WONDERS OF TRAVEL. 229 



Chinese mothers torture the feet of their children to pre- 

 yent their growing ; this punishment our women inflict upon 

 themselves, with the only difference, that they arrive at results 

 a little less monstrous. Few people are aware what tortures a 

 French woman suffers, or with what courage she endures 

 them, to lessen the size of her foot a line and a half ! The 

 Roman who burnt his hand over a brazier would have 

 blenched if he had been put to a similar trial. 



The literary men, the savants, let the nail of their little finger 

 grow, which we have discontinued to do, but which was done iu 

 France at the time of Louis XIV., and was esteemed highly 

 fashionable, as MoliSre tells us: — 



" Est-ce par Vongle long qu'il porte au petit doigt! " 



But these are not all the wonders which he tells me he bad 

 .seen in China. 1 will repeat some of them to you, though I 

 know not whether you may not at the present moment be in 

 the midst of the said wonders. 



It appears that in China marriages have for their objects 

 interest and money; that merchants try to sell things at more 

 than their value ; and that misers, idlers, ambitious men, 

 and thieves are not uncommon. 



"Our traveller likewise observed that the emperor, as a 

 mark of distinction, sometimes gives to those he wis.'ies to 

 favour a sort of yellow waistcoat, or a peacock's feather, 

 whilst among us the favour of the master is manifested by a 

 bit of red riband, or the privilege of writing before his name 

 the two letters, d. e. He pretends that, in some provinces, 

 corrupt governors sell honours and employments. He speaks 

 of prevaricating and greedy ministers, of rich men, full of 

 haughtiness and vanity. 



He asserts that there is at Pekin a gazette in which are 

 published exaggerated accounts, and even sometimes false 

 assertions. 



If I am not mistaken, the traveller told me, that among 

 the Chinese, it is not uncommon to see some who feil in their 

 promises, and others who disguise the truth. 



Some, he says, are gamblers, some debauchees. 



Among the women, there are more ugly than pretty; 

 among the men, more fools than wits. 



