1799.) Account of a Chinefe Drama by M. Van Braam, 
ACCOUNT OF THE CHINESE DRAMA, IN- 
TITLED CHON-FON-KAU, or FI- 
DELITY RECOMPENSED. 
By Anpre’ Everarp Van Braam 
Houckceest, Jate Chief in the Direc- 
tion of the Dutch Eaft India Company in 
China, and the fecond Perfon in the Em- 
baffy tothe Courtof the Emperor of China*. 
DRAMATIS PERSON. 
Thay, a Mandarin. 
Hucoun, Father of the Mandarin. 
Atalatay, Mother of the Mandarin, 
Acina, Firft Wife of the Mandarin. ‘ 
Alaya, Second Wife of the Mandarin, and 
Mother of Siou-yé. 
Aouana, a female Servant. 
Atay-Moncon, an old Servant of the Houfe. 
Sioz-yé, Son of the Mandarin. 
Ouong-tfou, a Metlenger of the Emperor- 
Mutes. 
The Suite of the Mandarin. 
Sailors employed in the champanes. 

The duration of the action comprifes an in- 
terval of eighteen years. 
All the fpeaking chara¢ters of the piece ap- 
pear in it fucceflively, and at different in- 
tervals. 
mee li 
“T"HAYE’, a mandarin of letters, has two 
wives. The fecond (Alaya) is brought 
to bed of a fon called Siou-yé. On occa- 
fion of this birth a grand feaft is given in 
the houfe of the mandarin, ‘The relations 
who compofe the family, repair to it to 
blefs the child, and to partake of the com- 
mon joy. 
Duiing this feftival, which lafts many 
days, there comes an order to the manda- 
rin from the emperor, who, informed of 
his great merit and his talents, invites him 
to court. 
The mandarin, withing to obey, affem- 
bles all his family, among which appear 
his father and mother. He communicates 
to them the order of the fovereign, and his 
defign to conform to it as foon as poffible. 
His two wives and his relations appear 
very much alarmed at this departure; but 
he confoles them, and gives counfels and 
iuftructions to his wives and domettics. 
He maintains, in a difcourfe, the neceflary 
obligation which he lies under to ferve the 
monarch and his country with all his 
might, and to be faithful to them. 
Then his father, a venerable old man, 
ftrongly recommends to him a faithful re- 
gard to his duties. He exhorts him never 
to deviate from the path of honour and 
* Our readers will recollect, that M. Van 
Braam has lately publifhed an account of the - 
Embaffy, which has-been tranflated into 
Englith. 
MOnTHLY MAG, No, XLvI, 
S17 
virtue, the only one which.can lead to re- 
‘nown, and render him worthy to pleafe 
the Divinity. 
After this difcourfe, which the manda- 
rin hears in an upright pofture, becaufe a 
fon in China never fits down before his fa~ 
ther, he proftrates himfelf at the feet of 
the authors of his days, and, with his head. 
bent under, implores their benediction ; 
which they give him, each being feated, 
and in a tone breathing fomewhat of ma- 
jefty. The father efpecially imprefles ve- 
neration; but the mother alfo lets fall ex- 
preflions of her tendernefs and fenfibility.. 
Thayé rifes, thanks his parents, and 
parts from them, as well as from his wives, 
with marks of reciprocal attachment. His 
laft movement of regret is for his old do- 
meftic Atay, and for his female fervant 
Aouana; to whom he recommends obedi- 
ence and fubmiffion towards their two mif— 
trefles, the care of whatever concerns the 
houfe, and, above all, attachment to his 
fon, during his own abfence. He pro= 
mifes them to fupply their wants. 
[Exit.—The curtain fallsa 
ACT II. 
After a {pace of four or five years with~ 
out any news from the mandarin, whofe 
father and mother are dead, and the fa~ 
mily in the greateft uneafinefs, the two 
wives become very difcontented. They 
deliberate together, and form the project 
to abandon the houfe of their hufband, 
and go, while they are yet young and 
beautiful, to. feek a better deftiny, per~ 
fuaded that the mandarin has _ perithed 
in an expedition with which it was faid 
the emperor had charged him. 
Having well concerted theirdefign, and 
being firmly decided in their refolution to 
execute it, they impart the fame to the old. 
domeftic, as well as to Aouana. ‘Thefe 
laft exprefs the greateft aftonifhment, and 
a juft indignation at the fhame with 
which thefe two wives would cover their 
matter, or his manés, if he be really dead. 
Both thefe two faithful domeftics addrefs 
the ftrongeft reprefentations to the two 
wives. They draw an energetic picture 
of the fublime fentiments with which chaf- 
tity infpires the women in China; but 
their cares are of no avail, they only ob- 
tain front thofe degraded women a {mile 
of difdain. . 
Aouana, who is touched ftill more by 
this inflexibility, runs, takes up the in- 
fant and prefents it to its mother, as 2 
bond which ought to attach her for ever ta 
the houfe of her hufband. She conjures 
her to have compaffion at leaft on her own 
f 3 xX blood, 
