Imperial eftabliihment. The Tartar officers of Hate are likewife
attached to the faith o f the Lama, without the abfurdlties that
have been mixed with it by the immortals.
However ftriCtly the women may be kept at home by the
cuftoms' o f the country, they are neverthelefs permitted, on
certain occafions, to confult their deftiny at the altar, without
being expofed to the cenfure o f vulgarity or impropriety. Barren
wives are even encouraged to vifit the temples, not fo
much for the purpofe o f knowing their deftiny, as. under a
firm belief that, by rubbing the bellies o f certain iittle copper
gods, they fhall conceive and bear children. But, the women
in general who,_ from habit, feel little inclination to ftir
abroad, except on very preffing- occafions, encourage a fet o f
fortune-tellers, mountebanks and jugglers, who thus pick up a
livelihood by travelling the country and telling fortunes from
houfe to houfe. T h e y are known by a wretched fqualling
flute on which they play, and are beckoned to call where their
art is required. B y being made acquainted with the day and
hour o f a .perfon’s birth, they pretend to cajl his nativity, which
is called Swan-ming, or the art o f difcovering events by means
o f numbers. A Chinefe, even in the higher ranks, has no great
idea o f a man’s learning, i f he be ignorant o f the Swan-ming. I
was very frequently applied to at Yven-min-yuen, byperfons in
office, to know i f I could tell them their fortune; and it was
difficult to perfuade them I had any knowledge o f the aftrono-
mical inftruments intended for the Emperor, after profeffing
my ignorance in cajling a nativity.
The
The priefts o f both fedts are fuppofed to be no lefs attentive
in keeping up a perpetual fire burning upon the altars than the
Roman Veftals were in this refpeQ:; but no expiation nor pu-
niihment being confidered neceflary, as in the latter cafe, they
cannot boaft that “ flames unextinguiih’d on their altars
“ ffiine.” They are, in fa£t, frequently extinguiihed by care-
leflhefs or accident. No virgins attend this holy flame, but the
charge of it is committed generally to young boys under training
for the priefthood. Like the Greeks and the Romans, the
Chinefe have alfo their penates or houfeliold gods, which are
not reprefented. under any particular perfonification, but generally
by a tablet bearing a fhort infcription and a taper burning
before it. Every ihip, however fmall, has its tablet and
its taper; and within the compafs-box or binnacle a taper is
continually kept burning.
In every city, town and village, fometimes in the midft o f
woods, in the mountains and moft lonely places, are fmall
temples, the doors o f which are continually left open for the ’
admittance o f fuch as may be defirous o f confulting their deftiny.
The practical part of Chinefe religion may, in faCt, be
faid to confift in predeftination. A prieft is not at all neceifary"
for unravelling the book o f fate. I f any one be about to undertake
a journey, or to purchafe a wife, or to build a houfe,
or, above all, to bury a deceafed relation, and any doubt ihould
arife in his mind as to the fortunate refult o f fuch undertaking,
he repairs to the neareft temple; and, i f he ihould not be able to
read himfelf, he takes a friend by the hand who can. On the
altar o f every temple is placed a wooden cup, filled with a
3 Q_ number