amphitheatre the rare and wonderful productions o f nature.
Forefts enlivened with innumerable birds ; caverns pouring forth
lions, and tygers, and panthers, and other beafts o f prey ;
plains covered with the elephant, the rhinofceros, the zebra,
the oftrich, arid other curious animals, which the wilds o f
Africa furniihed, were all. brought together within the circuit
o f the arena. Not fatisfied with the rich productions o f the
earth, the fea mull: alfo become tributary to their amufements.
The arena was convertible into a iheet o f water; and, at length,
the two elements concluding a marriage, as on the Chinefe
theatre, produced a race o f monfters which, according to the
Latin poet’s * defcription, might vie with thofe o f China.
“ Non folum nobis fylveftria cernere monftra
“ C on tig it, aequoreos ego cum certantibus' urfis
íl Spe&avi vítulos, e t equorum nomine dignum
ft Sed difforme genus.” ------
W h e re Sylvan monfters not alone appear,
B u t fea-cows drug gie with the ihaggy b ear, $
A n d horfes o f the deep, a ihapelefs race.— |j|
In ihort, the greater part o f the amufements o f the Chinefé
are, at the prefent day, o f a nature fo ve ry puerile, or fo grofs
and vulgar, that the tricks and the puppet-ihews which are
occafionally exhibited in a common fair o f one o f the country
towns o f England, may be confidered as comparatively po-
liihed, interefting, and rational. In flight-of-hand, in pofture-
making, rope-dancing, riding, and athletic exercifes, they are
much inferior to Europeans; but in the variety o f their fireworks
they, perhaps, may carry the palm againft the whole
* A . Calpurnius.
world.
world. In every other refpeCt the amufements o f the capital
o f China appear to be o f a low and trifling nature, neither fuited
to the affected gravity o f the government nor to the generally
fuppofed ftate o f civilization among the people.
T he old Emperor, as he obferved to Lord Macartney, feldom
partook o f fuch amufements. Confidering, indeed, all the cir-
Gumftances connected with the reign o f the prefent dynafty on
the throne, the government o f an empire o f fuch vaft magnitude,
ftored with an almoft incalculable population, mult ne-
ceflarily be a talk o f inconceivable vigilance and toil ; a talk
that mud have required all the time, the talents, and the attention
o f the four fovereigns to enfure the brilliant and unparalleled
fuccefles that have diftinguilhed their long reign. Tchien
jM ng, at the age o f eighty-three, was fo little afflicted with
.the infirmities o f age, that he had all the appearance \ and activity
o f a hale man o f fixty. His eye was dark, quick, and penetrating,
his nofe rather aquiline, and his complexion,, even at
this advanced age, was florid. His height I ihould fuppofe to be
about five feet ten; inches, and he was perfectly upright.
Though neither corpulent nor mufcular at eighty-three, it was
not difficult to perceive that he once had pofleffed great bodily
ftrength. He always enjoyed a vigorous conftitution, which
the regularity o f his life did not impair. Like all the Man-,
tchoo Tartars he was fond o f hunting, an exercife that during
the fummer months he never negleCted, He had the reputation
o f being an expert bowman, and inferior only in drawing this
weapon to his grandfather Caung-Jbee, who boafts, in his lait
, • . . ;. c 0 f sea . : . ___- will,