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The true character of the

The result is a happy one. uncle is fully developed, and that of the hero is as fully vindicated. In the whole range of fictitious literature, foreign or domestic, there is, perhaps, no more agreeable example of poetical justice, than is presented in the case of this slanderer; and all the other characters, good, bad, and indifferent, receive their reward in a similar manner.

It would lead us too far to take any particular notice of the canonical and classical writings of the Chinese. We may observe, however, in passing, that the Y-king, or book of transformations, is admitted by those European scholars best acquainted with Oriental literature to be one of the most ancient books in the world-probably none are more ancient, save the writings of Moses. The general opinion, among those who have devoted most attention to the subject, including Sir William Jones, is, that it must have been completed 2800 B. C. Whatever was the date of its composition, it contains the most ancient specimens of Chinese poetry, philosophy, history, &c., &c.

The earlier missionaries greatly misrepresented the religion of the Chinese, though, doubtless, unintentionally; denouncing the people as atheists, or idolators. It was owing to these representations, that the college of the Sorbonne, at Paris, issued one of its famous decrees, in October, 1700, declaring every proposition which maintained that the Emperor of China believed in God, to be heretical, “it being well known that the Chinese worshipped nothing but clouds," &c.

"Nil præter nubes et cœli numen adorant."

• M. Arnauld, in his address to the Jesuits on the sins of philosophers, has some curious remarks on this subject. He reminds them that the most learned and observant of their society had maintained that the Chinese literati were idolators only by dissimulation and hypocrisy; because it pleased the vulgar that they should be so-that what they called their gods were but active virtues of the natural body. "Les plus habiles missionaires," he says, "de la Chine, dont il y en a qui font de vostre société, soutainnent que la plus part de ces lettrés sont Athées, et qu'ils ne sont idolatres que par dissimulation, et par hypocrisie, comme beaucoup de Philosophes Payens qui adorient les mesmes idoles que le peuple, quoi qu'ils n'y eussent aucune creance; ainsi qu'un peut voir par Ciceron et par Seneque. Ces mesmes missionaires nous aprennent que lettrés ne croient rien de spirituel et que le Roy d'enhaut que vostre P. Mathieu Ricci avoit pris pour le vray Dieu n'est que le ciel materiel; et que ce qu'ils appellent les esprits de la terre, des rivieres et des montagnes ne sont que les virtus actives de ces corps naturels," &c., &c.-Cinquième Denunciation du Peché Philosophique, p. 35.

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What proved in time to be the truth is, that of all the heathen-all who do not believe in the Christian religion— the Chinese have the purest and simplest religion-the freest from superstitions and absurd legends. In all their writings, ancient and modern, there is abundant evidence of their faith in a Supreme Being, who will reward the good and punish the wicked, as could easily be shown by extracts. But one extract will be sufficient for our purpose. We select one written nearly three centuries ago, because a more modern one might be said to have been influenced by our laudable efforts to convert the people. After a war between China and Russia, concluded in 1689, the emperor of the former caused a marble monument to be erected, in September of the same year, at Niptcho, then at the boundary line between the two empires, upon which the following inscription was engraved in the Chinese and Latin languages: "Should any ever determine to rekindle the flames of war, we pray the sovereign Lord of all things, who knows the heart, to punish their perfidy," &c.*

The poetical literature of China is chiefly dramatic, though a large portion of it is lyrical, consisting of odes, sonnets, ballads, &c. In no country is an author more honored; but one who does not write verses of some kind is compared to a flower without fragrance.t The principal pro

History of Russia under Peter I. founded on memorials communicated by the Empress Elizabeth, vol. v., p. 87.

