Occasion of the period of their most brilldaSl^sIploite^'as well as of
the fame which necessarily followed them; T®8y had
rendered such signal services to the' empire of China,
that, inVctuin, lands for buildiriga.firavn, neai toW|sale
harbour at the southern, extygmitvtofiAe Gauntry, with#
several collateral advantages,; were granted to them; and
notwithstanding the decline power» and reputation
has giadually led to an-enc loach ment upon'Hhcir
privileges, the recollection of a long ajpnngefel eotnngti-
tion contributes to procure them-still,i ok ttelpart of ih f :
fihinese, a more familiar m d confidential reception i^and#
indeed,. a marked preference, in particajlar instances#
before,other Europeans.
| The Dutch, in eonsefjuen.ee of assistance supplied by
them for ihej-eduction
shing-ga, whose fleets infested thdeastem eoasfepfiGhina
towards th© middle rtf' the last emtury1,’w^r^ Ajrmsfimie
caressed by the established government; and invited
even to Pekia,-where the firM emperor of the Manurhe©
Tartar rae© was-Ann sitting on the throne, ffii
cessotr, the great Cam-hi, or, as tap-re accurately pronounced,
Caung-shee, during a long and; pfimperofis
reign/ received, very favourably, any foreigners skilled
in such arts and scienees as iwet© better understood in
Europe than by his own subjects. ;o He admitted many
ctf thjpse foreigners into, his service and ccmfidehc@4 find
employed some ®f them in political negotiations... iPbey
all happened to belongUoi different religious societies of occasion of
thy Roman »»Catholic persuasion,;■ founded in different » -
parts of the eo®finenfi afoEurope $ and were men, who
beihgyinspiied»: with zeal; for the propagation of the
principles o£:»t>beir faith. amoitg, distant nations, had
been sent abroad for that purpose by their respective
superiors. Several of those who arrived in : Ghana,i ae*
qiiired considerable esteem and influence, as well by
their, talents amd knowledge#‘as by uncommon» strictness
©f morals,, cfisiitteiestbdhess, and humilityb^^bties and
a conduct that leave little roofir for clashing, at least in
temporal affonsyfwith tfirntyiews o f,'Other men ; and
command the veneration even of; those whpare: not. disposed
, to.) imitate the; example. By meahs: like these,
thfty, not osdy gained proselytes» to their religion, but
gave a. favourable impression of the countries from
whence they came: 1 'thus, and by »personal sbllshatwns,
serving the cause ofsuch: o f their* countrymen as Were
engaged in pursuits of commerce in any Chinese port.
But the English had no. opportunityflpf rendering
themselves acceptable by pubHcf serviees; her; had they
any other means of secuj%g respect fbs theif character,,
or protection for their trade. Mercantile speculations# to 'y
ether distant couufriesi from England^ had indeed bee±B
encoruragsd, and assistedby the special countenance and
recommendation» of the sovereign upon the1 throne,-;. »
*f ^ueen Elizabeth” according to the history of com