ordering him to give immediate and accurate information oh
the fubjeft. The Viceroy, nettled at the officious zeal o f the
Portugueze, pofitively denied the fadt of any hoftile intention
of the Engliih, “ who, being a brave people, and terrible in
“ arms, had intimidated the Portugueze at Macao, though
“ without reafon, as their fhips of war, as ufual, came only to
“ protedt their fhips 'of commerce againft their enemies;” When
this difpatch o f the Viceroy reached Pekin, the Emperor was
fo exafperated to think that the Court had fuffered itfelf to be
milled by an European miffionary, that he ordered Almeyda to
appear before the mafter of the houfehold, and on his knees
to alk forgivenefs of crime, which, he was told, deferred to be
punifhed with death ; and he was difmiffed with a caution never
more to interfere in the Hate affairsr o f China. The whole of this
curious tranfadHon is publiihed in the Pekin. Gazette of laft
year; fo that the Engliih have gained a confiderable degree of
reputation by it, fo much-, indeed, that ther Chi-hefe at Canton
(and a great deal depends upon their reprefentations) would
have no objedtion to fee the Engliih in pofieffion of Macao;
for they cordially hate, I believe'it is not too much to fay
they defpife, the PortuguCze, and they fpeak with horror of
the French. What a mofoent then iis this for England to turn
to its advantage !
Independent, however, o f the machinations o f miffiona-
lies, luch is the pride and the haughty infolence o f the Chinefe
government, that, in no inftance on record, but that o f the
Britilh embafly, has it ever relaxed from its long eftablilhed
tuftoms, nor acquiefced in any demands of foreign einbaffadors,
whether
whether the tone in which they were made was fupplicating or
authoritative. The forms o f the court they contend to be as
immutable as were the laws of the Medes and Perfians. Every
thing mull be conduced by prefcriptive ufage, and no deviation
allowed from the rules which for; ages have been eftablilhed
by law, and regiftcted by the council of ordinances; much
lefs the remiffion of any duty that might derogate from the
reverence and refpeft which are coniidcred to be due to the per-
fon of the Emperor.
It may; be imagined, then, that an event fo new as a refufal
to fubmit to the degrading ceremony required from an embaf-
fador, at his public introduction, could , not fail o f making a,
very ftrong. impreffipn, oti the minds of thofe about the perfon
of his Imperial) Majefty ; who, as Mr. Van Braam fays, were,
land without ifoubt they were) much better fatisfied with the
complying temper of the Dutch, than with the,inflexible pertinan
city of the fingiifo- .Yet, they did not venture to lodge.th? latter)
in 3. ftable,,no$,think Pr0Per t0 perfevere in demanding unrea-
fonpibJe homage., Neither was any. pique or ill-nature apparent
in ^any, lingli? Iqft^ice, after the departure o f .the embafly from.
t^ .,c^ ita^ ’ jbut very much the contrary. The officers apT)
pointed to condud it to Canton teftified the iqoft , earneft
defire to pleafe, by a ready attention to every minute circum-
ftance,that flight add to the comforts of the travellera, o t, alje-
viate, nojt entirely remove, any little inconvenience, it was
a flattering circumftance to the embaflador to j obferve their
anxiety for the favourable opinion o f a nation they had now
begun to,think more highly of, and of whom, in meafuring^
2 ‘ ' \ 1 1 ' "" with