Cuar. I.] CHINA RETROGRADING. 9 
the north of China; more particularly in Shanghae. 
What should we think if such a state of things 
existed in England? and yet this is a specimen of 
the government which has been considered so per- 
fect, and which has been so highly eulogised. 
There can be no doubt that the Chinese empire 
arrived at its highest state of perfection many years 
ago; and since then it has rather been -retrogra- 
ding than advancing. Many of the northern cities, 
evidently once in the most flourishing condition, 
are now in a state of decay, or in ruins; the 
pagodas which crown the distant hills, are crumb- 
ling to pieces, and apparently are seldom repaired ; 
the spacious temples are no longer as they used to 
be in former days; even the celebrated temples on 
Pootoo-San (an island near Chusan), to which, as 
to Jerusalem of old, the natives come from afar to 
worship, show all the signs of having seen better 
days. It is very true that these are heathen 
temples, and the good in every land will hail with. 
delight the day when these shall give way to others 
which shall be erected to the true God: but never- 
theless such is the fact, that these places are not 
supported as they used to be: and from this I 
conclude that the Chinese, as a nation, are retro- 
grading rather than advancing. 
Although I have considered it necessary to ex- 
pose in this manner the prejudiced opinions which 
have been from time to time given out to the world 
by authors on China, I am far from having any 
prejudice against the Chinese people. On the con- 
