Papre Serras Notices of China. 133 
No. 2, 
Successive gradation of the Princes of the Blood, and their corresponding 
incomes. 
The Princes who are not exempt are required to frequent the schools, 
and when they are exempt they lose all title to the crown, and are made 
privileged Reguli, or nobles of the first class, excepting the youngest, who 
is of the second. This gradation descends with all one degree each gene- 
ration, till having descended five generations they are made simple Princes 
of the House ; calling themselves those of the yellow-girdle, which they are 
entitled to wear, as a distinction from the rest of the people, being privi- 
leged in all contentions therewith. From this degradation are excepted 
the eight families, and some others by especial favour, as it happened to a 
grandson of Kren-Lune, to whom he granted the first grade for ten lives. 
A Regulus of the first rank receives annually from the Exchequer 
(besides his private establishment) 10,000 pieces,* 10,000 sacks of rice, 
and 360 servants. ‘These are taken from the three tribes or divisions of 
families who live within the district of the Court, which is furnished with 
three parallel walls. They are paid by the Exchequer, and sixty of them are 
graduated of the third order (there are nine ranks among the Chinese gentry) 
and one of these is Steward of the Household, appointed by the Emperor, 
to whom he may prefer a complaint against the Regulus. In all, the 
expense to the State of a Regulus of the first rank is 60,000 or 70,000 pieces ; 
of one of the second rank, half that sum; of one of the third rank, a third 
part of the same; and so on, down to the simple princes of the blood, who 
from their fifteenth year are allowed three pieces a-month and two sacks of 
rice. They are also allowed 100 pieces when they marry and 120 for a 
funeral ; from which they take occasion to maltreat their wives, because 
when one dies they receive the allowance for her interment, and the dowry 
of the second wife, whom they take immediately. 
The soldiery receive similar but less expensive aids, which are deducted 
from their pay. The Reguli occasionally hold certain offices, as that of 
Presidents of the Military Boards, but receive no other salary therefrom 
than what they extort by the sale of places, or inferior posts; by usurping 
the salaries of vacancies, especially in the Militia, or dispensing with the 
* The value of the ¢aé/, the Portuguese coin, is 3s. 6d. The Chinese tad is 6s. 8d. 
