the Chang-ti, but under different titles; in the one he is adored as the eternal spirit; in the other as the creator and preferver of the world. The ceremonies of the modern facrifices are greatly multiplied; and nothing can exceed the fplendour and magnificence with which thefe folemnities are performed. Some time before the day appointed for the grand ceremony, the monarch, the grandees of the court, and all thofe whom their employments qualify to affift at the folemnity, prepare themselves by retirement, fafting, and continence; no audience is given by the emperor, and the tribunals are entirely fhut; marriages, funerals, rejoicings, and entertainments of every kind, are then forbidden. At laft, on the day appointed, the emperor appears attended by an innumerable multitude, and his perfon furrounded by a vast number of princes, lords, and officers, while every part of the temple feems to correfpond with the magnificence of the fovereign; all the vales and utenfils employed in the facrifices are of gold, and cannot be applied to any other purpofe; even the inftruments of mufic are of enormous magnitude, and never ufed any where elle. All this grandeur, however, ferves only to display in a more eminent manner the humility and abafement of the monarch during his devotion; at which time he rolls in the duft, and fpeaks of himself before the Chang-ti in terms of the most abject fubmiffion and humiliation.

The purity of the ancient Chinese religion has, however, been long contaminated by many idolatrous and fanatical fects. Among thefe, one named Tao-tfe was founded by a philofopher called Lao-kiun or Lao-tfe, who was born 603 B. C. He died in an advanced age, leaving to his disciples a book intitled Tao-te, being a collection of five thoufand fentences. His morality has a great refemblance to that of Epicurus. It confifts principally in banishing all vehement defires and paffions capable of disturbing the peace and tranquillity of the foul. According to him the care of every wife man ought to be only to endeavour to live free from grief and pain, and to glide gently down the ftream of life devoid of anxiety and care. To arrive at this hap.

py ftate, he advifes his followers to banifh all thoughts of the past, and to abftain from every vain and useless inquiry concerning futurity, as well as all tormenting thoughts of ambition, avarice, &c. It was found by the dif ciples of this philofopher, however, that all their endeavours to obtain a perfect tranquillity of mind were vain, as long as the thoughts of death intervened: they therefore declared it poffible to difcover a compofition from which drink might be made that would render mankind immortal. Hence they were led to the ftudy of chemiftry; and, like the weftern alchemifts, wearied themselves in fearch of the philofopher's ftone, until at last they gave themselves up to all the extravagancies of magic.

The defire of avoiding death, toge. ther with the credulity natural to unenlightened minds, quickly produced a number of converts to the fect of Taotfe. Magical practices, the invocation of fpirits, and the art of foretelling events by divination, quickly diffused themselves over the empire, and the imbecility of the emperors contributed to propagate the deception. Temples confecrated to fpirits quickly reared their heads in every corner of the empire; and two of the most celebrated of the fect were authorised to maintain public worship there after the form which had been prescribed by their mafter. At the fame time they diftributed, and fold at a dear rate, images of the imaginary fpirits with which they had peopled the heavens and the earth. Thefe were, by their command, worshipped as fo many deities independent of the Supreme Being; and in like manner, feveral of the ancient emperors were invoked as gods.

Being patronifed by the emperors of feveral dynafties, this fect became more and more powerful. At laft they had the impudence to affix, during the night-time, to one of the gates of the imperial city, a book filled with myftic characters and magical figures. At break of day they informed the emperor of the fudden appearance of this book, and publicly declared that it was fallen from heaven. This trick eafily impofed upon the weak prince. He immediately repaired, with a nume

rous train, to the spot where the facred volume appeared; and, having taken it into his hands in a respectful manner, carried it in triumph to his palace, where he fhut it up in a golden box. Another emperor carried his reverence for the fest to fuch an height of impiety and extravagance, as to order a celebrated Tao-ffe to be publicly worshipped under the name of Chang-ti. The feet, thus patronifed by the princes and accommodated to the credulity of the vulgar, continued to gain ground in fpite of every oppofition from the wifer part of the people, and is ftill very powerful in China. At prefent they offer up three different victims, a hog, a fowl, and a fifh, to a fpirit whom they invoke. Various ceremonies, fuch as howling, drawing fantastical figures upon paper, making an hideous noife with kettles and drums, are used in their incantations; and, though it may readily be believed that they are for the moft part unfuccefsful, yet their credit is ftill kept up by thofe cafes in which they fucceed by accident.

The chief of the Tao-ffe is invefted by government with the dignityof grand mandarin, which is enjoyed by his fucceffors: he refides in a fumptuous palace in a town of Kiang-fi; and the fuperftitious confidence of the people attracts an immenfe number thither from all parts of the empire. Some arrive in order to be cured of diseases, others to get an infight into futurity. The impoftor diftributes to them fmall bits of paper filled with magical characters; and the ignorant wretches depart well fatisfied, without grudging the expence of their journey, though ever fo long.

books of the Indians, were placed on e white horse, and carried in proceffion to the imperial city.

This fuperftition was introduced into China about the 65th year of the Chriftian æra, and foon made vaft progrefs. One of its principal doctrines is that of the metempfychofis, or tranfmigration of fouls, of which M. Grofier thinks he was the inventor, and that Pythagoras, who travelled into several parts of India, had borrowed the doctrine from him. The account given of him by the bonzes is, that finding himself, at the age of feventy, oppreffed with infirmi ties, he called his disciples together, and told them he was unwilling to leave the world without communicating the fecret and hidden myfteries of his doctrine; which were, in fhort, that all things had proceeded from a vacuum and nothing, and to that they must rẻturn. This doctrine produced a correfponding mode of action, or rather of inaction, in thofe who believed it : for thus the great happiness of man was made to confift in abfolute annihilation; and therefore the nearer he could bring himfelf to this ftate during life, the happier he was fuppofed to be.

The common doctrine, however, which admits of a diftinction between good and evil, finds more profelytes among the vulgar, whofe fituation in life will not allow them to spend their time in perpetual idlenefs. According to this, the righteous will be rewarded and the wicked punished after death. They fay alfo, that the god Fo came to fave mankind, and to expiate their fins; and that he alone can procure them a happy regeneration in the life to come. Five precepts are likewife inculcated on those who adopt this doctrine; 1. Not to kill any living creature. 2. Not to take away the goods of another. 3. Not to pollute themselves by uncleannefs. 4. Not to lie. And, 5, Not to drink wine. Above all, they recommend to them to perform acts of mer cy, to treat their bonzes well, build temples, &c.

VOL. I. No. 6.

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not to be worshipped with great fincerity; but, like the images of faints in the more fuperftitious countries of Europe, are beaten and thrown into the dirt when their votaries happen not to obtain their defires, which they impute to the obftinacy or weakness of the idol. Nay, M. Grolier gives an account of one man, who, having ineffectually paid a fum of money to the bonzes of a certain idol for the cure of his daughter, brought a formal accufation against the idol itself; and, in fpite of all that the bonzes could fay in its behalf, got its .worship fuppreffed in all the province.

The bonzes of China are reprefented as a molt avaricious and hypocritical race of men, ready to practise every - kind of villany, and even to fubject themfelves to the most intolerable tortures, in order to obtain money from the compaffion of the public when they cannot get it in any other way; and an edict of one of the emperors is cited, by which great numbers of their religious houses were fuppreffed. In order to perpetuate their fect, they purchafe young children, whom they take care to inftruct in all the myfteries and tricks of their profeffion; but, excepting this, they are in general very ignorant, and few of them would be able to give any tolerable account of the tenets of their own fect. They are not fubject to a regular hierarchy, but acknowledge fuperiors among them whom they call grand bonzes, who have the firft place in all religious affemblies at which they happen to be prefent: and great profit is derived from certain religious clubs, both of men and women, at which the bonzes are always called to affift. Their wealth is likewife augmented by pilgrimages to certain places where there are temples more or lefs reverenced, and where a multitude of abfurd ceremonies are performed. Thefe bonzes, as may be easily imagined, are inveterate enemies to the progrefs of Chriftianity, telling the moft abfurd ftories concerning the miffionaries; as that they pluck out the eyes of their converts to conftruct telescopes with, &c. The literati, however, and the more fenfible part of the nation, hold them in the greatest contempt.

