him tribute. T h e y fubmitted even to the demands o f the ftate-
officers o f Canton, that the letter, written by the Commif-
faries General at Batavia to the Emperor, o f China, and tranf-
lated there into the Chinefe language, fhould be broke open,
and the contents read by them ; and that they ihould further
be allowed to make therein fuch alterations and additions as
they might think proper. The Embaffador, refolving not to
be wanting in any point o f civility, requefted to know when
he might have the honour o f paying his refpe&s to the Viceroy ;
and received for anfwer, that the euftoms o f the country did
not allow a perfon in his fituation to come within the walls
o f the Viceroy’ s palace, but that one o f his officers fhould receive
his vifit at the g a te ; which vifit to the gate was literally
made. Mr. Van Braam, in relating this circumftance in his
journal, obferves, that the Viceroy “ allured his Excellency, h e
“ ought not to take his refufal amifs, as the fame terms had
« been prefcribed to Lord Macartney the preceding year."
Mr. Van Braam knew very well that Lord Macartney never
fubjedted himfelf to any fuch refufal; and he knew too, that
the fame Viceroy accompanied his Lordfhip in a great part
o f his journey from the Capital: that he partook o f a repaid,
on the invitation o f Lord Macartney, at the Britifh fa&ory j
When, for the firft time, both Mr. Van Braam and the fuper-
cargoes o f all the European nations had been permitted to fit
down in the prefence o f one o f his rank.
A t Pekin they were required to humiliate themfelves at leaft
thirty different times, at each o f which they were obliged, on
their knees, to knock their heads nine times againft the ground,
which
which Mr. V an Braam, in his journal, very coolly calls, performing
the falute o f honour, | fa in le j 'dut d'honneur I '
And they were finally difiniffed, with a few paltry pieces o f
filk, without having once been allowed to open their Ups on
any Und o f bufinefs ; and without being permitted to fee either
their friend Grammont, or any other European miffionary,
except one, who had fpeeial leave to make them a vifit o f half
an hour, the day before their departure, in prefence o f ten or
twelve officers o f government. On their arrival in this Capita}
they were lodged, literally, in a fta b le ; under the fame cover,
and in the fame apartment, with a parcel o f cart-horfes. Mr.
Van Braam’ s own words are, “ Nous voila donc à notre arrivée
“ dans la célébré reftdence impériale, logis dam une efpèce d'écurie,
u Nous ferions nous attendus a une .pareille aventure !
After fiieh a vile reception and degrading treatment o f the
Dutch Embaffy, what advantages can reafonably be expedled
to accrue from a 1er vile and unconditional compliance with the
fubmiffions required by this haughty government 1 It- would
rather feem that their exaâions are proportioned to the com*
plying temper o f the perfons with whom they have to treat.
For it appears, not only from Mr. Van Braam’s own account
o f the Embaffy, but alio from two mapufeript .journals in the
Author’s poffeffion, one kept b y a Dutch gentleman in the
fuite, and tbe o ther by a native Chmefe, that -the Embafladots.
from the Batavian Republic were fully prepared to obviate
every difficulty that might arife from the fuppofed points o f
failure in the Britifh Embaffy, as direâed to their notice
by M. Grammont. In the firft place, they not only carried
c 2 prefenta