effufion o f blood, reels about for fome time, bemoaning his lamentable
fate in a fong, till exhaufted by lofs o f blood, he
falls, and dies. The woman is feized, brought before a ma-
giftrate, and condemned to be flayed alive. The fentence is
put in execution ; and, in the following a£t, ihe appears upon
the ftage not only naked, but completely excoriated. The thin
wrapper with which the creature (an eunuch) is covered, who
fuftains the part, is ftretched fo tight about the body, and fo
well painted, as to reprefent the difgufting object o f a human
being deprived of its ikin ; and in this condition the charaiter
fings or, more properly fpeaking, whines nearly half an hour
on the ftage, to excite the compaffion o f three infernal or malignant
fpirits who, like iEacus, Minos, and Rhadamanthus,
fit in judgment on her future deftiny. I have been informe4
that it is fcarcely poffible to conceive a more obfcene, indelicate,
and diigufting object, than this favourite exhibition, which, if
intended “ to hold th e mirror up to nature,” it is to nature in
its raoft grofs, rude, and u ncivilized ftate, ill-agreeing with the
boafted morality, high poliih, refined delicacy, and ceremonious
exterior o f the Chinefe nation ; but it tends, among other
parts o f their real conduct in life, to ftrengthen an obfervation
I have already made with regard to their filial piety, and which,
with few exceptions, may perhaps be extended to moft o f their
civil and moral inftitutions, “ that they exift more in ftate
“ maxims, than in the minds o f the people.’ As, however, a
Chinefe might be led to make fimilar reflexions on the exhibition
o f Harlequin Skeleton, and thofe numerous reprefentations
that o f late years have crept upon our own ftage, where ghofts,
hobgoblins, and bleeding ftatues are called in aid o f the fpeBacle>
x I ihould
I ihould hefitate to draw.any general conclufion, with regard to
their tafte, from the particular- exhibition o f a woman flayed
alive, were they not in the conftant pradlice o f performing
other pieces that, in point o f immorality and obfcenity, are ftill
infinitely w or fe ; fo vulgarly indelicate and fo filthy, that the
European part o f the audience is fometimes compelled by dif-
guft to leave the theatre. Thefe are fuch as will not bear de-
fcription, nor do I know to what fcenic reprefentations they
can with propriety be compared, unlefs to thofe grofs indecencies
o f Theodora, which Procopius has defcribed to have
been exhibited on the Roman ftage, in the reign o f Jfuftinian*.
The people who encourage them muft be funk very deep in intellectual
groffnefs, and have totally loft fight of all decency.
Thefe and fimilar fcenes may be confidered among the ill effefls
o f excluding women from their dueihare o f influence in fociety.
It would be impoffible to compliment the court o f Pekin on
the elegance and refinement o f its entertainments, but at the
expence o f truth and reafon. Thofe o f Tartar origin will no
more bear a comparifon with the noble contefts o f ftrength and
agility difplayed by the old hardy Romans in the Circenfian
games, than the regular drama o f the Chinefe will admit o f being
meafured by the fofter, but more refined and rational amufe-
ments o f a fimilar kind in Europe. It is true the fcenic reprefentations
in the 'decline o f the Roman empire, as they are defcribed
to us, appear to have been as rude and barbarous as
thofe o f the Chinefe., T h e y began by exhibiting in their vaft
* See Gilt/on, under Emperoi* Juftinian : and Menagianat in - which is given tite
tranflation o f n very extraordinary paflage from Procopius.
■ amphi