We fhall conclude this detail of the Chinese religion with giving an account

of one other fuperftition which feems peculiar to the nation. It is named fong-choui, which fignifies wind and water. By this they mean the lucky or unlucky fituation of a houfe, burying-place, &c. If any imprudent perfon has built a houfe clofe to that of a Chinefe, in fuch a manner that the angle formed by its roof flanks the wall or roof of the former houfe, the proprietor ever after lives in terror of utter ruin and deftruction from the malignant influence of that angle. An implacable hatred inftantly commences betwixt the two families, and often gives rife to a law-fuit, which furnifhes matter of difcuffion for fome of the fuperior tribunals. If no redrefs can be had at law, however, the Chinese is then reduced to the neceffity of erecting, on the top of his houfe, an enormous image of a dragon, or fome other monfter, with its mouth gaping towards the angle, and, as it were, threatening to fwallow it up; after which the apprehenfions of the proprietor begin to fubfide, and tranquillity is restored to the family. In this manner the governor of Kien-tchang fecured himself from the influence of the church of the Jefuits, which, being built on an eminence, overlooked his palace. Not depending, however, entirely on the good offices of his tutelary dragon, he also took the wife precaution of altering his principal apartments, and railing at the diftance of two hundred paces from the church a kind of large façade three ftories high. But unluckily the death of his fucceffor was attributed to this façade; for the mandarin being attacked with a disorder in the breaft, which made him fpit up a white phlegm, this fymptom was thought to be owing to the walls of the façade, which were very white, and which were forthwith painted black. The falutary precaution, however, happened to be taken, too late; for the governor died notwithftanding the black colour of the walls.

"We should never have done (says M. Grofier), were we to relate all the fuperftitious ideas of the Chinese, refpecting the lucky and unlucky fituation of houfes, the quarter which doors ought to front, and the plan and day proper for conftructing the ftoves in which they cook their rice." But the

object

⚫bject on which they employ their greatest care is the choice of the ground and fituation for a burying-place. Some quacks follow no other profeflion than that of pointing out hills and mountains which have an afped favourable for works of that kind. When a Chinefe is perfuaded of the truth of fuch information, there is no fun which he would not give to be in possession of the fortunate pot. The greater part of the Chinese are of opinion that all the happiness and misfortunes of life depend upon the fong-choui.

A colony of Jews was established in China about the year 206 B. C. but they are now reduced to a small nunber of families at Cai-fong, the capital of the province of Honan. The Mahometans have multiplied much more than the Jews. It is above fix hundred years fince they first entered the empire, where they have formed different establishments. At first their number was

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CHARACTER OF JULIUS ULIUS Cæfar, the illuftrious Roman general and hiftorian, was born at Rome the 12th of the month Quintilis, in the year of the city 653. By his valour and eloquence he acquired the highest reputation in the field and in the senate. Beloved and refpected by his fellowcitizens, he enjoyed fucceffively every magisterial and military honour the republic could bestow confiftent with its own free constitution. But at length, having fubdued Pompey the great rival of his growing power, his boundless ambition effaced his glory of his former actions: for, pursuing his favourite maxim, "that he had rather be the first man in a village than the fecond in Rome," he procured himself to be chofen perpetual dictator; and, not content with this unconftitutional power, his faction had refolved to raife him to the imperial dignity; when the friends of the civil liberties of the republic rafhly affaffinated him in the fenate-house, where they thould only have feized him and brought him to a legal trial for ufurpation. By this impolitic measure they defeated their own purpose,involving the city in confternation and terror, which produced general anarchy, and paved the way to the revolution they

augmented only by marriages; but for fome time paft they have been more particularly attentive to the extending of their fect and propagating their doctrine. The principal means employed for this purpose are, to purchase a great number of children brought up in idolatry, whom their poor parents are glad, to part with; and these they circumcife and afterwards instruct in the princi ples of their religion. During the time of a famine which defolated the province of Chang-tong, they purchased more than ten thousand of thefe children; for whom, when grown up, they procured wives, built houfes, and even formed whole villages of them. They are now become fo numerous, that in the places where they refide they entirely exclude every inhabitant who does not believe in their prophet and frequent a mosque.

(To be continued.}

CAESAR, BY A PHILOSOPHER. wanted to prevent; the monarchia! government being abfolutely founded on the murder of Julius Cæsar. He fell in the 56th year of his age, 43 years before the Christian æra.

If, after the lapfe of 18 centuries, the truth may be publifhed without offence, a philofopher might, in the following terms, cenfure Cæfar without calumniating him, and applaud him without exciting his blushes.

