Ch. xii. China and Japan. 209 



brooks and canals, wherewith the country is wa- 

 tered.* 



Secondly, the very great encouragement that 

 from the beginning of the monarchy has been 

 given to agriculture, which has directed the la- 

 bours of the people to the production of the 

 greatest possible quantity of human subsistence. 

 Duhalde says, that what makes these people un- 

 dergo such incredible fatigues in cultivating the 

 earth is not barely their private interest, but 

 rather the veneration paid to agriculture, and 

 the esteem which the emperors themselves have 

 always had for it, from the commencement of the 

 monarchy. One emperor of the highest reputa- 

 tion was taken from the plough to sit on the 

 throne. Another found out the art of draining 

 water from several low countries, which were till 

 then covered with it, of conveying it in canals to 

 the sea, and of using these canals to render the 

 soil fruitful. f He besides wrote several books on 

 the manner of cultivating land, by dunging, tilling 

 and watering it. Many other emperors expressed 

 their zeal for this art and made laws to promote 

 it; but none raised its esteem to a higher pitch 

 than Ven-ti, who reigned 179 years before Christ. 

 This prince, perceiving that his country was ruined 

 by wars, resolved to engage his subjects to culti- 

 vate their lands, by the example of ploughing 

 with his own hands the land belonging to his pa- 



* Duhalde's China, vol. i. p. 314. 

 t Id. p. 274. 



vor.. f. p 



