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and to urge the heaviest complaints against him for his injuftice and illtreatment. Meanwhile the patha died. The capidji bafhi was difpatched by the fultan to feize the treasure, but found nothing, and Yusuf, from the predicament in which he ftood, was the laft perfon to be fufpected. With this wealth he lived in fplendour at Conftantinople, and frequented the audiences of the vifier. He was foon appointed taraphana eminy, or mafter of the mint, from which he was advanced to his prefent poft.

2. Ratib Effendi has twice held the important office of reis effendi, or fecretary of state. He rofe from a public clerk, paffing through all the preliminary gradations with diftinguished ability. He is beyond comparison the best-informed and most capable minifter in the cabinet.

"Tchiusèh, kiayah, or deputy to the vifier, is at the head of the finance, and planned the new taxes.

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The prefent capudàn pafha, or high admiral, called Kuchuk Huf fein, from his diminutive ftature, was a Georgian flave, and the companion of the fultan in his childhood. From the feraglio he emerged to take the command of the navy, it may be prefumed without much previous acquaintance with maritime affairs. But his administration has been very beneficial; for he has raifed the marine from the miferable state it was left in at the conclution of the Ruffian war, to refpectability. The new fhips are built under the infpection of European furveyors, and French nautical terms hav been adopted. At the beginning of the prefent century, the Turkith fleet confifted of 32 fhips of the line, 34 galleys, and fome brigantines; they can now fend to fea 14 firit nces, 6 frigates, and 50 floops of war,

"Every fpring he leaves Conftantinople with a few fhips, to vifit the Archipelago, to receive the capitation tax from the different islands, and to free the feas from pirates, and the Maltese cruiters. The time of his coming is generally known, fo that the fervice is Hittle more than a matter of form. His reception by the fultan, both at his departure and return, is a brilliant ipectacle. He is married to the only daughter of Abdul-hamid, and is honoured with the pri vate friendship of his fovereign.

"Every scheme for defending the coafts of the Black fea by forts and batteries, and for military regulations, is fubmitted to Cheliby Effendi, who furveys their execution, if approved. He was matter of the mathematical fchool founded in 1773 by Ghazi Hafsàn pafha, a very celebrated character in the laft reign.

"This extraordinary perfon was likewife a Georgian flave, and afterward a Barbary corfair. Having been taken prifoner by the Spaniards, he paffed fix years of flavery at Madrid, from whence he was fent to Naples, where he was exchanged, and returned to Conftantinople. His reputation for perfonal courage procured him the command of a galley, and afterward of a frigate. At the unfortunate battle of Chefhmè he had a fhip of the line under Jaffer, capudan pafha, who upon his difgrace died of chagrin, and was fucceeded by Hafan.

"He was extremely whimfical, and kept a lion's whelp always on his fofa, which he had trained up to follow him, but which, having killed one of the domeftics, was afterwards chained. He became vifier, and died at the age of more than feventy, in the camp againft the Ruffians, not without fulpicion of

poifon,

prifon. So fingular was his bravery, and fo frequent his fucceffes, that he affumed the name of Ghazi, the victorious. Abdul-hamid was fearful, and confidered the fafety of the empire endangered by his abfence from Conftantinople.

"Of his prevailing influence the following relation is a proof, and gives traits of fecret machinations practifed in the feraglio.

"One of his flaves, named Yusuf, had fo recommended himself by fuperior talents, that he gave him liberty, and promotion to the moft confiderable offices. At the time Yusuf returned from his government of the Morea, to take upon him the office of vifier, Mavroyeni, a Greek of a noble family, was the drogoman, or interpreter, to his patron Haffan. Petraki, another Greek, was mafter of the mint, and imperial banker, and had amaffed feven millions, of piaftres.

"This man being ambitious of becoming prince of Wallachia, he three times procured the appointment of Mavro-yeni to that high ftation, who had the intereft of Haffan and the vifier to be fuperfeded. But they, impatient of the difappointment, reprefented to Abdul-hamid, that the people demanded the life of Petraki in atonement of his peculation, who timidly confented to his execution, and he was inftantly imprifoned. On the very day of the high ceremony of Mavro-yeni's inveftiture, he was led to the gate of the feraglio to kiss his ftirrop, and fue for pardon. At that inftant the executioner ftruck off his head, and Mavro-yeni had the fatisfaction of feeing his rival dead at his feet,

Another Hafsàn pafha who hated him, becoming vifier, ordered him to be beheaded upon the charge of betraying Giurgevow, the first Turkish fortrefs upon the Danube, to the Germans. He died a mufulman. Abdul-hamid, when informed of the last-mentioned circumftances, was fo far convinced of his innocence, that in a few months the vindictive vifier shared the fame fate.

