r 
Chap. IIL the Empire o/China. pSi 
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duces all Things j thus attfibutirtg to Nature, almoft all 
that the Ancients afcrlbed to Heaven, or we acknow- 
ledge in the Deity They call her a Principle indepen- 
dent of all others ; feparating her from the Imperiefti- 
ons and Deficiencies of all corporeal and fenfible Mat- 
ter. Thofe who encline to this Se6t believe, that the 
World had a Beginning, and fhall have an End : But 
fhall afterwards begin and end again as before, and fo 
perpetually and interchangeably renew and perifh. And 
according to their Opinion numerous Worlds have al- 
ready exifted, and thofe after this to an infinite Num- 
ber fhall fuccefTively make Roorn for one another. 
Though thefe Hypothefes an 4 Opinions concerning 
Nature are but groundlefs Imaginations, yet the mofl 
learned Chinefe are very fond of them, as affording Mat- 
ter for feveral Speculations no Way difagreeeble, which 
may tend to the Improvement of their Intelledfuals. 
9. We have already mentioned xht Bramins and 
Bonzih in this Chapter ; they are not very different from 
the Lama's^ (which are Tartarian PrieftsJ in any Par- 
ticulars befides the external yellow Cloathing, and fome 
peculiar fuperftitious Ceremonies ; Both worfliip the 
fame God Fo j their religious Worfhip, Opinions and 
Faith is very near the fame : However the Lama's in 
China are only Tartarian Priefts, but in Fartary they 
ad: the Part of the Lama^ God or Gods of the People : 
It is there that Fo has his Throne, it is there he appears 
in the Shape of an immortal rational Animal, whofe 
Place at leaft is perpetually fupplied by a living Crea- 
ture ; for as foon as one Man dies, another like him is 
fubftituted in the divine Throne in the Temple, in 
order to keep up and promote the ridiculous Opinion 
of the Immortality of this God. To this Purpofe he is 
honoured with religious Worfhip by great Crouds of 
Lama's,, whofe Number is fo large, and the Efteem of 
this Dodrine (though not for the Priefts of it) is fo 
imprinted on the Minds of the People of all Fartary 
and China, that it is thought to withhold the Emperor 
himfelf from difcovering any farther Inclinations to fa- 
vour the Chriftian Religion for Fear of a Revolt, 
We have already fpoken concerning the Chriftians, 
the Time of their firft beginning to fettle here, their 
planting of the Faith, the bitter Afflidions they have 
fuftered, and in what State Chriftianity ftands at prefent. 
It now only remains that we fay fomething of the 
Mahometans ; of whofe Principles and Pradifes I fhall 
only obferve. That their Number is not very great in 
China, though they are more numerous than the Chrif- 
iians, as having inhabited chat Country much longer, 
that is, above feven hundred Years longer in feveral 
Provinces of this Empire, where they were indulged 
with Liberty, which they neither did, nor do mifufe, 
by prefling others to embrace their Religion, or zea- 
loufly aiming at the making of Converts ; for they 
quietly live together, and are moftly allied by Mar- 
riage, Intereft, or Converfation ; and, in fhort, live in 
a Sort of Covenant, like the Jews in other Countries, 
But their Religion is very much fpread here fince their 
Original, and hath taken very deep Root, more ef- 
pecially fince the free Trade with the Mufcomtes, Far- 
tars, Mogols, and other Nations. And as Weeds foon 
fprout up and grow apace, this pernicious Seed of 
impious Dodrine hath fo increafed, that the Sprouts of 
it are, as I have faid, much more numerous in China 
than the Chriftians. 
