A PAI-LOU, OR TRIUMPHAL ARCH.
T hese m o n um en ts are erected fo r the p urpose o f tran sm ittin g the m e rito rio
u s actions o f g ood m en to p o s te rity . Magistrate s wh o have executed
th e duties o f th e ir h ig h office w ith justice and in te g r ity ; heroes who
hav e signalized themselves in the f ie ld ; and others o f meaner station whose
v irtu e s o r su p e rio r lea rn in g in title th em th ere to , often receive th is h ig h
h o n o u r, w h ic h lik ewise serves th e p u rp o se o f exc iting th e ir p o sterity to
th e same v irtu o u s actions.
T h e se P a i-lo u s (usua lly tran sla te d , trium p h a l arches) are b u ilt at the
p u b lic expense, g en e ra lly w ith s to n e , th o u g h sometimes the better sort
are m ad e o f m arb le , and some in fe rio r ones o f w o o d ; the c h ie f o f them
hav e fo u r u p rig h ts , ea ch o f one stone, w h ic h is often th irty feet in len g th ;
h o riz o n ta lly across these are placed the tran som s o r friezes, on w h ic h the
in s c rip tio n is engraved w ith letters o f g o ld , k c . an d th e summit o f the
fa b ric is crown ed w ith p ro je c tin g roofs r ic h ly ornamented.
T h i s was d raw n from one n e a r th e c ity o f N in g -p o , N o v . 17 , 1793,
whe re m a n y others are erected, some o f w h ich were o f a m ea n er k in d , an d
h a d b u t two u p rig h ts . T h e in sc rip tio n on th is was thus transla ted b y a
C h in e se a tten d a n t on the Em b a s sy : “ B y the Em p e ro r’s supreme goodness,
in the 5 9 th y e a r o f T c h ie n -L u n g , an d on th e first d a y , th is trium p h a l
edifice was erected in h o n o u r o f T ch o u n g -g a -c h u n g , the most h ig h an d
lea rn ed D o c to r o f the Em p ire , and one o f the M a n d a rin s o f the T rib u n a l o f
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