904 
with. equity, and_am pleafed with the 
homage of. thofe who come to admire my 
wifdom. I defire greatly to rejoice alio 
‘with all foreign } <ingdoms in that pro- 
fperity, which is granted us from heaven ; 
and think that among my firft duties. 
<< T commend your nation, which, although , 
feparated from mine by fo great an inter- 
val of fea, has neverthelels ep: letters of 
congratulation to me, and brought alfo 
conciliatory prefents. After having exa- 
mined the letters, I perceive nothing either 
in the words, or in the fpirit that dictated 
them, that militates again{t the higheft ve- 
neration fer my charaéter ; from which I 
infer, that the principles of my govern- 
ment are juft, and meet with your appro- 
bafion. 
_ € And, truly, this is not without juft 
caufe; for during the time in which you 
have! carried on trade at Canton (now 
many years) cur government has behaved 
honourably to all “foreign nations ; of all 
thefe not one cam be tound that has not 
received tokens of my regard and protec- 
tion. In proof of which I might mention 
the Portuguefe, the Ttalians, the Eneiith, 
and people of other aes who are full 
- of attachment to me, who are approv ed of 
by me, and who have brought me many 
valuable tokens of their-efteem. In a 
word, I treat all alike, without any par- 
ees ; vand although that which is offered 
to me may be of Tittle value, it is my 
~euftom to make a liberal: return 3 which 
difpofition of mine, no doubt, you are fuf- 
ficiently acquainted with. 
<s So far as concerns his Excellency, the 
ambaflador, who has arrived in my domi- 
nions, I perceive he is not fent nominally 
by your government ; but that the com- 
pany to which he belongs, poficfs the 
power to authorize him to prefent me 
with a fimilar proof of good will and 
efteem, as you yourfelves would with to 
do ; and, that having the command of the 
Stadtholder to obferve the proiperity of 
my kingdom, and inform him thereof, 
they have felt themfelves inclined to felici- 
tate me on the arrival of the fixtieth 
year of my reign: and becaufe the com- 
pany is tar removed from the feat of go- 
vernment, and cannot eafily learn the fen 
timents of their rulers, they are juftified 
therefore in prefuming on the difpofition 
of their fovereign, and thus, in his name, 
congratulating me. For Ido not doubt, 
but the fame good will and affection which 
exift in them towards me; exif alfo in 
your breafts; and, therefore, I treat their 
ambaflador, as if oF nae been immediately 
fent from the kin 
Original Letiers of Kien-Long. 
[O@ober, 
«© T wifh alfo you fhould know, that in - 
the ambaflador, charged with your letters 
patent and prefents, I have. obferved not 
lefs dignity than fincerity in his a€tions. 
© J have ordered my nobles to admit 
him into my audience ; I have entertained 
him with various dese and per- 
mitted him to fee all places, not excepting” 
my own {plendid palaces in the gardens of 
Zeren-ming-yuen ; I have ‘made. him ex- 
perience the effects of my benevolence, 
fince we both mutually rejoice in the 
peace of this empire; and I have befide 
made valuable prefents, not only to your 
ambaflador, but to his attendants, the in- 
_terpreters, the foldiers and fervants: to 
thofe I have given many things, as will 
appear from the following catalogue, be~ 
yond my ufual cuftom. 
“© On the return of the ambaffador to 
his own country, I gave orders that he 
fhould prefent filks and other precious 
things to the S:adtholder, to which I 
added feveral other pieces of filk, toge- 
ther with many nudes vales and uten- 
fils. ; 
‘© May the king receive my prefents, 
as from one. who wifhes him profperity 
and happinefs ; may he govern his people 
with wifdom, and preferve an eternal, re- 
membrance of my favours. -A king 
fhould give himfelf entirely to the can 
cerns ot his kingdom ; and to that condu&ét 
I earneftly recommend him.” | 
Given in the fixtieth year of the reign of 
Kien-Long, and on the 20th day of the 
firft moon. 

[Second letter of Kien-Long, the Emperor of 
China, to the governors of his provinces, 
to prefcribe to them in what manner they 
fhould receive the late Dutch Ambafladors, 
on their route.—In the 59th year of ao 
reign of Kien-Long, the aft day of the 
12th moon. | . 
ts HE Emperor orders ; inafmuch as 
he had given command, in the 
former year, on the arrival of the Englifk © 
ambaflador, to every viceray and gover- 
nor, to behave to him with honour, and 
treat him with évery attention, in his pro- 
grefs through the provinces: 
«© And, as the Mandarin-Chang-voay 
informs en that it was not poffible to 
treat the Dutch ambaffadorand his fuite, 
in the provinces, with the fame diftinétion, 
as they did the Englifh ambafiador, be- 
gaufe their journey was made in a much 
more hafty manner: - 
«« As alfo, that the fhort flay of the 
Dutch ambaflador at Pekin rendered it 
z : impoflible 
