304 A, D. 1794. 



oppreflions and infults, to u-hich their commerce and their agents in 

 China were expofed. In the hope that fuch oppreflions and infults 

 might not be authorized by, or even known to, the emperor, they fug- 

 gefted the expediency of fending an embafly from the court of Great 

 Britain to that of China, which would at leaft have the efFedl of making 

 it known in that country, that the interefts of commerce were objeds 

 of the higheft importance to the government of this country, and the 

 Britifli fubjects trading in China were not to be looked upon as worth- 

 lefs outcafts, deftitute of the fupport and protecflion of their fovereign *, 



For this unufual and delicate miflion Lord Macartney was chofen. 

 In addition to the cuflomary attendants of an arabaflador, men of 

 fcience in various departments were attached to the embaffy, as on a 

 voyage of difcovery, and alfo, for the fake of fplendour, a military 

 guard. A magnificent prefent was felefted for the emperor confifting 

 of the moft perfed agronomical and mathematical inftruments, an or- 

 rery, a fuperb pair of globes, the mofl: exquifite works of art, brafs can- 

 non and other kinds of arms, a model of a firft-rate fliip, and views of 

 other objeds not portable f . It was expected, that the light of articles 

 of fuch fuperior workmanfhip might have fome effed: in inducing the 

 people of China to depart from their arrogant ideas of their own per- 

 fedion, and accuflom them to confider Britifh manufadures as the mofl 

 perfed produdions of human ingenuity and induftry, whereby a bene- 

 ficial trade in fuch articles may in time be introduced. 



The prefents were fo choile and valuable, that they excited the at- 

 tention, and alarmed the fufpicions, of the foreign ambafllidors at the 

 Britifh court. ' One of thefe, who ftill held to the exploded prejudice 

 ' of the jealoufy of commerce, not being, it feems, aware that the world 

 ' was wide enough for all who chofe to embark in that kind of life, 

 ' and that it fiourifhed befl by reciprocation, failed not to attribute to 

 ' the Britifh adminiflration and Eafl-India company a defign of en- 



* grofling the total trade of China by the exclufion of all other foreign- 



* ers, and propofed a counter embafly to avert the evil ;):.' So far, how- 

 ever, was this very jealous foreign rainifler raiftaken with refped to the 



* A proof of the little eflimation in which the temporary expatriation much more feverely than 



Chinefe government hold fuch of their fubjefts as by ncgled. About the year 161 3 the emperor put 



emigrate, or go abroad for commercial purpofes, to death, and confifcated the effects of, 5,000 



appears in the following fafts. In the year 1740 people for trading out of the country, contrary to 



the Chinefe in Java, where they are very numerous, his edift. \_Purchas's Pi/grimes, B. iiii, p. _^68.]] 

 revolted againft the Dutch government, in confe- f No automata were fent, though fuch articles 



quence of which they were all niafiacred. The ufcd to be fo much fancied in China, that they have 



Dutch governor thought it necelfary to fend an been fent thither from this country to the amount 



apology to the emperor of China upon the occafi- of about a million fterling. It was believed that 



on. But the deputies were very agreeably furprifcd the Chinefe were fatiated with the fight of fuch 



to find that the emperor took no concern in the ufelefs trinkets. 



fate of unworthy fubjcfts, who, in purfuit of lucre, J I have taken pleafure in tranfcrlbing thefe 



had quitted their couiitiy, and abandoned the tombs lines on account of the liberal fpirit difplayed ii! 



of their anceftors. [^Account of the embaffy, Isfc. V. them, 

 i. /. 299. j In former times they punilhcd even * 



