paring them; .with th e ’originals, thought the %only ^onb
■whiph was, deJFg,diyg^ T a , theifacility;and truth with
which he,.caught with his pencil the most Striking jQb-
jeets, and ^ stijm e ^ f thdcountry, as the;Embassy passed
rapidly Moigy this work is principally indebted forlthdjp
ornamernalipart of it, in v^hjch^eMerytSpiatbiisca faithful
copy after nature a,«
To; render the portrait .of, his Imperial Majjbsjy >more
concepti it might have beefiisproper to draw thhce^p^otfe
full and clear, and. the countenance mfei&tcq9enl.ah£
cheerful.^ s Such , at leas,t it\was during -the intefcy^ew
with.the Embassador.,, which was.lengthened ?bydakei>
preting whatever was said by .either., party.
- His Imperial Majesty,.adverting to’therincpiiveniigsjce
arising from.sueh 2u circumstance, inqmifednfcmficHo-
choong-taung, whether any person of the. Embabsyaan>
derstood the Chinese language;, and being informed that
the Embassador’sbspage, a boy then «iiuhis 1 thlrteeiith
year, had alone made some proficiency in it,: the Emperor
had the curiosity to have the yodth: brought up do
the throne, and desired him to speak Chinese. Either
what he said, or his modest eou ntenanee, or; manner, was
.-so. pleasing .tb his Imperial Majesty, that he took from his
-girdle.a purse, hanging:from it for holding areca.nut,
and presentedlit.to him. £
Purses are the ribands of the .Chinese monarclp! which
he distributes as rewards!of merit among his, subjects.?;
but his ©iWii pirrseE was deemed 'à mark• of personal fa-
'vfeiir* anèordihg to 'th é ideds of eastérn natidu&y. among
whom any thing worn by the person of the sOvei^fgn, is
priced Beyond all otfifergifis. Itsprociired for- thë yodfig
iawourite the notice and caresses oP many oTtfee mandas-
rines, while others perhaps éilviedMs good fortune. This
Imperial purse is 'not at all magnificent, feeing Of plain
yellowsilk/with theflguresofthefiYê^OlaWedSdlagOÉ, and
sopæ Tartar* characters wolkedintoiit. It fed^llûeàféÜ in
the annexed eîîgïâYing,; together Withotiebf theseeptres
intended- as presentsfrom his Imperial Majesty.
Visit to the
Erhperor's
court.