L A W. 
350 
and, where the law does not provide, a provifional fen- 
tence may be pronounced, fubjedt to the emperor’s final 
decifion. None fliall bring up as a Have the child of a 
freeman. Unjuft and faife accufations fubjecl the party in¬ 
forming to all the guilt untruly alleged, and more than 
the punifhment for fuch guilt, but ftiort of life, unlefs 
life has been lofc by it. Excitements to profecutions, and 
falfely drawing up informations, are puniftied like faife 
accufations: anonymous informations are puniftied with 
death. 
We fliall conclude with noticing fome lingular inci¬ 
dents, which the law of China attaches to the fituation of 
ftate-officers. The following claufe is perhaps the ftrong- 
eft demonftration ever given of the truth of Tacitus’s 
maxim, Pejfimum genus inimicorum /andantes. “ When any 
officers of the civil department of government, who have 
not diftinguilhed themfelves by extraordinary and great 
fervices to the ftate, are recommended to the confidera- 
tion of the emperor, as deferving of the higheft heredi¬ 
tary honours; fuch officers, and thofe who recommend 
them,lhall fuffer death, by being beheaded, after remain¬ 
ing the ufual period in prifon. Neverthelefs, thofe who 
are recommended to fuch honours in confequence of their 
being the lineal descendants of diftinguilhed oflicers and 
magiftrates, who by their valour and exertions had avert¬ 
ed national calamities, protected the empire, and contri¬ 
buted to the eltablilhment of the imperial family, fhall be 
free from any liability to the penalties of this law. 
“If an officer belonging to any of the departments of 
government, or any private individual, lliould addrefs the 
emperor in praife of the virtues, abilities, or fuccefsful ad- 
miniftration, of any of his majefty’s confidential minifters 
of ftate, it is to be confidered as an evidence of the exift- 
ence of a treafonable combination fubverfive of govern¬ 
ment, and fhall therefore be inveftigated with the utmoft 
Itridnefs and accuracy ; the caul'e and origin of thele in- 
terelled praifes of perfons high in rank and office being 
traced, the offending party fliall fuffer death, .by being 
beheaded, after remaining in prifon the ufual period. 
His wives and children fhall become flaves, and his pro¬ 
perty fliall be confifcated. If the confidential minifter or 
great officer of the crown, to whom the addrefs related, 
was privy to the defign, he fliall participate in the pu- 
niftiment of the offence ; but otherwife, fliall be excufed. 
“If any officer of government, during the period of his 
adminittration, prefunies to raiie, within the limits of his 
diftrid, public monuments difplaying infcriptions in ho¬ 
nour of himfelf, when he had in fad performed no fervice 
to the ftate worthy of fuch commemoration, he fliall be 
puniftied with ioo blows. If an officer fends any perfon 
to his fuperior to foiicit his fandion to the elevation of 
honorary monuments as aforelaid, upon the pretext of 
fervices falfely alleged to have been performed by him, 
lie fliall be puniftied with So blows, and the perfon who 
undertakes to convey the requelt under fuch circum- 
ftances fliall fuffer punifhment lefs by one degree. The 
monuments undefervedly railed fliall be deltroyed, and the 
infcriptions effaced.” 
Extended to our own country, fuch laws would often 
infiicl a capital punifhment, not only on the editor of a 
minifterial newfpaper, but on every member of his ma¬ 
jefty’s cabinet-council ; and we doubt whether the nu¬ 
merous pamphlets of the right honourable George Rofe, 
in commendation of Mr. Pitt’s fuccefsful management of 
public affairs, would not condemn their difinterefted au¬ 
thor to the block ! 
The reader may be defirous to compare this fummary 
of Chinel'e law, as publiftied by authority, with the lefs- 
authentic particulars we were able to glean from former 
writers before the appearance of the Ta Tfing Leu Lee. 
