would be as unfair, as it would be thought .prefumptuousin; a
foreigner to draw the chara&er o f our own nation from a
.cafual vifit to Falmouth, Killybeggs, or Aberdeen. The fame
remark will apply to-the accounts given o f this nation by
Toreen, Ofbeck, :Sonneraf, and. fome others; who have vifited
Canton in trading Ihips, none o f whom were five hundred
yards beyond the limits o f the European factories..
It wouM alio have beeh highly illiberal to fuppofe, that a
body o f men, remarkable, as the early Jefuit miffionaries were
thought to be, for probity, talent, and difintereftednefs, ihould
ftudioufly fit down to compofe fabrications for the mere pur-
pofe o f deceiving the world. Even Voltaire, who had little
partiality for the facerdotal charailer, is willing to admit, that
their relations ought to be confidered as the productions o f the
moft intelligent travellers that have extended and embelliihed
the fields o f Science and Philofophy. This remark, with proper
allowances being made, for- the age in which they- were
written, may. perhaps be applied to the narratives o f the early
millions to China, though not exaCtly to fome others o f a more
modern date. All the praifes bellowed by the former on this
nation,, the latter, it would feem, have, injudicioufly, confidered
themfelves bound to juftify ; without taking into account the
progrefiive improvements, o f Europe within the laft century
and a half.
That China was civilized to a certain degree before moft o f
the nations o f Europe, not even Greece excepted, is a faCt that
will not admit o f a doubt; but that it has continued to hm-
3 prove,
prove, fo as ftill to vie with many o f the prefent European
Rates, as the miffionaries would have it fuppofed, is not by any
means fo clear. From the middle to the end o f the fixteenth
century, compared with Europe in general, it had greatly the
fuperiority, if not in fcience, at leaft in arts and manufactures,
in the conveniencies and the luxuries o f life. The Chinefe
were, at that period, pretty much in the fame ftate in which
they ftill are ; and in which they are likely to continue. When
the firft Europeans vifited China, they were aftonilhed to find
an uniyerfal toleration o f religious opinions; to obferve Lamas
and Tao-tzes, J ew s, Perfees, and Mahomedans, living quietly
together, and each following his own creed without moleftation;
whilft moft o f the countries in Europe were, at that time, torn
in pieces by religious fchifms ; and man. was labouring, with
enthufiaftic fury to ¡deftroy his fellow-creatures, in honour o f
his Creator, for a flight difference o f opinion in matters o f no
real importance, or even for a different acceptation o f a word.
In China, every one was allowed to think as he pleafed, and to
chufe his own religion. ¡The horrid maffacre o f the proteftants
in Paris had terrified’all Europe.; China knew nothing o f internal
commotions, but fuch as were fometimes occafioned by
a partial fcarcity, o f grain. The art o f improving vegetables
b y particular modes o f culture, was juft beginning to be known,
in Europe. All China, at that time, was comparatively a garden.
When the King o f France introduced the luxury o f filk
flocking?, which, about eighteen years afterwards, was adopted
by Elizabeth o f England, the peafantry o f the middle provinces
o f China were clothed in filks from head to foot. A t this
period, few or none o f the little elegancies or conveniencies o f
life