His

Cæfar had one predominant paffion : it was the love of glory; and he passed 40 years of his life in feeking opportunities to fofter and encourage it. foul, entirely absorbed in ambition, did not open itfelf to other impulfes. He cultivated letters; but he did not love them with enthufiafm, because he had not leisure to become the first orator of

Ronie. He corrupted the one half of the Roman ladies, but his heart had no concern in the fiery ardours of his fenfes. In the arms of Cleopatra, he thought of Pompey; and this fingular man, who difdained to have a partner in the empire of the world, would have blushed to have been for one inftant the flave of a woman.

We must not imagine that Cæfar was born a warrior, as Sophocles and Mil

ton were born poets. For, if nature had made him a citizen of Sybaris, he would have been the most voluptuous of men. If in our days he had been born in Pennsylvania, he would have been the most inoffenfive of quakers, and would not have disturbed the tranquillity of the new world.

The moderation with which he conducted himself after his victories has been highly extolled; but in this he fhewed his penetration, not the goodnefs of his heart. Is it not obvious, that the difplay of certain virtues is neceffary to put in motion the political machine? It was requifite that he should have the appearance of clemency, if he inclined that Rome fhould forgive him his victories. But what greatnefs of mind is there in a generofity which follows on to the ufurpation of fupreme power?

Nature, while it marked Cæfar with a fublime character, gave him alfo that fpirit of perfeverance which renders it ufeful. He had no fooner begun to reflect, than he admired Sylla; hated him, and yet wifhed to imitate him. At the age of fifteen, he formed the project of being dictator. It was thus that the prefident Montefquieu conceived, in his early youth, the idea of the Spirit of Laws.

Phyfical qualities, as well as moral caufes, contributed to give strength to his character. Nature, which had made him for command, had given him an air of dignity. He had acquir. ed that foft and infinuating eloquence, which is perfectly fuited to feduce vulgar minds, and has a powerful influence on the most cultivated. His love of pleasure was a merit with the fair fex; and women, who even in a republic can draw to them the fuffrages and attention of men, have the higheft importance in degenerate times. The ladies of his age were charmed with the profpect of having a dictator whom they might fubdue by their attractions.

In vain did the genius of Cato watch for fome time to fuftain the liberty of his country, It was unequal to contend with that of Cæfar. Of what avail were the eloquence, the philofophy, and the virtue, of this republican, when oppofed by a man who had the addrefs to debauch the wife of every

citizen whofe interest he meant to en-, gage; who, poffeffing an enthusiafin for glory, wept, because, at the age of thirty, he had not conquered the world like Alexander; and who, with the haughty temper of a defpot, was more defirous to be the first man in a village than the second in Rome.

Cæfar had the good fortune to exist in times of trouble and civil commotions, when the minds of men are put into a ferment; when opportunities of great actions are frequent; when ta lents are every thing, and those who can only boast of their virtues are nothing. If he had lived an hundred years fooner, he would have been no more than an obfcure citizen; and, inftead of giving laws to the word, would not have been able to produce any confufion in it.

I will here be bold enough to advance an idea, which may appear paradoxical to those who weakly judge of men from what they atchieve, and not from the principle which leads them to act. Nature formed in the fame mould Cæfar, Mahomet, Cromwell, and Kouli Khan. They all of them united to genius that profound policy which renders it fo powerful. They all of them had an evident fuperiority over those with whom they were furrounded; they were confcious of this fuperiority, and they made others conscious of it. They were all of them born fubjects, and became fortunate ufurpers. Had Cæfar been placed in Perfia, he would have made the conquest of India; in Arabia, he would have been the founder of a new religion; in Lon- ̧ don, he would have ftabbed his fovereign, or have procured his affaffination under the fanction of the laws. He reigned with glory over men whom he had reduced to be flaves; and, under one afpect, he is to be confidered as a hero; under another, as a monster, But it would be unfortunate indeed for fociety, if the poffeffion of fuperior talents gave individuals a right to trou ble its repofe. Ufurpers accordingly have flatterers, but no friends; ftrangers refpect them; their fubjects complain and fuhnit; it is in their own families that humanity finds her avengers, Cæfar was affaffinated by his fon, Mahomet was poisoned by his wife, Kouli

Khan

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