o f his fubjedts, except on fuch occafions ; and even then the
exhibition is confined within the precincts o f the palace from
which the populace are entirely excluded. Confident with
their fyftem o f fumptuary laws there is little external appearance
o f pomp or magnificence in the eftabliihment o f the Emperor.
The buildings that compofe the palace and the furniture
within them, i f we except the paint, the gilding, and the
varniih, that appear on the houles even o f plebeians, are equally
void o f unneceffary and expenfive ornaments. Thofe who
fhould rely on the florid relations, in which the miflionaries and
fome travellers have indulged in their defcriptions o f the palaces
o f Pekin and thofe o f Yuen-min-yuen, would experience on vifit-
ing them a woful diiappointment. Thefe buildings, like the
common habitations o f the country, are all modelled after the
form o f a tent, and are magnificent only by 3 comparifon with
the others and by their number, which is fufficient, indeed, to
form a town o f themfelves. Their walls are higher than
thofe o f ordinary houfes, their wooden columns o f greater
diameter, their roofs are immenfe, and a greater variety o f
painting and gilding may be bellowed on thé different parts ;
but none o f them exceeds one ilory in height, and ■ they are
jumbled and furrounded with mean and infignificant hovels.
Some writer has obferved that the King o f England is worfe
lodged at Saint James’s palace than any fovereign in Europe.
Were I to compare fome o f the imperial palaces in China to any
royal refidence in Europe it would certainly be to Saint James’s •
but the apartments, the furniture, and conveniences o f the latter,
bad as they are, infinitely tranfcend any o f thofe in China.
The Hone or clay floors are indeed fometimes covered with a
carpet
carpet o f Engliih broad-cloth, and the walls papered; but they
have no glafs in the windows, no Itoves-, fire-places, or firegrates
in the rooms ; no fofas, bureaux, chandeliers, nor look-
ing-glaffes; no book-cafes, prints, nor paintings. The y have
neither curtains nor iheets to their beds; a bench o f wood or
a platform o f brick-work, is raifed in an alcove, on which are
mats or Huffed matreffes, hard pillows, or culhions, according
to the feafon o f the y e a r ; inftead o f doors they have ufually
ikreens, made o f the fibres o f bamboo. In Ihort, the wretched
lodgings o f the ftate-offieers at the court o f Verfailles, in the
time o f the French monarchy, were princely palaces in comparifon
o f thofe allotted to the firlt minifters o f the Emperor
o f China, in the capital as well as at Yuen-min-yuen.
When attending the court, on public occafions, each courtier
takes his meal alone in his folitary cell on a fmall fquare table
crowded with bowls o f rice and various Hews ; without table-
linen or napkins, without knife, fork, or fpoon; a pair o f fmall
Hicks, or the quills o f a porcupine, are the only fubftitutes for
thefe convenient articles : placing the bowl under his chin,
with thefe he throws the rice into his mouth and takes up the
pieces o f meat in his foup or ftews. Having finiihed his lonely
meal, he generally lies down to fleep. In a government fo
fufpicious as that o f China, i f parties were known to 'meet
together, the object o f them might be fuppofed fomething
beyond that o f conviviality, which however mutual jealoufy and
diftruft have prevented from growing into common ufe.
As the ready compliance o f the late Dutch Embaffadors with
all the degrading, ceremonies required by the Chinefe, added tcj
c c 2 their