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Article THE GENERAL HISTORY OF CHINA: ← Page 3 of 4 →
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The General History Of China:
there are a multitude of barks on both sides of the rivers , which are inhabited by numbers of families who have no othet- habitations , so that the water is almost as populous as the land . There are properly but two orders in the Empire , one of the nobles , and the other of the people ; the first comprehends the princes of the blood , ' the dukes , earls , mandarins of learning and armsthose that have been mandarins formerlybut are not so at
, , present , and the learned who by their studies are aspiring to the magistracy and dignities of the Empire ; the second comprehends the merchants , tradesmen , and labourers . I shall treat of' each of these in their order . There is no Monarchy more absolute than that of China : the Emperor has an absolute authority , and the respect which is paid
to him is a kind of adoration ; his words are like so many oracles , and his commands are as strictly and readily executed as if thev came directly from heaven ; none are admitted to speak to him but on their knees , not even his eldest brother , unless he commands it to be otherwise ; nor any , but the lords that accompany him , are allowed to stand before , and to put one knee only ' to "the ground
when they speak to him . The same honours are paid to his officers , when they represent the Emperor ' s person , and give his orders , either-as envoys , or mandarins of the presence ; the same honours are also paid to Governors when thejf administer justice , for they do not consider who the person isbut whom he represents ; the mandarinsthe
, , grandees of the court , and the princes of the blood not onl y prostrate therrfselves in the presence of the Emperor , but they doit also before his chair or throne , and every thing that is for his use , kneeling : down even before his habit or his girdle .
And though they are not so blind but they can see his faults , and blame him for them , wheiiever he commits any Which justly deserve it , such as anger , covetousness , or any other shameful passion , yettliey think these public marks of veneration for their Emperor arz necessary to . inspire the people , by their examples , with the honour and obedience which are due to his authority ; in order to this they ive him the highest titlescalling himTien-tseethe son of
g , , , Heaven ; Hoang-ti , august and sovereign Emperor ; Ching-hoang , holy Emperor ; Chao-ting , palace royal ; Van-soui , ten thousand } -ears ; these names , and man }/ more of the same nature , shew the great respect which liis subjects have for him . No persons , of whatever rank or quality , are allowed to ride on horsebackor pass in a chaise before the gate of his palacebut are
, , obliged to alight at the place appointed for that purpose . There are days fixed in the week , or in the month , wherein all the grandees are obliged to appear in ceremonial habits , in one of the courts of the palace , to pay him their homage , when , if he does not appear personally , they must prostrate themselves
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The General History Of China:
there are a multitude of barks on both sides of the rivers , which are inhabited by numbers of families who have no othet- habitations , so that the water is almost as populous as the land . There are properly but two orders in the Empire , one of the nobles , and the other of the people ; the first comprehends the princes of the blood , ' the dukes , earls , mandarins of learning and armsthose that have been mandarins formerlybut are not so at
, , present , and the learned who by their studies are aspiring to the magistracy and dignities of the Empire ; the second comprehends the merchants , tradesmen , and labourers . I shall treat of' each of these in their order . There is no Monarchy more absolute than that of China : the Emperor has an absolute authority , and the respect which is paid
to him is a kind of adoration ; his words are like so many oracles , and his commands are as strictly and readily executed as if thev came directly from heaven ; none are admitted to speak to him but on their knees , not even his eldest brother , unless he commands it to be otherwise ; nor any , but the lords that accompany him , are allowed to stand before , and to put one knee only ' to "the ground
when they speak to him . The same honours are paid to his officers , when they represent the Emperor ' s person , and give his orders , either-as envoys , or mandarins of the presence ; the same honours are also paid to Governors when thejf administer justice , for they do not consider who the person isbut whom he represents ; the mandarinsthe
, , grandees of the court , and the princes of the blood not onl y prostrate therrfselves in the presence of the Emperor , but they doit also before his chair or throne , and every thing that is for his use , kneeling : down even before his habit or his girdle .
And though they are not so blind but they can see his faults , and blame him for them , wheiiever he commits any Which justly deserve it , such as anger , covetousness , or any other shameful passion , yettliey think these public marks of veneration for their Emperor arz necessary to . inspire the people , by their examples , with the honour and obedience which are due to his authority ; in order to this they ive him the highest titlescalling himTien-tseethe son of
g , , , Heaven ; Hoang-ti , august and sovereign Emperor ; Ching-hoang , holy Emperor ; Chao-ting , palace royal ; Van-soui , ten thousand } -ears ; these names , and man }/ more of the same nature , shew the great respect which liis subjects have for him . No persons , of whatever rank or quality , are allowed to ride on horsebackor pass in a chaise before the gate of his palacebut are
, , obliged to alight at the place appointed for that purpose . There are days fixed in the week , or in the month , wherein all the grandees are obliged to appear in ceremonial habits , in one of the courts of the palace , to pay him their homage , when , if he does not appear personally , they must prostrate themselves