"The officers of the feraglio are very numerous. The kiflar-agha, or chief of the black euinchs, having the arrangement of the female department, is moft familiar with the fultan, and is a powerful friend, or enemy, to the ministers of ftate.

"Between the officers of the fe raglio and thofe who compofe the divan, there fubfifts a perpetual rivalry, and if the emperor be either very active or indolent in public butinefs, there is ample caufe for their jealouty. Thofe with whom he is conftantly converfant, and before whom he relaxes into colloquial freedom, muft neceffarily obtain fecret influence enough to bias him in matters of importance, if he wishes others than his oftenfible counfellors, or is determined by firft reprefentations without farther deliberation.

"The minifters are admitted to an audience with the fullan with the profoundeft ceremony. Even in the prefence of the mild Abdulhamid the bold Haffan was overpowered with awe, and the lion feemed to be transformed into a lamb. One of the prefent ministry, a man of great vivacity, is faid to compofe his fpirits with a pill of opium before he approaches the throne."

1797.

E

MANNERS

MANNERS OF NATIONS.

PARTICULARS relative to the RELIGION, ECONOMY, CLASSES, TRI BUNALS, CUSTOMS, ARTS, LITERATURE, and SCIENCE of the CHINESE.

[Extracted from Sir George STAUNTON's authentic ACCOUNT of an EMBASSY from the KING of GREAT BRITAIN to the EMPEROR of CHINA.}

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F thofe circular and lofty eed pagodas, there are feveral kinds, and dedicated to feveral ufes in China; but none to religious worship. The temples which are confecrated to fuch a purpose differ little in height from common dwelling houfes, as in the inftance of the Embaffador's momentary refidence near Tong-choo-foo. The prefence of foreigners there did not prevent the ufual affluence of devotees. The Chinese interpreter of the Embafly, who was a moft zealous Chriftian of the Roman Catholic perfuafion, and himself a priest of that communion, faw, with regret, the English curiously examining the images or attending to the ceremonies of the religion of Fo, left they should perceive the refemblance between its exterior forms and thofe of his own church. Such refemblance had been, indeed, already thought fo ftriking, that fome of the miffionaries conjectured that the Chinefe had formerly received a glimpfe of Chriftianity from the Neftorians, by the way of Tartary; others that Saint Thomas the Apoftle had been amongst them; but the miflionary Prémare

could account for it no otherwise

Odinces, by Europeans ferm- than by fuppofing it to have been a

trick of the Devil to mortify the Jefuits. One of them obferves, that the likeness is fo ftrong between the apparent worthip of many of the priests of Fo, and that which is exhibited in churches of the Roman faith, that a Chinese conveyed into one of the latter, might imagine the votaries he faw were then adoring the deities of his own country. On the altar of a Chinese temple, behind a fcreen, is frequently a reprefentation which might anfwer for that of the Virgin Mary, in the perfon of Shinmoo, or the facred mother, fitting in an alcove with a child in her arms, and rays proceeding from a circle, which are called a glory, round her head, with tapers burning conftantly before her. The long coarfe gowns of the Ho-fhaungs, or priefts of Fo, bound with cords round the waift, would almoft equally fuit the friars of the order of St. Francis. The former live, like the latter, in a state of celibacy, refide in monafteries together, and impofe, occafionally, upon themselves voluntary penance, and rigorous abftinence.

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"The temples of Fo abound with more images than are found in most Christian churches, and Tome that bear a greater analogy to the ancient than to the prefent worship of the Romans. One figure, reprefenting a female, was thought to be fomething fimilar to Lucina, and is particularly addreffed by unmarried women wanting hufbands, and married women wanting children. The doctrine of Fo, admitting of a fubordinate deity particularly propitious to every with which can be formed in the human mind, would fcarcely fail to fpread among thofe claffes of the people who are not fatisfied with their profpects, as refulting from the natural caufes of events. Its progrefs is not obftructed by any meatures of the government of the country, which does not interfere with mere opinions. It prohibits no belief which is not fuppofed to affect the tranquillity of fociety.

"There is in China no state religion. None is paid, preferred, or encouraged by it. The Emperor is of one faith; many of the mandarines of another; and the majority of the common people of a third, which is that of Fo. This laft clafs, the leaft capable, from ignorance, of explaining the phenomena of nature, and the moft expofed to wants which it cannot fupply by ordinary means, is willing to recur to the fuppofition of extraordinary powers, which may operate the effects it cannot explain, and grant the requests which it cannot other wife obtain.

"No people are, in fact, more fuperftitious than the common Chi

nefe. Befide the habitual offices of devotion on the part of the priefts and females, the temples are particularly frequented by the difciples of Fo, previously to any undertaking of importance; whether

to marry, or go a journey, or conclude a bargain, or change fituation, or for any other material event in life, it is neceffary firft to confult the fuperintendant deity. This is performed by various methods. Some place a parcel of confecrated fticks, differently marked and numbered, which the confultant, kneeling before the altar, fhakes in a hollow bamboo, until one of them falls on the ground; its mark is examined, and referred to a correfpondent mark in a book which the prieft holds open, and sometimes even it is written upon a theet of paper pafted upon the infide of the temple. Polygonal pieces of wood are by others thrown into the air. Each fide has its particular mark; the fide that is uppermoft when fallen on the floor, is in like manner referred to its correfpondent mark in the book or fheet of fate. If the first throw be favourable, the perfon who made it proftrates himfelf in gratitude, and undertakes afterwards, with confidence, the business in agitation. But if the throw thould be adverfe, he tries a fecond time, and the third throw determines, at any rate, the que tion. In other refpects the people of the prefent day feem to pay little attention to their priests. The temples are, however, always open for fuch as choose to confult the decrees of heaven. They return thanks when the oracle proves propitious to their wishes. Yet they oftener caft lots, to know the iffue of a projected enterprize, than fupplicate for its being favourable; and their worship confifts more in thankfgiving than in prayer.

"Few Chinese are feldom faid to carry the objects, to be obtained by their devotion, beyond the benefits of this life. Yet the religion of Fo profeffes the doctrine of the tranimmigration of fouls, and proE 2

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mifes happiness to the people on conditions, which were, no doubt, originally intended to confift in the performance of moral duties; but in lieu of which are too frequently fubftituted thofe of contributions towards the erection or repair of temples, the maintenance of priefts, and a strict attention to particular obfervances. The neglect of thefe is announced as punishable by the fouls of the defaulters paffing into the bodies of the meaneft animals, in whom the fufferings are to be proportioned to the tranfgreffions committed in the human form."

"The temples of Pekin are not equal to its palaces. The religion of the Emperor is new in China, and its worthip is performed with moft magnificence in Tartary. The mandarines, the men of letters, from whom are felected the magiftrates who govern the empire, and poffefs the upper ranks of life, venerate rather than they adore Confucius; and meet to honour and celebrate his memory in halls of a fimple but neat conftruction. The numerous and lower claffes of the people, are lefs able than inclined 10 contribute much towards the e

rection of large and coily edifices for public worship. Their religious attention is much engaged, befides, with their household gods. Every houfe has its altar and its deities. The books of their mythology contain reprefentations of those who prefide over their perfons and properties, as well as over exterior objects likely to affect them. In the reprefentation of Lui-in, or fpirit prefiding over thunder, the violence of that meteor, which nothing is fuppofed capable of withitanding, the velocity of the lightning, which nothing can exceed, and their united effects, are reprefented by a monstrous figure, who is involved in clouds. His chin is terminated

in the beak of an eagle, to express the devouring effects of thunder, as his wings do its fwiftnefs. With one hand he grafps a thunderbolt, and in the other is held a truncheon for ftriking feveral kettle-drums with which he is furrounded. The talons of an eagle are fometimes reprefented as fixed upon the axis of a wheel, upon which, with aided velocity, he rolls among the clouds. In the original from whence this defcription is taken, the dreadful effects of this terrific fpirit beneath the clouds are pointed out by the appearance of animals ftruck dead, and lying proftrate on the ground, buildings overturned, and trees torn up by the roots."

"No legal tax is impofed in China on the fcore of religion. Ceremonies are ordained by it, in the performance of which fome time is neceffarily confumed, and facrifices are required, which occafion expence, on the new and full moon ; and in fpring and autumn; and likewife in the beginning of the year. On the latter occasion, particularly, much diffipation takes place. Some good alfo is effected. Acquaintainces renew their fufpended intercourfe; friends offended are reconciled; every thing dates as from a new era. The pooreft cottager looks foward and prepares, during the preceding months for an interval, however brief, of enjoying life, after having fo long dragged on laboriously the burden of it."

"The Chinese have no Sunday, nor even fuch a divifion as a week, The temples are, however, open every day for the vifits of devotees, Perfons of that defcription have, from time to time, made grants, "though to no great amount, for the maintenance of their clergy; but no lands are fubject to ecclefiaftical tithes."

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