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It may well seem incredible that the Chinese, even of the present day, have many sentiments which coincide exactly with those of the ancient Greeks in regard to corresponding subjects. This is particularly true of their views in regard to intellectual culture. Thus, in a volume entitled Chinese Moral Maxims, consisting of translations, and published in London in 1839, the following passage occurs: The highest order of men (called Shing, PERFECT or inspired) are virtuous or wise independently of instruction; the middle class of men (He-en, GOOD or moral) are so after instruction; the lowest order (Yu, stupid or WORTHLESS) are vicious in spite of instruction." All the earlier Greek works now extant are pervaded by similar sentiments-they are to be found alike in those of the poets and philosophers. We quote one example from the Works and Lays ("Epya nai Hμɛpar) of Hesiod:

Ούτος μεν ΠΑΝΑΡΙΣΤΟΣ ὃς αυτος παντα νοήσει,
ΕΣΘΛΟΣ δ' αυ κακεινος, ὃς ευ ειποντι πιθηται,
Ό; δε κε μητ' αυτος νοεη, μητ' αλλου ακονών
Εν θυμώ βαλληται ὁδ' αυτ' ΑΧΡΗΙΟΣ ανηρ.

('He, indeed, is the BEST of all men, who himself hath known all wisdom; though he is GOOD, who hath obeyed a good instructor; but he is the WORTHLESS man, who hath neither possessed spontaneous wisdom, nor acquired it by listening to another!')

duction in the collection now before us is a tragedy in five acts, entitled The Sorrows of Han, of which the translator says in his preface: "The unity of action is complete, and the unities of time and place much less violated than they frequently are on the English stage. The grandeur and gravity of the subject, the rank and dignity of the personages, the tragical catastrophe, and the strict award of poetical justice, might satisfy the most rigid admirer of Grecian rules." The object of the tragedy is to expose the evil consequences of luxury, effeminacy and indolence in the sovereign. The plot is so complicated, that to give any definite idea of it would require much more space than we can devote to it on the present occasion. We may observe, however, that it turns principally on love and perfidy. The piece opens with the entrance of the Tartar Khan, making a soliloquy, commencing

thus:

"The autumnal gale blows wildly through the grass amidst our woollen

tents.

And the moon of night, shining on the rude huts, hears the lament of the mournful pipe:

The countless hosts, with their bended bows, obey me as their leader; Our tribes are the distinguished friends of the family of Hau."

The villain of the play is the king's minister. He suggests to his master that he cannot better serve his majesty and his country at present, than by going on a selection tour through the country, in order to add to the imperial harem all that is most beautiful in womanhood, from the ages of fifteen to twenty. What Eastern monarch would not be pleased at so agreeable a suggestion? But the minister is more intent on making money than in gratifying the imperial wishes; and accordingly receives bribes for recommending as beautiful those whose charms, if they ever had any, have faded; whereas the really beautiful are rejected, if they cannot pay. An instance of this kind is related by himself as follows:

She was

"The brightness of her charms was piercing as an arrow. perfectly beautiful; and, doubtless, unparalleled in the whole empire. But, unfortunately, her father is a cultivator of the land, not possessed of much wealth. When I insisted on an hundred ounces of gold, to secure her being the chief object of the imperial choice, they first pleaded their poverty; and then, relying on her extraordinary beauty, rejected my offers altogether. I therefore left them. (Considers a while.) But no! I have a pretty plan. (He knits his brows, and matures his scheme.) I will disfigure her portrait in such a manner that, when it reaches the emperor, it shall secure her being doomed to neglected exclusion. Thus I shall contrive to make her unhappy for life-base is the man who delights not in revenge!"

He had to take her to the palace; but he disfigured her portrait. This, he hoped, would make her unhappy for life; because, once admitted within the precincts of the palace, she could no more leave it than a nun can leave the cloister to go abroad again in the world. But we quote another extract, which explains itself, and shows that in the palace of a Chinese emperor, as well as in the cottage of a Hebrew shepherd, "the way of the transgressor is hard :"

"(Enter Emperor, preceded by a eunuch, carrying a light.)

