O a t h o f
O b s e r v a n c e .
A R o m a n F o rm ,
Divine vengeance on the faithlefs party): “ We, embafiaddrs
“ extraordinary of the t.wo empires, having been fent to fettle
“ the bounds o f both dominions, and eftabliih a folid and per-
“ petual peace between both nations, which we happily exe-
“ cuted in the conferences held by us in the feventh moon of
“ the e§th year o f Kang^hi, hear the town o f Nip-cbu, ■ by
“ diftindtly fetting down in. writing the names o f the countries
“ and places -where the two empires -join each other, have, by
“ fixing the bounds o f both, and ordering in what manner fuch
“ difputes as may fail out for the future are to be treated o f ;
“ have mutually received an authentiek writing, in which is
“ contained the treaty o f peace, and have agreed that the faid
treaty, with all its articles, ihall be engraven on ftone, to be
** fixed in the places appointed by us for the bounds o f both
“ empires, to the end that all who pafs by thofe places may be
“ fully informed thereof, and. that this peace, with all its con-
“ ditions, may be for ever inviolably obferved. But fhould any
“ one have the thought only, or fecret defign, to tranfgrefs
“ thefe articles o f peace, or breaking his word and faith, fhould
“ violate them out of private intereft, or from the defign o f ex-
“ citing new troubles, and rekindling the fire o f war, we pray
“ the fupreme Lord o f all things, who knows the bottom of
“ men’s hearts, not to fuffer fuch people to live out their days,
“ but to punifh them by an untimely'death,”
I m a y here remark the obfervance o f two very antient customs
in the'ekecution o f this treaty ; the one in the manner of
the oath, which agrees with that in ufe among the Romans, of
which Polybius has-left us the following form, made on the oc-
$ cafion,
c'afid'rij and which remained in his’daysj cut. on' tables o f Bfafs, iir
the temple o f Jufdter Capitoiinus,in the archives'of thè sèdiles.
“ Thk fiidl1 o f thefe treaties'was confirmed by oath1 in thfi
“ following manner: The GasHtiàginìà-ns' fwore by tlie gods- o f
“ their country-, and1 the Romans b y a ftone, agreeably to' ari-
“■ antient cuftom ; and by Mars JPnyalius. The ceremony o f
“ fwearing by a ftone was thute performed : the perfon that Was
“ appointed to this* ôflïcëj- having firft foleinnly attèfted thé-
“ pubfiek faith’ for* the due obfervance1 o f the treaty, took in1
« his-hands a-ftone,. and1 pronolineedHhe-fbllbwing words— « I f
“ I fwear truly, may the gpds be propitious to me : but i f p
« think or act any thing that is contrary to my oath, then let’
«■ the reft1 enjoy in- faffety their country) laws, ~pbfi[ëiîions; -horrfe-;
«• hold gods,- and fepulchres ; and let me alone be caft out from
“ the fdcietyy.as-this- ft'òne if now* caftaway A At-- thè fame time;
“ he threw away the ftone*’.”
1 T h e 1 other cuftom was- one o f the earlieft daté on this'very C o l um n ’s Me»
continent, that o f preferving the memory o f aiiy remarkable M0RIAL‘
tfanfaélicms by pillars o f ftone. Thus We find in Gone/is I, that;
the treaty between Laban and ydbob- was confirmed and perpetuated
by the* erèdtióri o f z pillar1 arid-'a heap o f ftones.’ The*
Gbinefe eitíbafíadors raifed two pillárf on thè fpot, to determine
the boundaries o f the reípeétive empires) and on them engraved;’
the treaty.
I t -was tlie intention o f the'Ruffiani to have made X&é 'Atnür R iv e r A m u r .
the limits o f their empire. This vaft'ri vér'is'formed' originally
♦Hampton’ s Polybius, book iii. chapriit. pi 214^ f Chap, xxxi. v* 51.
by