L A W. 34,7 
cro,wn, which are defcendible in the right line to the 
eldeft heir male, not incapacitated to fucceed by incurable 
illnefs or mifconduCt, in which cafe the next is called in; 
but they are refumable at pleafure. Such dignities, how¬ 
ever, are not neceffarily attended with the privilege of 
nobility, which is''merely enjoyed by the imperial blood, 
by thofe of the fecond rank employed in any official ca¬ 
pacity, and thofe of the third whofe office confers any ci¬ 
vil or military command. Beyond this privilege, the ho¬ 
nours of nobility fink with the wearer, except in the me¬ 
mory of his family, and his children fall to that level to 
which their want of capacity or merit confines them ; one 
only exception through the various revolutions of the 
empire exifts in the family of Confucius mentioned above, 
which is perhaps the oldeft and nobleft upon earth. 
One principal wife alone is permitted by the Ta Tfing 
Leu Lee; but concubines, under the polite denomination 
of inferior wives, are permitted in any number. No abate¬ 
ment can take place in the condition or rank of the for¬ 
mer; nor, during her life, any amelioration df that of 
the latter, who are little better than the fervants of 
the principal wife. The prohibited degrees are nu¬ 
merous. In a population equal to that of all Eu¬ 
rope, there are not more than a hundred family-names; 
and none of the fame name are permitted to intermarry. 
Marriage between perfons related within the fourth de¬ 
gree inclufive, or with the widow of any near relation, 
tmlefs this latter connexion had been previoully broken 
by divorce or intervening marriage with a ftranger, (in 
which cafe 80 blows are deemed lufficient,) or between 
mterines, or that of the daughter of a wife by a former 
liufband, is inceft, and punifhable in different degrees : 
marrying a father or mother’s lifter-in-law, the daughter 
of a father or mother’s aunt, a fon or daughter-in-law’s 
lifter, or a grandlon’s wife’s lifter, or the daughter of a 
mother’s brother or lifter, a female criminal abfconding, 
or a (lave, are feverally punillied with a certain number 
of blows, to which banilhment is in fome cafes fuperad- 
ded. In all thefe cafes the marriage is annulled, the marri¬ 
age-prefents generally forfeited to government, the parties 
reftored to their former rank, and the party giving or 
contracting on the part of the hulband fuffers punifhment, 
which however never extends to lofs of life, though no¬ 
minally capital. Marriage with a female relation beyond 
the fourth degree, or with the widow of a male rela¬ 
tion equally remote, is punillied with 100 blows; that 
with a widow of a relation in the fourth degree, or of a 
filter’s fon, is punifhable with 60, and a year’s banilh- 
ment; that with a father or grandfather’s former wives, 
or with a father’s filter or a brother’s widow, with death; 
the two former by decollation, the latter by Itrangling. 
The marriages of officers belonging to the government of 
a town of the firft, fecond, or third, order, with the daugh¬ 
ters of any inhabitant under their jurifdidtion, or with fe¬ 
male mulicians or comedians, are feverally annulled, and 
punillied with forfeiture and banilhment; and in the for¬ 
mer cafes, if the marriage is a compenfation for unjuft: 
decifions, may amount to a capital crime. The parties 
are refpeCtively reftored to their former lituations ; but it 
feems unreafonable that the female comedian Ihould be 
prevented again exercifing her profeftion. Marrying a fe¬ 
male criminal abfconding, fubjefts the hulband to the of¬ 
fence of the wife ; but abating his punifhment two de¬ 
grees if flie is only fugitive, and one degree if her crime 
is capital. The carrying oft’ by violence and marrying 
the daughter of a freeman is death. Ta TJing Leu Lee, 
§ ci-cxvii. 
