HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
announced in proper time, and with 
due solemnity, by a letter from Sir 
Francis Baring, at that time chair- 
man of the court of directors, to 
the Viceroy of Canton;—and a 
communication of the intended 
embassy was at the same time made 
to the republic of the United Pro- 
vinces, then in alliance with Great 
Britain ; with offers of service tobe 
performed by the Ambassador, in 
case that any circumstance in the 
commercial position of the Dutch 
factory at Canton should call for 
his particular interposition. 
The general scope of thisembassy 
isexplained by his Majesty’sinstruc- 
tions to Lord Macartney : in which 
itis observed, that ‘a greater num- 
ber of his subjects than of any other 
Europeans, had been trading, fer a 
considerable time past, in China; 
that the commercial intercourse be- 
tween several other nations and 
that great empire had heen pre- 
ceded, accompanied, or followed, 
by special communications with its 
sovereign. Others had the support 
of missionaries, who, from their 
eminence in science, or ingenuity _ 
in the arts, had been frequently ad- 
mitted to the familiarity of a cu- 
rious and polished court; and which 
missionaries, in. the midst of their 
cares for the propagation of their 
faith, were not supposed to have 
been unmindful of the views and 
interest of their country ; while the 
English traders remained unaided, 
and, as it were, unavowed, at a dis- 
tance so remote as to admit of a 
_MInisrepresentation of the national 
acter and importance; and 
where, too, their occupation was 
[isi 
dignity and character of his Majes- 
ty to extend his paternal regard to 
these. his distant subjects, even if 
the commerce and prosperity of the 
nation were not concerned in their 
success; and to claim the Emperor 
of China's protection for them, 
with that weight which is due to 
the requisition of one great sove- 
reign from another :” that, ‘a free 
communication with a people, per- 
haps the most singular upon the 
globe, among whom civilization had 
existed, and the arts had been culti- 
vated, through a long series of ages, 
with fewer interruptions than else- 
where, was well worthy also of being 
sought by the British nation, which 
saw with pleasure, and with grati- 
tude applauded, theseveral voyages 
undertaken already by his Majesty’s 
command, and at the public ex- 
pence, in the pursuit of knowledge, 
and for the discovery and observa- 
tion of distant countries and man- 
ners;’’ but that, “in seeking to 
improve a connexion with China, 
no views were entertained except 
those of the general interests of 
humanity, the mutual benefit of 
both nations. and the protection of 
commerce. under the Chinese go- 
vernment,”? 
In the same spirit, itis said in his 
Majesty’s letter to the Emperor of 
China, that, “ the natural disposi- 
tion of a great and benevolent so- 
vereign, such as his Imperial Ma- 
jesty, whom Providence had seated 
upon the throne for the good of 
mankind, was, to watch over the 
peace and security of his domi- 
nions; and to take pains for dis- 
seminating happiness, virtue, and 
_ hot held in that esteem which might 
__ be necessary to procure them safe- 
: ry <« and respect;”’ that, ‘ under 
ese circumstances, it became the 
knowledge among his subjects; 
extending the same beneficence, 
with all the peaceful arts, as far as 
he was able, to the whole human 
[N] 3 race.”” 
