P L A T E XXI I .
THE MANNER OF BEHEADING.
THI S sort of punishment, being deemed in the highest degree ignominious,
is only inflicted for crimes, which are regarded by the Chinese
government, as the most prejudicial to society ; such as conspiracy,
assassination, committing any offence against the person of the Emperor,
or attempting the life of any of the imperial family ; revolting, insurrection,
striking a parent, or any ot her unnatural sort of crime. T h e
malefactor, who is condemned to be beheaded, is made to kneel upon
the ground, the board of infamy is taken from his bai>k, and the executioner,
by a single blow of a two-handed sword, strikes off" his head
with great dexterity. Tliese headsmen, and indeed, the generality of
inferior officers of justice in China, are selected from the soldiery, a c -
cording to the custom of primitive barbarians ; neither is this employment
considered more ignominious, than the post of principal officer
of executive justice in other countries. Decapitation is held, by the
Chinese, as the most disgraceful kind of death ; because the head, which
is the principal part of a man, is separated from the body, and that body
is not consigned to the grave as entire as he received it from his parents.
If a great mandarin be convicted of any atrocious offence, he is executed
in this manner like the meanest person. After the head is severed, it
is frequently suspended from a tree, by the side of a public road; the
body is thrown into a ditch, the law having deemed it unworthy the
respect of regular funereal rites.
When a sentence is submitted to the Emperor for his approbation, if
the crime be of tlie first degree of atrocity, he orders the malefactor to
be executed without delay ; when it is only of an ordinary nature, he
directs, that the criminal shall be imprisoned until the autumn, and then
executed ; a particular day of tljat season being allotted for such
ceremonies.
Tlie Emperor of Cliina seldom orders a subject to be executed, until
he has consulted with his first law officers, whether he can avoid it, without
infringing on the constitution of his realm. He fasts for a certain
period, previous to signing an order for an execution ; and his imperial
majesty esteems those years of liis reign the most illustrious and most
fortunate, In which he has had the least occasion to let fall upon his
subjects the rigorous sword of justice.
cd by W. Bulroci and Cc,
iit, Clevelsnd-row Sl.Jan