Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

and to urge the heaviest complaints against him for his injuftice and illtreatment. Meanwhile the pafha died. The capidji bafhi was difpatched by the fultan to feize the treature, 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.

66 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 mott capable minifter in the cabinet.

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

"The prefent capudan 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 adminiftration 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 has been adopted. At the beginning of the prefent century, the Turkith fleet confifted of 32 fbips of the line, 34 galleys, and fome brigantines; they can now fend to fea 14 firftes, 6 frigates, and 50 floops of war,

"Every fpring he leaves Conflantople 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 Httle 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 mafter of the mathematical school founded in 1773 by Ghazi Hafsan pafha, a very celebrated character in the last reign.

"This extraordinary perfon was likewife a Georgian flave, and afterward a Barbary corfait. 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 ship of the line under Jaffer, capudan pafha, who upon his difgrace died of chagrin, and was tucceeded by Haffan.

"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 diedat the age of more than feventy, in the camp against the Ruffians, not without fufpicion 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 noft 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 infiantly imprifoned. On the very day of the high ceremony of Mavro-yeni's inveftiture, he was led to the gate of the feraglio to kifs 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 laft-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 killar-agha,

or chief of the black cuichs, having the arrangement of the female department, is moft familiar with the fultan, and is a powerful friend, or enemy, to the minifters of state.

"Between the officers of the se

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

"The minifters are admitted to an audience with the fullan with the profoundest ceremony. 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 miniftry, 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, TRIBUNALS, 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-}

[ocr errors]

F thofe circular and lofty edifices, by Europeans termed 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 purpofe 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 himfelf 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 fhould perceive the resemblance 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 Chinese had formerly received a glimpse of Chriftianity from the Neftorians, by the way of Tartary; others that Saint Thomas the postle had been amongst them; but the mitionary Prémare

been a

could account for it no otherwise 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 worfhip 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 Shinmos, 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 ftate of celibacy, refide in monafteries together, and impofe, occafionally, upon themfelves voluntary penance, and rigorous abftinence.

The

"The temples of Fo abound with more images than are found in moft Chriftian churches, and fome 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 progress is not obftructed by any measures 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 ftate 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 most exposed 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 Chinefe. 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 fometimes 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 man-ner referred to its correfpondent mark in the book or fheet of fate. If the firft throw be favourable, the perfon who made it proftrates himfelf in gratitude, and undertakes afterwards, with confidence, the bufinefs in agitation. But if the throw thould be adverse, he tries a fecond time, and the third throw determines, at any rate, the que ́ tion. In other refpects the people of the present day seem 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 supplicate for its being favourable; and their worship confifts more in thanksgiving 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 tranfmigration of fouls, and pro

E 2

miles

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 pafling 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 to contribute much towards the erection 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 representations of those who prefide over their perions and properties, as well as over exterior objects likely to affect them. In the reprefentation of Lui-in, or ipirit prefiding over thunder, the violence of that meteor, which nothing is fuppofed capable of withstanding, 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 swiftness. 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 fometime; 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 defeription 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 consumed, 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 occafion, 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 poorest 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."

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »