long been customary to retail the most extravagant statements, respecting the antiquity, the science, the good order, the populousness, and the freedom from change, of this vast nation. But as modern intelligence becomes more conversant with the real state of things, these ancient legends have come to be considered as more than doubtful. The vaunted historical writings of the Chinese, are now considered as affording some evidence of a national existence, commencing from two to five hundred years before the birth of Christ. Anterior to the days of Confucius, the people were confessedly divided into petty clans or nations, and had made but very small advances in civilization. The opinion now adopted by the learned as the most probable, is that this philosopher lived about five hundred years before our Savior; and that he had many just ideas of morals and government, by the help of which he assisted in reducing several of the petty kingdoms which then existed, to a good degree of order. In doing this he appears to have encountered much obloquy and some personal danger, but at length to have gained considerable number of followers; who after his death reduced many of his instructions to writing.

The following views of his character and the effect of his labors, are given by Mr. Collie, in his introduction to the "Four Books," and appear to be both candid and just.

That he was a man of considerable abilities, and of regular moral habits, seems to be a matter of fact, which we see no reason to dispute. We also admit, that among his numerous sayings, there are many excellent maxims; but we really have not been able to find any ground for the lofty epithets, applied to him by some celebrated opponents of divine truth.

In the whole compass of his writings, there does not appear to us to be a single idea above the reach of any plain man at all accustomed to reflection. As to the all-important points, for the certain developement of which, divine revelation seems to us absolutely necessary, Confucius leaves them entirely untouched. On the nature and government of the Supreme Being, he says little;-of a future state, almost nothing,—and on the method by which a guilty world may be restored to the image and favor of God, he has given us no information, which is not as much at variance with sound philosophy, as it is with revealed truth.

We have no reason however to suppose that Confucius was an Atheist; for, although he gives us no satisfactory view of the attributes and government of one supreme God, he often speaks with much apparent reverence of some high Ruler, which he calls Teen; and his works afford sufficient proof, that he believed in "Gods many and Lords many." It is supposed, however, that the generality of his pretended followers of the present day, have sunk into absolute Atheism.

He seems to have lived in times of great degeneracy, especially among the higher ranks of society; and it does not appear that his labors produced either a general or very permanent reformation, notwithstanding the lofty things, that are said by himself and his admirers, as to the all-renovating efficacy of his omnipotent virtue.

He himself frequently lamented, that his doctrines were not embraced, and that his exertions had little influence on his depraved countrymen.

In fact during his life, his fame does not seem to have been very great ; and perhaps what has contributed, more than any thing else, to his having become an object of lasting admiration to his countrymen, is his havi collected the scattered fragments of ancient legislators, moralists, and poets, and handed them down to posterity.

These writings, which contain many true and faithful maxims, mixed up with many false and dangerous principles, may have, no doubt, a considerable influence on the morals of the Chinese; although, like many professing christians, while they pronounce the highest encomiums on their sage and his doctrines, they neither imitate his example, nor follow his advice, when the one or the other comes in competition with their sensual gratifications or worldly advantage. The influence these writings have had on the language and literature of the Chinese, has been still more powerful. The circumstance of these and little else having been, from time immemorial, carefully studied or committed to memory, not only by what are deemed the literati, but even by the common school boy, has no doubt contributed most powerfully to fix their most singular language; so that during a period in which many other languages have undergone almost an entire change, the Chinese has remained the same with scarcely the shadow of change. Introd. pp. 11–13.

About three hundred years after Confucius, the number of independent States was reduced to seven. These were soon after amalgamated into one; and a system established, of which the great outlines continue to this day. Dr. Milne says, "The wisdom of the ancient sages and rulers of China, formed a code of laws, which, with many defects, possessed also great excellencies."