"Emp. Since the beauties were selected to grace our palace, we have not yet discovered a worthy object on whom to fix our preference. Vexed and disappointed, we have passed this day of leisure roaming in search of her who may be destined for our imperial choice (hears the lute). Is not this some lady's lute?

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Attend. It is; I hasten to advise her of your Majesty's approach. Emp. No, hold! Keeper of the Yellow Gate, discover to what part of our palace that lady pertains, and bid her approach our presence; but beware lest you alarm her.

"Attend. (Approaches in the direction of the sound and speaks.) What lady plays there? The Emperor comes; approach to meet him! (Lady advances.)

"Emp. Keeper of the Yellow Gate, see that the light burns brightly within your gauze lamp, and hold it nearer to us.

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Lady. (Approaching.) Had your handmaid but known it was your Majesty, she would have been less tardy; forgive, then, this delay.

Emp. Truly, this is a very perfect beauty! From what corner of the earth come such superior charins?"

A dialogue ensues. The perfidy and avarice of the minister are revealed. He is ordered to be beheaded, but makes his escape. Procuring a true likeness of the lady, now a princess, he makes his way to the Tartar camp, and invents a tale by which he induces the khan to demand her. After considerable negotiation, hastened, on the part of the barbarian, by threats, the emperor is prevailed upon, by his servants, to surrender her, rather than endanger his throne. It seems to him like parting with his life, and the princess, who fully reciprocates his affection, is equally overwhelmed with grief and despair. The parting scene is finely drawn-well calculated to touch the heart. The princess is carried away to the Tartar camp. There she takes part in other scenes, of painful interest. The khan tries in vain to win her affections. The result is thus shown:

"Princess-(to the Khan). Great King, I take a cup of wine, and pour a libation towards the south-my last farewell to the emperor (pours the libation). Emperor of Han, this life is finished; I await thee in the next (throws herself into the river).”

A tragedy, entitled the "Orphan of Tchao," forms the groundwork of one of the best tragedies of Voltaire, although, as then translated by Premare, it was little more than the skeleton of the original. In short, the best parts of the Chinese drama were omitted-those compared with the Greek chorus -a fact of which the author of the Henriade and Alzire was not aware, being entirely ignorant of the original, but which is now known to all who have paid any attention to Chinese literature. "Our countryman, Doctor Hurd, in his 'Discourse on Practical Imitation,'" says Mr. Davis, "formed a very different opinion of this tragedy from that of Voltaire. He conceived that it embraces the two essentials of dramatic poetry-unity and integrity of action, and a close connection of the incidents of the story; for, first,' he observes, the action is strictly one; the destruction of the house of Chao is the single event on which our attention turns from the beginning; we see it gradually prepared and brought on; and with its completion the tragedy finishes. Secondly, the action proceeds with as much rapidity as Aristotle himself demands.' And having noticed its resemblance in many points to the Electra of Sophocles, let me add,' says he, an intermixture of songs in passionate parts, heightened into sublime poetry, and somewhat resembling the character of the ancient chorus.' Had Premare translated more of these lyrics, he would probably have found the resemblance still more complete."*

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Comedies are much more popular among the Chinese than tragedies; but the former are often so immoral and licentious, that no respectable European or American woman could witness their representation, although they are attended by Chinese women whose character is irreproachable. According to the author of one of the books whose titles stands at the head of our article, a Chinese audience is not satisfied with the mere relation of a criminal act or indecent story; the eye must be gratified by a sight of every process of the transaction :

"The history of husbands deceived by their mistresses,' says M. de Guignes, 'being frequently the subject of their comedies, there occur therein sometimes situations so free, in which the actor exhibits so much truth, that the scene becomes extremely indecent.' And he mentions an instance of which he was an eye-witness, where the heroine of the piece, 'devint grosse et accoucha sur le théatre d'un enfant.' The piece was called the See-hou Pagoda, being the history of the destruction of the Pagoda, now in ruins, on that famous lake described by Mr. Barray, under

• Mr. Davis's Brief View, p. 34.

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