They will not be found to differ very materially, at leaft 
not to contradict each other. See the article China, 
vol. iv. p.445-455, 486,490. We fliall conftantly find, 
that the code of China exhibits the influence of paternal 
power and education, and affords ftrong proof of the ad¬ 
vantages which an uniformity of laws and manners 
throughout a country gives to the government of an im- 
menfe empire. The rules of the Chou-king, fome of them 
2000 years and upwards before the Chriltian era, yet fub- 
fift, and, diffufed through the Ta Tfing Leu Lee, now go¬ 
vern three hundred millions of mankind. 
Of the Zendavesta, or Laws of Zoroaster. 
Whilft China, India, and Chaldea, enjoyed all the ad¬ 
vantages of civilized focietv, Media and Perfia were la¬ 
bouring under all difadvantages of its reverfe. The lat¬ 
ter had gradually declined from a happier condition ; and 
the law of the fovereign, who is defcribed as having been 
the benefactor of man, though exifting perhaps in tradi¬ 
tion among a few, was unknown, forgotten, or negleded 
by the multitude. Jemfcheed, from the antiquity which 
clouds him, was probably fome one of the early defcen- 
dants of Noah of the branch of Shem. He is laid to have 
found the world in an uncultivated and almoft barren 
ftate. He went abroad upon the earth; and, wherever he 
ftuck his golden poignard into it, the grain and fruits 
fprang forth, and men and cattle fwarmed to the new 
abundance. In the fertile and favoured country of Ver 
injuftice was unknown; and the government of Jemf¬ 
cheed could boaft what no modern civilized kingdom ever 
could, that there was neither an impoitor nor a beggar to 
be found in it. But from this ftate of happinefs man had 
been feduced by the malevolence of Arimanius, the in¬ 
dependent fpirit or principle of evil, and his minifters the 
Deeves; and, to reltore as far as polfible the empire of 
Oromafdes, or Ormuzd, the divine fpirit or principle of 
goodnels, was the objeCI of Zerdulht, whom the ancient 
Perfians called Zerethofchtro, or the Golden Star, and the 
Greeks Zoroajler. The country where he firft made his. 
appearance leems to have been that of the Medes, at the 
court of Guftitasf, by fome fuppofed the father of Darius 
Hyltalpes, (B. C. 520.) but more probably Cyaxares of 
Media, (B. C. 624.) In the prefence of this prince he 
opened his million, and the attempt was as fuccefsful as 
it was bold ; Guflitasf approved and embraced the law. 
We are indebted to M. d’Anquetil du Perron, a French 
writer, for a tranflation of the Zendavcjla, or “ Zendifh 
Word,” as he interprets it ; but Prideaux tells 11s, that 
Zendavefta “ originally fignifieth a fire-kindler, fuch as is 
a tinder-box with us; which fantaftical name the impoitor 
gave it, becaufe, as he pretended, all that would read this 
book, and meditate thereon, might from thence, as from 
a fire-kindler, kindle in their hearts the fire of all true 
love tor God and his holy religion. But it is to be ob- 
ferved, that in thofe ealtern countries their way of kind¬ 
ling fire is not with a tinder-box, as with us, but by rub¬ 
bing two pieces of cane one againft another, till one of 
them takes fire; and fuch a fire-kindler of his religion in 
the hearts of men the impoitor would have his book to be ; 
and therefore called it by that name. The firft part of it 
contains their liturgy, which is ft ill ufed among them in 
their oratories and fire-temples even to this day; the reft 
treats of all other parts of their religion and of civil af¬ 
fairs. And, according as their actions agree or dilagree 
with this book, do they reckon them to be either good 
or evil. Thence, in their language, they call a righteous 
adion Zend-aver , i.e. what the book Zend allows; and an 
evil addon Na-Zend-aver, i. e. which the book Zend difal- 
lows. This book Zoroalter feigned to have received from 
heaven, as Mahomet afterwards (perchance following his 
pattern) pretended of his Alcoran. It is ftill prelerved 
among them in the Pahlavi, or old Perfian language and 
character ; and in every oratory and fire-temple, even to 
this day, there is a copy of it kept (in the fame manner as 
there is with us of the Bible in every parilh-church), out 
of which, on certain Itated times, the prielts read a por¬ 
tion of it to the people; but, as the Pahlavi language is 
entirely antiquated, the people do not underftand a word 
