A P ? S N D I X. 



®n the Sfteeiuh day of the firft moon in every yearj, which generally 

 iearrcfponds with the beginning of March, the. Emperor of China, in per- 

 Ibn performs the ceremony of opening the grounds. This prince in great, 

 porap proceeds to the field appointed for the ceremony : the princes of the 

 ir^geri-al family, the prefidents of the five great tribunals, and an infinite 

 number of mandarins accompany him. * * * The Emperor laying afide his 

 joyal robes, takes hold of the handle of the plough, and (urns up feveral 

 fuHOws the.whole length of the field : then, wfth a complaifant air hav- 

 -ing delivered the plough to the mandarins, ihey fucceflively follow 1iis ex- 

 ample. * * * The ceremony concludes vs^iih the diftribution of money and 

 pieces of ftufFamong the laborers there prefent ; the moft ad^ive of whom 

 liDifh the remaining labor, in prefence of the E;?iperor. * * * 



Some time afi^r, \fi\\tv\ they have fuSciently labored and manured their 

 grounds, ihe EiTsperor repairs again in proceflion ; and begins the fowing 

 ef the fields, always accompanied with ceremony, and attended by the la- 

 borers of ihe province. 



The fame ceremonies are performed on the fame days in all the provin- 

 ces of the empire, bv the viceroys, afilfled^by all the magiftrates of their 

 departments, in. prefence of a great number of the laborers of their refpec- 

 tive provrinces. I have feen this opening of the grounds at Canton ; and 

 never remember to have beheld any of the ceremonies invented by mtn 

 with half the pleafure. * * 



The Chinefe agriculture has at the fame time other encoursgements. 

 Every year the viceroys of the provinces fend to court the names of fuch 

 laborer? as have~ diftinguifhed themfelves in their employments. . . . 

 Thefe names are prefeuted to the Emperor, who confers honorary titles on 

 the parties, to diftinguifh them above their fellow laborers. 



Jf any man has made an important difcovery which may influence the 

 improvement of agriculture, or Ihould he in any manner deferve more 

 diftinguifhed mar^ks of regard than the reft, the Emperor invites hiaj to 

 Pekin, defraying his journey with dignity at the expence of his empire % 

 he receives him into his palace ; interrogates him with regard to his abil- 

 ities, his age, the nusiber of his children, the extent and quality of his 

 Jands ; then difmilTes him to his plough, diftinguifl-ied by honorable titles 

 ?nd loaded with benefits and favors, 



* * * This empire was founded by lahorgrs in thcfe happy times, when 

 the laws of the great Creator were ftill held in remembrance, ar?d the cuU 

 ture of the earth confidcred as the nobleft of all employments, , . , 

 and the general occupation of all. Frora Fouhi, (who was the firfl: 

 chief of the nation * *) all the Emperors without exceptiooa even to 

 this day, glory in being the firf^ laborers of their empire. 



The Chineie hidory has carefully prefejved an anecdote of generoflh^ 

 jn twoof the ahtient Emperors, who not perceinng arnong their chilJrcEi 

 any one to mount a throne which virtue alone ought to inherit, named 

 as their fucccflbrs two fimple laborers, Thefe 'aborers, according lo the 

 Chinefe annals, advanced the happinefs of jcankind durit^g very long 

 jeigns : their memory ij ftill held ia th« higheS vesei^tloi. Ir h uhne- 



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