The work styled THE FOUR BOOKS, whose title we have placed at the head of this article, is highly esteemed among the Chinese, as containing the doctrines and precepts of "The Teacher of ten thousand ages," as they call Confucius. They were collected, it is said, by several of his disciples, within one hundred years after the death of the philosopher. The present translation by Mr. Collie, is said to be the only complete version, that has been made in any European language; and, highly vaunted as these writings have been by the Chinese, no ordinary person, we believe, could have patience to read it through.

The first book is the most intelligible and instructive. The following are among the choicest of its maxims, selected from fourteen pages of which the book consists. The general subject is, the philosophical mode of attaining perfect virtue.

That which you hate in superiors, do not practice in your conduct towards inferiors; that which you dislike in inferiors, do not practice towards superiors; that which you hate in those before you, do not exhibit to those behind you; that which you hate in those behind you, do not manifest to those before you; that which you hate in those on your right, do not manifest to those on your left; and that which you hate in those on your left, do not manifest to those on your right. p. 10.

The good prince first pays serious attention to virtue. Having virtue, he obtains men; having men, he obtains territory; having territory, he obtains revenue; having revenue, he has sufficient supplies for all useful purposes. Virtue is the root; revenue, the branches. If you lightly esteem the root, and attend principally to the branches, you excite disorder and rapine among the people. p. 11.

The Tsin book says, "had I a minister of unbending fidelity, although he might appear to possess no other talent, yet were his mind enlarged and generous, when he saw a man of eminent talents, he would view his talents as if they were his own. p. 12.

The second book is called "Chung Yung," or the Golden Medium. Much of it is extremely mystical and senseless. The following passages are among the most rational.

Sec. 1. What heaven has fixed, is called nature. To accord with nature, is called Taon. To cultivate Taon, is called learning,

The superior man, in according with others, does not descend to any thing low or improper. How unbending his valor! He stands in the middle, and leans not to either side. How firm the valor of the superior man! When a nation treads in the right path, he changes not what he held fast, previous to his promotion to office. How undaunted his valor! When a nation departs from the right path, he changes not his course until death.* Book II. p. 6.

This may serve as a sufficient specimen of the instructions of Confucius. He inculcated filial piety towards parents, and unreserved obedience to the will of the emperor, who is regarded as the father of his subjects. And it is this patriarchal principle, which has unquestionably contributed much to the stability of that singular government. At the same time, it is to be remarked concerning the book before us, that though it abounds in allusions to some superior and invisible power, yet the idea of God, as a voluntary and governing Being, possessing moral perfections, and maintaining a moral government over men, is no where to be found. The precepts of virtue derive no influence from the sanctions of a supreme law. Much more, the motives to good which alone are able ef

*Note by the translator.

If we may give full credit to the ancient records of China, on this point, no nation under heaven can boast of more independent, upright, and magnanimous statesmen, than China has produced at various periods of her history.

The translator has in his possession a document laid before Taon Kwang, the present emperor, in 1822, by two officers of government complaining of certain abuses, which manifests a spirit of fearless independence, and a firm determination to do their duty, without regard to consequences. At the close, they boldly inform his majesty, that if he should subject them to the axe, or the boiling caldron, they are not afraid. The emperor, however, declared, that they had showed themselves great and faithful ministers, and imbued with the spirit of the celebrated statesmen of antiquity.

fectually to move the sinner's heart, the motives derived from a promise of pardon through an atonement, are entirely wanting. Confucius himself complied with the superstitions of the people, as most other professed atheists have done, in time of trouble, sickness, and death, when the soul instinctively "feels after, if haply it may find" some higher power to lay hold of, beyond the shock of mortal vicissitudes. His followers have generally been idolaters.

