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EMPEROR CHING-TANG.

In the beginning of the reign of Ching-tang, about the year before Christ, 1747, there happened a drought and famine all over the empire of China, which lasted seven years, no rain having fallen in that long interval of time. The emperor, greatly affected with the distress of his country, consulted the college of astronomers, and was told by the president that the wrath of heaven could only be appeased by human blood.

The pious emperor on hearing this answer, and imputing so dreadful a calamity to his own faults, resolved to devote himself a victim for the preservation of his people. In order to this, he retired to his palace, and after spending three days in fasting, laid his royal robes aside. He then ordered the venerable grey hairs which adorned his head to be cut off, his beard to be shaved, and his nails to be pared, sacrificing what, in China, is considered as the greatest marks of honour, to the safety of his country.

Deprived of these marks of honour, bare-footed, in the posture of a criminal, and his body sprinkled over with ashes, he appeared in the court before the palace, and lifting up his hands to heaven, intreated the Supreme Being to spare his subjects, and let the whole weight of his just wrath fall on his devoted head. He had scarce done praying, when the sky became covered with clouds, and a general rain followed; by which the earth was rendered fruitful, and plenty restored all over the empire.

Perhaps no prince in the world ever gave a greater instance of paternal love for his country; nor performed a greater act of humiliation and devotion to avert the wrath of the offended majesty of heaven for the sins of a people, which, through the bad examples of many irreligious and wicked emperors, had rendered their vices and impieties ripe for judgment. These crimes the generous and pious emperor was willing to take upon himself, and to devote his own life as a sacrifice to atone for the transgressions of his people.

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Siege of Copenhagen

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