88 € H I N A. 



fandlity of his perfon. All this refults primarily from the fenfe 

 of filial duties, early imprinted on the hearts of his fubjedls as 

 the firft and greateft point of religion, and objects of the cogni- 

 zance of the magiftrate. If a fon is incorrigible by a parent, the 

 parent takes him before the judge, who feldom fails to bring 

 him to a fenfe of his duty. Filial refped, fays Confucius, in his 

 Auking, a book on that very fubjecft, is the foundation of all 

 virtue, and of the wife government of the empire. 



Children are treated by the parents with the utmoft rigor ; 

 the doctrine of obedience is inculcated with the greateft fev.erity, 

 fo that it becomes ever after habitual : but as this refpe6l to- 

 wards their fuperiors is attended with fear and meannefs, fo 

 deceit and fraud become the charadleriftics of the Cbineje nation. 



The fame refpecl to thofe in a higher ftation pervades all ranks 

 of people ; hence the Chinefe are the moft ceremonious of man- 

 kind, and the very lowefl: orders full of the moft profound arti' 

 ficial civility. 



The emperor has the difpofal of all offices, nay, even of the 

 lives and fortunes of every fubjetfl. Nothing is done, of any 

 moment, from one extremity to the other of this vaft empire, 

 without his knowledge ; in criminal cafes the calendar of pri- 

 foners convidt are laid before him, with a ftatement of their 

 crimes ; thefe lifts are returned to the refpeiftive judges, with 

 the fentence affixed to each name, be it of death or free pardon. 

 The lelTer punilhments are left to the pleafure of the ma- 

 giftrate. 

 Despotic. The defpotifm of the emperor is founded upon law and 



cuftom ; not expreffed, yet fully implied, it feems admitted that 

 4 he 



