rights * : and. they certainly enjoy none but what are liable to
be invaded and trampled on, whenever the fovereign, or any
o f his reprefentatives, from intereft, malice, or caprice, think
fit to exercife the power that is within their grafp. The doctrine
o f employing refiftence againft oppreffion, applied to the
people and the government, is fo contrary to every fentiment
o f the former, that the latter has little to fear on that fcore.
Partial infurre&ions occafionally happen, but they are generally
owing to the extreme poverty o f the people which, in
feafons o f fcarcity and famine, compels them to take by violence
the means o f fubfifting life, which otherwife they could not
obtain. T o this caufe may be referred the origin o f almoft all
the commotions recorded in their hiftory, through fome o f
which, when the calamity became general, the regular fuccef-
fion has been interrupted, and even changed. W e were told,
however, by our Chinefe attendants, that certain myfterious
focieties did exift in fome o f the provinces, whofe chief obje£t
was to overturn the Tartar government; that they held fecret
* When the mifchievous doflrines o f Tom Paine, expounded !n his “ Rights of
** Man,” were tranilated into various languages, and induftrioully attempted to be
propagated among the eaitern nations, by means of. French emiflaries ; when one
o f thofe afiiduous difturbers o f the peace o f mankind had adually fucceeded in fur-
niihing the Spiks with an abftrad o f this precious work in their own language, he next
turned his attention to the vaft empire o f China, a glorious theatre for thofe zealous
cofmopolites to play their parts in, i f they could once contrive to fuit their drama to
the taile.of the people. The experiment, however, failed o f fuccefs* The golden
opinions of Tom Paine could not be transfufed into the Chinefe language ; and thefe
unfortunate people underftood no other but their own; fo that three hundred and
thirty-three millions, were doomed to remain in ignorance and mifery on account o f
their language being incapable o f conveying the enlightened doctrines o f Tom Paine.
i meetings,
meetings, in which they gave vent to their complaints againft
Tartar preponderancy, revived the memory o f ancient glory,
brooded over prefent injuries, and meditated revenge. I f even
this be the cafe, the prefent ftate o f fociety is little favourable to
their views. Nor indeed would a revolution be a defirable event
for the Chinefe themfelves. It could not fail o f being attended with
the moft horrible confequences. The Tartar foldiers would be
tired with flaying, and millions that efcaped the fword muft
neceffarily perifti by famine, on the leaft interruption o f
the ufual purfuits o f agriculture ; for they have no other country
to look to for fupplies, and they raife no furplus quantity in
their own.
In order to prevent as much as poffible a fcarcity o f grain,
and in conformity to their opinion, that the true fource o f national
wealth and profperity confifts in agriculture, the Chinefe
government has in all ages bellowed the firft honours on every
improvement in this branch o f induftry. The hufbandman is
eonfidered as an honourable, as well as ufeful, member o f fociety;
he ranks next to men o f letters, or officers o f ftate, o f whom indeed
he is frequently the progenitor. The foldier. in China
cultivates the ground. The priefts alfo are agriculturifts, whenever
their convents are endowed with land. The Emperor is
eonfidered as the foie proprietary o f the foil, but the tenant is
never turned out o f poffeffion as long as he continues to pay his
rent, which is calculated at about one-tenth o f what his farm
is fuppofed capable o f yielding; and though the holder o f lands
can only be eonfidered as a tenant at will, yet it is his own fault
if he ihould be difpolfefled. So accuftomed are the Chinefe
to