gate. A son endowed with filial piety can 
observe what his parents would have him 
do, without their speaking to him, and can 
On Canonical and Moral Books of the Chinese. 
[Jan. 1, 
see them without being in their immediate 
presence. A son possesses nothing that 
can properly be called his own while his 
parents are living; even his life is not his 
own, to expose or risque it for a friend. 
The murderer of your father ought not to 
dwell under the same sky (in the same 
country) with you, nor must you lay down 
your arms while the murderer of your bro- 
ther lives, or the murderer of your friend. 
A son who is walking in the same road 
with his father, will tarry astep behind him; 
a cadet, or younger brother, will have the 
same attention for the elder. At the first 
crowing of the cock, the children enter the 
chamber of their parents, bring them wa- 
ter to wash their hands, spread before 
them their apparel, trim the cushions and 
ottomans, clear away the matting, and 
sprinkle the chamber. When the parents 
would retire to rest, the children come to 
wait upon them. ‘The eldest son presents 
the matting, and asks on which side of the: 
estrade they would repose for the night ; 
the cadet rolls away the mattresses. A 
son who is maintained by them lodges se- 
parately from his parents, and comes, 
every morning, to enquire what they 
would choose for breakfast. At sun-rising, 
he goes to the duties of his employment ; 
but, towards evening, returns to salute his 
parents, When the latter are at table, the - 
children are ig close attendance, waiting 
on them to the end of their repast. On 
the decease of the father, the eldest son is 
ever at the head of the other children, 
waiting on his mother. 
The following dictates, or indirect 
injunctions, are by far too rigid, as 
they reduce to rules what ought to be 
spontaneous acts, thereby mingling 
with the dispositions of the soul, 
which will ever depend on the will. 
They seem more likely to engender 
affectation or hypocrisy, than to sur- 
mount indifference, which, however, 
would be the least of the three evils. 
When a father or mother are sick, the 
children cast an air of negligence over their 
apparel, assume a sort of embarrassment 
and distraction in their words and deport- 
ment, never touch an instrument of music, 
eat without a ready appetite, smile only 
with the extremities of the lips, and have 
not energy enough to throw themselves into 
a passion, are 
A son whose father has just expired, is 
like to one thunderstruck, or like one so 
deeply absorbed in thought, that he can 
neither go forwards nor backwards. 
When the corpse is laid within the coffin, 
his eyes wander, not settling on any ob- 
ject, like to one who is restless in seeking 
what he is in despair of finding. At the 
funeral, his aspect and appearance seem 
to be wholly changed; he resembles one 
in a fainting fit, or one, all whose hopes 
are 
‘ 
