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ffiaffherpafter revive in the form of dops.'rats, ftrpcnls, liorfes, 

 and mules ; aud that they fhall he for ever expofed to the 

 mort deirradiiist and wretched tranfmigrstions. Thefe me- 

 naces feldnm fail of making a deep impreffion on the mjnds 

 of the credulous vut^'a'-, infomuch that they often perfuade 

 them to burOj at th.» funerals of their deceafed relatives, 

 paper gilt, or wafhed with fih'er, fi'k, cloth, and other gar- 

 ments, which, they jMrtend, will be converted into fubvlan- 

 tial gold and lilver, and fupcrb ve(l:nents, for th.e ufe of 

 their parents and friends. Lc Compte relates a ftory of an 

 old man, who was led to believe,' by the reprei'entations of 

 thefe bonzes, that his foul flwiild pafs into the body of one 

 of the emperor's p-.ifl-horfcs. The poor man was fo diflrefied, 

 that he could neither cat nor deep, and hi^ grief was uich 

 as to threaten the fpecdy termination of his life. He learned, 

 however, that the fouli of the Chriltians were exempted 

 from thefe dreadful metamorphofes ; upon which, he applied 

 to one of the Jefuits for Chriilian baptifm, afTuring him, that 

 lie would rather be of that, or any rcligiijn, than tranfmi- 

 grate into a poft-horfe. Tlic Jefuit complied with his rc- 

 queft, and made his mind eafy. Thefe bonzes are perfectly 

 acquainted with all the arts of hypocrify and deceit ; and 

 dextroufly praiSife them as occafions occur. They addift 

 therafeives to rigorous falling, frequent watehings, and lon^ 

 prayers before the altars of Fo. Wh.en they cannot obtain 

 gifts by cunning and addrcfs, they endeavour to procure 

 them by exciting c^mpafiion, and by fubmlttiiig to the fe- 

 vereft penances, and praftifmg the moll rigorous aufterities. 

 With this view they often appear in public places, as fright- 

 ful fpeflacles of mortification. They often drag along the 

 llreets heavy chains fattened round their necks, arms, and 

 legs: they beat their heads againll the ftones and polls, and 

 mangle their bodies, fo that they are fmeared with blood ; 

 they carry burning coals upon the tops of their naked 

 heads ; and fome of them are carried about in a kind of 

 fedan, the infide of which is ftuek full of nails and fpikes, 

 fo that they cannot (lir without wounding themfelves ; and 

 thefe nails they fell to the populace for a few pence, as 

 amulets and prefervativcs againll all harm, and as efficacious 

 means of bringing down bleffings on the purchafer and his 

 family. By pretending to know the prefcnt ilate of the 

 dead, and the future condition of the living, they contrive 

 to extort money from the furviving friends, in vivder to pro- 

 cure for the deceafed a foeedy releafe and paffage into a bet- 

 ter ftate. Many other inllances of their knavery are related 

 by Du Halde, Le Compte, and other writers. Some of 

 thefe are fo atrocious in their nature, that the relation of 

 them cannot be read without horror ; and we are led to hope, 

 that they are recited by the Jefuit mifllonaries, to whom 

 the bonzes have been great enemies, and againll whom they 

 have excited various pcrfecutions, with fome exaggeration. 



We read of their privately felling men and women, and 

 hurrying them away in a clofc fedan, where nothing is to be 

 fecn but the tops of their heads, and their eyes moving in a 

 terrifying manner, to the next river or canal, and diownino- 

 them without mercy, before crowds of fpeftators, who are 

 harangued by one of the fraternity into a firm belief that 

 the perfons fo treated had earneftly requelKd to be thus dif- 

 patched out of the world, in order to obtain immortality in 

 a future (late. With all the external appearances of fanciity 

 and aufterity, thefe bonzes unite voluptuous manners and 

 fecret profligacy, cf which various inftances are recited. 

 • Notwith (landing the infatuation which induces the vulgar to 

 fupport the popular fuperllition of the country, the condi- 

 tion and characler of a bonze are generally defpifed in China. 

