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The Chinese are so desirous of having posterity,
that a father lives in some sort of dishonour
and is not easy in his mind 'till he hath
married all his children: this makes them solicitous
to dispose of them early.

There have been instances in China of criminals
under sentence of death, who, being
childless and their families in danger of becoming
extinct, have had their executions respited
for a time, and been suffered to have their
wives co-habit with them, that they might not die
without leaving posterity. P. Du Halde, vol.
1. p. 303. 632. vol. 2. p. 70.

Among the Chinese, Marriage, when duly
solemnized, cannot be dissolved, and although
their laws allow of Divorce in some few cases,
of which adultery is chief, yet instances of it
are very rare, and those only among the very
lowest of the people.

P. Du Halde, vol. 1. p. 305. 444. Let. edif.
xxvj. 107.

Wild and extravagant, as they may seem to
us, ideas of this kind are familiar with the Chinese.—In
one of their moral treatises, as a striking
pattern of filial piety, is recommended the
behaviour of Tsi-king, "who hearing, that sick
people, when given over, have sometimes
been cured by eating human flesh, cut a piece
out of his own leg and served it up to his
mother, who lay dangerously ill." [See P.
Du Halde, v. 2. p. 85. and Ibid. pag. 167.]—
Nor is the notion of using human substance
confined to medicine only; one of their Emperors
is said to have employed in a Mausoleum,
which he built, lamps, that were fed with human
fat. [Id. vol. 1. p. 494.] Even so lately as in
the year 1746. one of the Missionaries being
seized on, and some white wax candles found
in his custody; the Chinese (among whom
the art of blanching wax is unknown) instantly
imagined them to be made of human
fat: and these suspicions seized not the common
people only, but the Mandarines themselves,
who should have known better. See
Lett. edif. xxvij. 365.

As to Pe-kan, his story is a very celebrated
one among the Chinese, but is related by most
of their writers in the following manner. The
Emperor Chew (who reigned An. 1154. before
Christ, and who is looked upon as the Nero
of the Chinese) had a very wicked queen named
Ta-kia, at whose instigation he perpetrated a
thousand cruel actions, and rendered himself
universally odious. One of his uncles named
Pe-kan (or Pi-cang) said to himself, "It is better
to die than to keep silence any longer: though
the tyrant will not hear my remonstrance, yet
my country will, and so will posterity." He
accordingly addressed himself to the Emperor,
who heard his reproofs with an air of indignation
and sury, "It is pretended, said he,
that the hearts of the sages have seven ventricles[4]
, I will see, if it be so in this Pe-kan,
who makes such an ostentation of his wisdom
and fortitude." So saying he ordered his breast
to be opened, and with many scoffs and jeers
had his heart brought for him to examine.

Vid. P. Du Halde, vol. 1. p. 447. Conf. lib.
3. p. 133. Mart. Hist. p. 94.

N. B. The Chinese Historians tells us, it was
this Queen that introduced the fashion of little
seet among the women. Her own being very
small, she bound them tight with filets, affecting
to make that pass for a studied beauty,
which was originally an accidental blemish.

P. Du Halde, vol. 1. p. 157. Mart. Hist.
p. 95.

Page 5. lin. 6. note [parents*.]

The Translator's MS. adds, "which was
next to that due to the Emperor."

This connection of ideas is natural to the
Chinese, whose government is purely partriarchal,
and with whom it is a fundamental
principle, "that the state is a large family:
that kings ought to have in the empire all
the tenderness of fathers, and fathers in
their families all the tenderness of kings."

P. Du Halde, v. 1. p. 303.

A proverbial expression of the Chinese to signify
the superior fortitude and wisdom of their saints or
heroes, &c.

The Chinese are the most ceremonious and
complaisant people in the world: this affected
civility extends to the very lowest ranks of their
people, among whom it hath good effects.
"I was one day," says P. Le Fontenay, "in a
very narrow and deep road, where in a short
time there happened a great stop of carts.
I expected they would have fallen into a
passion, have given one another abusive language,
and perhaps have come to blows, as
is common in Europe; but was much sur-prized
to see them salute each other, speak
mildly as if they had been old acquaintance,
and lend their mutual assistance to
make way."

P. Du Halde, vol. 1. p. 278.—See L' esprit
des Loix. tom. 1. p. 441. Ed. 8vo.

The Missionaries have not described the
manner in which the Chinese betroth or contract
their children: yet the practice is common with
them: who sometimes contract a couple together,
as soon as they are born. Nor is it unusual for
the bride to remain afterwards with her friends
some years before the marriage is compleated.
"The rites ordain," saith an ancient Chinese
author, "that maidens should be early
married. Fifteen years of age is the common
time of betrothing, and twenty of consummating
the marriage."—It may be observed
however that the Chinese at present seldom
defer the marriage of their children so
long as this.