It is foreign to our purpose to trace the succession of dynasties, authentic or fabulous, which appear in Chinese history. There is strong reason to believe, that the accounts which are given of the ancient greatness and union of the empire, are all deceptive, and that it never became united under a settled government till 500 years after Christ. In the year 1260, the empire was subdued by Kublai-khan, a descendent of the famous Genghis-khan, the Mongul Tartar; and thus a Tartar dynasty was established. But the conqueror conformed in the main to the Chinese usages, so that no great change was made in the government. The present dynasty of Man-tchoo Tartars, began in 1644. They in fact added China to their own territory, and still govern the Chinese as a subjugated nation. They often contemptuously say, "China-men furnish the breasts which we suck." The Chinese have no other way, but as they express themselves, "quietly to eat down the insult.' cannot be a perfect coalescence of such materials. Indeed the formidable rebellions which are continually springing up, especially the recent one, under prince Chang-hi-khor, show the fallacy of that opinion, which has represented China as the abode of perfection and peace.

There

The population, revenue, and military force of China, like every thing else concerning a people who "lie by system," and admit no witnesses, are subjects of endless disputes. Even the few travelers who have penetrated the interior, differ widely in regard to the appearances of wealth and populousness, which they witnessed. The population has been estimated at 333,000,000, and the revenue at £412,000,000 sterling. But Dr. Morrison, from an official census, states the population at 150,000,000. So also does De Guignes, who accompanied the Dutch embassy to Pekin in the year 1793.

Buddhism, or the religion of Fo, is said to have been brought from India about A. D. 61. The emperor Ming-te remembered in a dream the saying of Confucius, that "the Holy One is to be found in the West." He accordingly sent ambassadors in search of the person and his doctrines. The messengers unfortunately stopped in India, and brought back the mysteries of Buddhu instead of christianity. To the doctrine that all things sprung from nothing, and will finally be absorbed into nothing again, together with the transmigration of souls, Buddhism added a degrading idolatry, the worship of almost every created thing, animate or inanimate, and

superstitions without number. This system has carried the Chinese farther from the truth than before; and by increasing the degradation of their minds and the pollution of their affections, has rendered them still more difficult of access by the gospel, as it has destroyed those rational principles inculcated in the writings of the learned.

China, says Dr. Milne, has gods celestial, terrestrial, and subterraneous-gods of the hills, of the vallies, of the woods, of the districts, of the family, of the shop, and of the kitchen! She adores the gods who are supposed to preside over the thunder, the rain, the fire; over the grain, over births and deaths, and over the small pox: she worships "the host of heaven, the sun, the moon, and the stars." She also worships the genii of the mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas; together with birds, beasts, and fishes. She addresses prayers and offers sacrifices to the spirits of departed kings, sages, heroes; and parents whether good or bad. Her idols are silver and gold, wood and stone and clay; carved or molten, “the work of men's hands." Her altars are on the high hills, in the groves, under the green trees; she has set up her idols at the corners of the streets on the sides of the highways, on the banks of canals, in boats, and in ships. Astrology, divination, geomancy, and necromancy, every where prevail. Spells and charms every one possesses. They are hung about the neck, or stitched up in one's clothes, or tied to the bed-posts, or written on the door; and few men think their persons, children, shops, boats, or goods safe without them. The emperors of China, her statesmen, her merchants, her people, and her PHILOSOPHERS are all idolaters. Retrospect, pp. 29, 30.

It is said, that Jews followed Alexander the Great in his eastern conquests; and that some of them found their way to China, where they settled in the silk provinces, and still retain their nationality. The Mohammedans also came in with the Western Tartars, in the thirteenth century, and had great influence in improving astronomy and the arts. There can be no doubt, that many things which the Chinese writers say have been known in China from time immemorial, were introduced by the followers of Genghis-khan, from the discoveries of the learned Arabians of that day. Indeed every ray of light which is thrown upon their history, demonstrates the falsehood of the Chinese annals. The currency of their many fables has been owing to the same cause as the excessive ignorance and arrogance of the Chinese themselves; the remoteness of their situation, the difficulties of their language, and the limited intercourse between them and the western nations. The wonder has been magnified by distance and darkness, while each successive narrator has felt called upon to add a little to the marvels of his prede

cessors.

The government of China is one of the most extraordinary peculiarities of this strange empire. It is a perfect despotism, so complete that it reigns over the opinions of the mind, over