10. The Chinefe in general are very well bred, and 
they are obferved to be very civil in Words and Adions ; 
when they entertain any Perfon, though below them, 
they always give the Gueft the upper Hand, which in 
the Southern Provinces is efteemcd the Right, but in the 
Northern is taken to be the Left. They alfo utterly 
differ from the Fartars in their Manner of Sitting ; for 
the former fit down on the Earth, but the Chinefe make 
ufe of Chairs and Stools. In Vifits, the Mafter of the 
Houfe, feeing his Gueft approach, goes out well drefsM 
to meet him, and with his Head covered (uncovering 
the Head being a Salutation never ufed in China') advances 
half Way of the outer Court before his Houfe, where 
he and the Vifitant meet, and exchange Compliments in 
the following Manner : The Gueft takes, the Right 
Hand of his Entertainer (dr left according to the abovC- 
mentioned Difference in the Northern or Southern Pro- 
vinces) who confequently ftands on the ocher Hand ; 
then they both very refpedfully bow very low three of 
four Times, lifting up their Hands and Arms, (whicll 
whilft they are going they fold in their wide Sleeves) irt 
a Sort of ftately Manner, and afterwards as decently 
letting them fall \ after which they fpeak to one another 
in a very civil and engaging Chinefe Tone: This done^ 
fometimes they change Places, he that was on the Right 
taking the Left Hand, in order to repay the received 
Civilities. After which they enter the Houfe, where 
the vifited Perfon always takes the lower^ and gives his 
Gueft the upper Hand. Being entred and fat down^ 
a Difh of Tea, with a Piece of Sweatmeat in it is fet 
before each Perfon ; he that fits at the upper Hand being 
firft ferved, and the reft fucceffively in Order. Before 
they fit down, even betwixt Perfons of equal Condi- 
tion, feveral ceremoneous and engaging Contefts arifs 
about the Refufal of the fuperior Place ; the mo ft wor- 
thy and higheft efteemed Perfon is placed uppermoft, 
and he among thofe of equal Character is the oldeft 5 
but Strangers, and thofe who come from diftanc Coun- 
tries, are let above ail the reft. 
The Ceremonies at Departure are almoft the fame 
with thofe at the Entrance. The Mafter of the Houfej; 
with feveral Bowings of Head and Body, and moving 
the Hands, accompanies his Guefts, firft to the inner 
Door, then to the Middle of the outer Court, and laftly 
to the outermoft Gate, out of which he alfo goes 5 du- 
ring all which Time the Vifitants are complimenting 
and thanking their Entertainer with the fame Refpe< 5 t ; 
after which, they either mount their Horfes, or get 
into their Chariots as they came ; then a Servant is 
fenc after them by the Mafter of the Houfe, to compli- 
ment and wifh them a good Journey in his Mafter^s 
Name ; upon which they fend their Servants back to the 
Entertainer, to thank him for his laft Civility. The 
Ceremonies in paying and receiving of Vifits amongft- 
great Officers or Perfons of Quality, muft not be done 
in their common Gloaths, but in Robes of Stafe 5 and 
in Cafe the Vifitant ftiouid fail in this Particular, the 
Vifited would be apt to be difgufted at it, and not 
give him Entrance, at leaft before he had changed his 
own Drefs ; And in like Manner, if the Mafter of the 
Houfe Ihould attempt to receive his Gueft in a meaner 
Robe than he hath on, the other would not enter the 
Houfe. For which Reafon, Perfons of Condition al- 
ways take Care to be provided with thefe vifiting Robes, 
and caufe them to be carried after them, in order to 
make ufe of them in Cafe of any fudden Accident j for 
even in chance Meetings, the Compliments are delayed 
if one of them have his Robe of State on, till the other 
can put on his. The Chinefe abound in thefe and fuch 
like Grimaces and Geftures, which they reckon an 
Honour to their Nation, and fay that they are Signs 
of good Breeding, in which they excel other Nations, as^ 
much as Men do Beafts. 
In Cafe of a Salutation or Vifit betwixt Perfons who 
have not for a long Time feen each other, they both 
fall on their Knees, and thrice bow fo low as that their 
Heads touch the Ground. And it is in the very fame 
Manner that even the meaner Sort welcome one ano- 
ther. This is likewife the Pofture of Servants fpeaking 
to their Mafters, and the Populace to the Mandaryns or 
high Officers. The like Bowings of the Head thrice 
fo low, as to touch the Ground, are alfo ufed in the wor- 
fliipping of their Idols. 
I forgot to mention, that the Vifitant^ always before 
he makes any Vifit, dilpatches a Servant to the Perfon 
to be vifited, with a Piece of red Paper in his Hand, 
in which is written the Name of the Perfon his Mafter 
intends to vifit ; With this he goes to the Houfe and 
delivers his Meffage 5 but if the Mafter of the Houfe 
be abroad, or engaged, he ftill leaves that Paper in 
Difcharge of his Order, and returns with the Anfwer 
to his Mafter. 
The Ceremonies obferved in Feafts and Entertain- 
ments are very great j after the cuftomary Compli- 
ments of Saluutjon, each Perfon is placed according to 
his 
