veryfancium fanSiorum is invaded. Every corner is indifcrimi-
riately occupied by men in power, if they fhouid require it.
Sometimes, alfo, the whole building is made a common place of
refort for vagrants and idlers, where gamblers mix with gods,
and priefts with pick-pockets. In juftice, however, it muft be
'obferved, that the priefts o f the two popular religions which
predominate ia the country fliew no inclination to encourage,
by joining in, the vicious pradices o f the rabble; but having
no pay nor emolument from government, and being rather
tolerated than fupported, they are obliged to fubmit to and
to overlook abufes o f this nature, and even to allow the profane
prattices o f the rabble in the very hours o f their devotion. Yet
there is a decency o f behaviour, a fort o f pride and dignity in
the deportment o f a Chinefe prieft, that readily diftinguiih
him from the vulgar. T he calumnies, which fome o f the
Roman catholic miffionaries have fo induftrioully circulated
againft them, feem to have no foundation in truth. The near
refemblance o f their drefs and holy rites to thofe o f their own
faith was fo mortifying a circumftance, that none o f the mif-
fionaries I coaverfed with eould {peak with temper o f the priefts
o f China. I could not even prevail on our interpreter o f the
propagandafide, who ftill .manifefted a predileCtion for the cuftoms
o f his country in every other refpeCt, to ftep into the temple
where the altar was placed; nor could he be induced, by any
perfuafion, to give or to aik an explanation o f their myfterious
doCtrines.
There is no fubjeCf, perhaps, on which a traveller ought to
jpeak with left confidence, than on the religious opinions o f
the
the people he may chance to vifit, in countries out o f Europe,
efpecially when thofe opinions are grounded on a very
remote antiquity. The allegorical allufions in which they
might originally have been involved, the various changes they
may fince have undergone, the ceremonies and types under
which they are ftill exhibited, in their modern drefs, render
them fo wholly unintelligible that, although they may have
been founded in truth and reafon, they now appear abfurd and
ridiculous; equally inexplicable by the people themfelves who
profefs them, as by thofe who are utter ftrangers. The various
modes, indeed, under which the Creator and Ruler o f the Uni-
verfe is recognifed by various nations, all tending to one point,
but fetting out in very different directions, can only be under-
ftood and reconciled by a thorough knowledge o f the language»
the hiftory, and the habits o f the people; o f their origin and
connexions with other nations; and, even after fuch knowledge
has been obtained, it is no eafy talk to feparate fable from
metaphor, and truth from fiction. For thefe reafons, the religion
o f China appears to be fully as obfcure and inexplicable
as that o f almoft any other o f the oriental nations. The language
o f the country, added to the jealoufy o f the government
in admitting foreigners, have thrown almoft infuperable ob-
ftacles in the way o f clearing up this intricate fubjeCt; and thofe
few, who only have had opportunities o f overcoming thefe difficulties,
were unfortunately men o f that elafs, whofe opinions
were fo warped by the prejudices imbibed with the tenets o f
their own religion, that the accounts given by them are not always
to be depended upon. As I have already obferved, they
cannot