P. Semedo, p. 71. P. Du Halde, vol. 1. p.
632. & passim.

The Chinese have their sleeves very wide
and falling into large folds, so that they are
very capacious, and occasionally serve for pockets:
[See P. Du Halde vol. 2. p. 104, 108.]
Yet besides this they have a pocket or pouch
hanging at their girdle, in which they carry
their purse, knife, &c. P. Du Halde, vol. 1.
p. 282.

The tribunal and house of a Mandarine
are only separated by a wall. The gate of
communication is commonly shut, and guarded
by a servant. P. Du Halde, vol. 2. p. 71. n.

When the Mandarines are deputed to any
employment they receive in great form, a seal,
as the badge of their office, which is of more
precious or baser metal according to their degree
or rank. These seals are on the days of
ceremony, or when they visit those to whom
they would shew respect, carried before their
chair in a golden box by two men on a kind
of litter; and being come to the place appointed,
they are laid on a side-table covered
with a carpet. The seals used in China are
never ingraven with the figure of an animal,
but with some inscription in Chinese characters.

P. Du Halde, vol. 1. p. 243. &c.

This is not a random question: such of the
Literati in China, as have taken any degree,
are no longer liable to be bastinadoed by the
common Mandarines; but have a governor,
whose peculiar province it is to look after
them, and to whom alone they are accountable.
See P. Du Halde, vol. 1. p. 376.

All messages from the Emperor, whether
in writing or by word of mouth, must be received
kneeling. See Lett. edif. xiij. 377. Mod.
Un. Hist viij. 164. P. Du Halde, passim.

The women in China are so closely shut
up from all commerce with the men, that their
nearest relations have hardly access to them.
To have admitted a stranger into the company
of his niece, had been a piece of indecency worthy
the cognizance of the magistrate. This
being the case, all their matches are commonly
brought about by the intervention of relations.
Vid. P. Du Halde, vol. 1. p. 304.

The absurd custom of giving money to the
servants of others, prevails in China, as well as
in England: but with this difference, that while
the English do it with an aukward shame, which
shews them conscious of doing wrong, the Chinese
express no reserve about it. At their grand
entertainments, between the first and second
course, each of the guests causes one of his
servants to bring him, on a kind of salver,
several little bags of red paper, containing
money for the cook, the stewards, for those,
who served at table; and when there are plays
acted (as is often the case) for the comedians.
Every domestic carries his salver to the master
of the house, who after some difficulty consents
to accept of it, and gives it to be distributed
among them. At other times, any message or
present from a Mandarine must be attended
with a present to the servants.

P. Du Halde, vol. 1. p. 302. Let. edif.
xiij. 310.

There are various kinds of sweet woods
in China, which are in high esteem on account
of their scent, such as the eagle-wood, the rose or
violet-wood, &c: the last is of a reddish black,
streaked and full of very fine veins, which
one would think were painted. Any furniture
made of this sells at a vast price.

P. Du Halde, vol. 1. p. 10, 118, &c.

Though the Chinese never shew their bedchambers
to strangers, their beds, especially
those of the Mandarines, are curious and handsome:
the wood-work of them is painted, gilt
and carved; the curtains vary according to the
season, in winter they are of double sattin, in summer,
either of plain white taffatee, or very thin
gause.—In the northern provinces, where they
use stoves to convey the heat by funnels all
over the house, it is usual to have their beds
upon the warm stoves, and those who are afraid
of lying on the hot bricks, hang a sort of hammock
over them, made of cords or rattan.

P. Du Halde, vol. 1. pag. 285.

The governor of each city, or district, is
obliged by his office to visit the corpse of every
one that dies a violent death, whether by his
own hands or that of others; and to make the
strictest scrutiny into the cause and circumstances
of it. According to some writers, he
must transmit minutes of the examination to
the Emperor, or at least to the superior tribunals.
Let. edif. xj. 278. [Vid. plura, vol. 3.
page 269.]

The tenants in China farm the lands from
the owners at the rate of half the crop, out of
which the landlord pays the taxes; and the
tenant pays tillage and manure.

Mod. Univ. Hist. viij. 159.

In China, women of quality never stir
out, except to visit their nearest relations, or
to go to the sepulture of their ancestors.

Lett. edif. xxiij. 103.

A common image with the Chinese. In the
Chinese tragedy translated by P. Du Halde, a
Mandarine says of his adversary, "though he
were gold or precious stones, he should not
escape the edge of my sword."

Vid. Hist. vol. 2. p. 178. col. 1.