 Mod of thefe fanatical impoftors are fprung from the drer^s 

 of the people. Thofe of Pegu, however, are faid to be ge- 

 nerally gentlemen of the highell tutraaioii. See Pegu. To 



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recruit and perpetuate thtir feft, they p'.vchafe ycung chil- 

 dren, whom they betimes initiate in all their myfteries, and 

 iwhom they inilruft in every trick and deccpiioji which mav 

 re-;der their profeRiou profitable ; the(.e afterwards fticceeci 

 them, and trajifmit their aits to other young bonzes, who 

 are educated in the fame manner. They are, in general, 

 verv ignoraTit, and unable to give an c.vafl account even of 

 the true doilrine of their fetl. Although the)' ha-ve no re- 

 gular hierarchy, they acknovvkdjre fupev^ors, whcm they 

 call " ta-ho-fhang," or grand bonze:?. This rank fecurcs to 

 thofe v.-ho have attained it particular ddlinction, and the- 

 firfl pkce in all rehgioiis aflemblies at which rhey may be 

 prefent. There are bonzes of all conditions ; fome cteftined 

 only for collecling alms ; others, better (Icilled in the art of 

 fpeaking, and who have acquired f'me knowledge of the 

 Chinefc literature, are commilTioned to vilit the literati, and 

 to infinuate themfelves into the houfes of the great ; old 

 men, rendered venerable by age, and by a grave deportment, 

 are employed to exercife their talents among the female fex ; 

 thefe prefide in all their aflemblies, which, though not com- 

 mon., are held, however, in fevcral provinces. Thefe reli- 

 gious clubs are very lucrative to the bonzes. One of thefe 

 pviells enters the chapel, where the female devotees are af- 

 fembled, and fings fome anthems to the god Fo. At length, 

 aft.-r h:iving for fome time repeated " Omito Fo," (Omito 

 b-ii-.g t\re name of another deity more ancient than Fo, and 

 worshipped by the Japanefe under the name of Amid?., which 

 fee), and after being dunned with the tinkling roife of feveral 

 fmall kettles, upon which they beat, they place themfelves 

 at table, and the noi(y devotion terminates with mirth and 

 a good repaft. On days cf greater folemnity, the bonzes 

 adorn their places of worfliip with feveral idols, and nume- 

 rous paintings, ey.hib'ting under various forms the different 

 punifhments inflicted on the wicked in hell. The prayers 

 and fealling continue feven days, during which their chief 

 bufinefs is to pre are and confecrate treafures for the other 

 world. In every province of China there are temples, to 

 which numerous votaries repair; fome of them making pil. 

 grimages thither from very remote places. The pilgrims 

 climb thefe facred mountains with great difiiculty, and are 

 fometimes dragged up on their bended knees. Thofe, where 

 age or infirmities, or urgent bufinefs, will not allow of their 

 joining thefe devout caravans, commiflion fome of their 

 friends to bring them a large leaf, filled with charafters, and 

 (lamped by the bonzes in a particular corner. The centre 

 of this leaf is occupied by the im.age of the god Fo. On 

 the veftments of the god, and around his figure, are traced 

 out a multitude of circles, intended for the following pur- 

 pofe. — The devotees of the god, whether male or female, 

 wear hanging from their necks, or around their arms, a kind 

 of chaplet, compofed of too beads of moderate fize, divided 

 by three which are much larger; and a bead, ftill bigger, 

 in form of a fmall gourd, ornaments the top of the chaplet. 

 Thefe beads they roll between their fingers, pronouncing 

 the myderious words " 0-mi-to, Fo 1" and each of thefe in- 

 vocations is accompanied by a genu-flcdtion. When they 

 h.ave completed the number of too, equal to that of the 

 beads, they mark with a red ftrbke one of the circles which 

 furround the figure of the god Fo, on the leaf ftamped by 

 the bonzes. This leaf becomes the regifter of all the prayers 

 which they have repeated in the courl'e of their lives. To 

 verify its authenticity, the bonzes are, from time to time, 

 invited to their houfes, where they mull atteft the number 

 of circles marked ^vith red ftrokes, and imprint their feals on 

 the leaf. When .any of them dies, this variable memorial is 

 carried at the funeral with the greatefl folemnity, and depo- 

 fited in a fmall box clofely fluit and fcaled : this they call 

 " lou-in," or a pafTport for the other world ; and it 



coils 



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