The age for marriage in males is twenty complete; in 
females, it would appear, confummation is not allowable 
before twelve. In this lerious engagement, the objeCts of 
the marriage are never confulted ; the contractors are the 
eldeft parents on each fide. On the part of the intended 
hulband, the refpeClability of the family of the female is 
conlidered 5 and, on bet’s, the wealth of the family to whom 
<he is to be contracted, and how much can be obtained 
for the fale of her. Other matters are alfo ordered by the 
code to be afeertained previous to the marriage. The 
parties lhall clearly underhand whether thofe for whom 
they are contracting, or either of them, is difealed, infirm, 
under age, children by blood or by adoption; -if either 
party then objeCt, the treaty ceales; but, if they approve, 
the marriage-articles lhall be drawn up, and the amount 
of the niarriage-prefents, another term for the price of the 
female, lhall be afeertained. Acceptance of thefe prefents 
is fufficient evidence of agreement. No cancelling is per¬ 
mitted after affiancing, and a fubfequent engagement 
with another is punifiied in the party fwerving who has 
the power to contraCl or give away; the bride iirall go to 
the bridegroom to whom ftie was firft contracted ; but, 
where the fault is on the fide of the female, and her mar¬ 
riage completed, that is, if (he has been peffonally pre- 
fented to and received by the firft bridegroom, the party 
to whom 111e was firft contracted may claim or rejeCt her 
as he pleafes; and, if the fecond bridegroom was confci- 
ous of the prior contract, his marriage-prefents lhall be 
forfeited to government. In a marriage thus contracted, 
where the objects of the contract are feen by neither, lome 
regulation was neceflary to guard againft fraud ; and, if 
the parties put together are not the lame as thofe concern¬ 
ing whom the contraCl originated, they are to be feparat- 
ed, and the prefents returned or forfeited, according as 
the wrong may be on the fide of the purchafer or feller. 
In cafe of adultery, flagrante deliEto, the wife and the 
adulterer may be killed in any manner, but fubfequent 
revenge is not warranted by the law; and, retiring to an¬ 
other room after commiffion, they lhall not be followed 
to be killed, but fubjeCted to the punilhments of the 
laws: the adultrefs lhall be punillied with 100 blows, and 
fold in marriage; the adulterer with 80. If Ihe contrive to 
procure her hulband’s death, Ihe (hall die by torture; if 
the adulterer, without her privity, kill him, (lie lhall be 
ltrangled. 
Divorce in the cafe of adultery feems to be required by 
the law ; but there are feven other juftifying caufes to 
ground it; viz. ftriking a hulband, barrennefs, lafcivi- 
oufnefs, difregard of her hulband’s parents, talkativenefs, 
thievifti propenfities, envious and fufpicious temper, and 
inveterate infirmity. But againft the juftifying caufes 
certain reafons may alfo operate: thus, if the wife has 
mourned three years for her hulband’s parents; if his fa¬ 
mily has become rich, having been poor at the time of 
marriage; if (lie has no parents alive to take her back; 
in all thefe cafes, the hulband (ball be compelled to 
receive her again. If the hulband refute to confent to a 
divorce, and the wife abfeond, (lie lhall fuft'er 100 blows, 
and may be fold; if, during his abfence, (lie contract 
marriage with another, Ihe (hall be put to death; even de- 
fertion by the hulband will not warrant her quitting his 
roof, or abfconding, or re-marrying without notice to the 
tribunal. To render any aCt of her’s a fecond marriage, 
flie muft be given away, and a delivery of marriage-pre¬ 
fents muft alfo pafs; otherwife (lie is guilty of adultery. 
The very title of the law which we are about to tran- 
feribe will excite the aftonilhment of our countrymen, 
and the alarm of our readers of the fofter fex : “Lending 
wives or daughters on hire, &c.” Both, however, will be 
happy to fee that fuch a traffic is expofed to the fevered 
chaftifement: “ Whoever lends any one of his wives, to 
be hired as a temporary wife, lhall be punifiied with So 
blows; whoever lends his daughter in like manner, lhall 
be punilhed with 60 blows; the wife or daughter in fuch 
cafes lhall not be held refponfible. Whoever, falfely re- 
prefenting any of his wives as his filter, gives her away in 
marriage, lhall receive xco blows ; and the wife confenting- 
thereto lhall be punilhed with 80 blows. Thofe who 
knowingly receive in marriage the wives, or hire for a li¬ 
mited time the wives or daughters, of others, lhall parti¬ 
cipate equaiiy in the aforelaid punilhment, and the par- 
