Page images
PDF
EPUB

IT

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

From this Palace of the Emperor, a Road which is almost strait, leads you to a little Town

in the Midst of the whole Inclosure. 'Tis fquare; and each Side is near a Mile long. It has Four Gates, anfwering the Four principal Points of the Compafs; with Towers, Walls, Parapets, and Battlements. It has its Streets, Squares, Temples, Exchanges, Markets, Shops, Tribunals, Palaces, and a Port for Veffels. In one Word, every thing that is at Pekin in Large, is there represented in Minature.

You will certainly afk for what Ufe this City was intended? Is it that the Emperor may retreat to it as a Place of Safety, on any Revolt, or Revolution? It might indeed ferve well enough for that Purpose; and poffibly that Thought had a Share in the Mind of the Person who at first defigned it; but its principal End was, to procure the Emperor the Pleasure of feeing all the Butle and Hurry of a great City in little, whenever he might have a Mind for that Sort of Diverfion.

The Emperor of China is too much a Slave to his Grandeur ever to fhew himself to his People, even when he goes out of his Palace. He too fees nothing of the Town, which he passes through All the Doors and Windows are fhut up.. They fpread wide Pieces of Cloth every where, that nobody may fee him. Several Hours before he is to país through any Street, the People are forewarn ed of it; and if any fhould be found there whilft he paffes, they would be handled very feverely by his Guards. Whenever he goes into the Coun

try,

try, two Bodies of Horfe advance a good way before him, on each Side of the Road; both for his Security, and to keep the Way clear from all other Paffengers. As the Emperors of China find. themselves obliged to live in this strange fort of Solitude, they have always endeavoured to fupply the Lofs of all public Diverfions, (which their high Station will not fuffer them to partake,) by fome other Means or Inventions, according to their different Taftes and Fancies.

This Town, therefore, in these two last Reigns, (for it was this Emperor's Father who ordered it to be built) has been appropriated for the Eunuchs to act in it, at feveral Times in the Year, all the Commerce, Marketings, Arts, Trades, Bustle, and Hurry, and even all the Rogueries usual in great cities. At the appointed Times, each Eunuch puts on the Drefs of the Profeffion or Part which is affigned to him. One is a Shop-keeper, and another an Artifan; this is an Officer, and that a common Soldier: One has a Wheel-barrow given him to drive about the Streets; another, as a Porter, carries a Basket on his Shoulders. In a Word, every one has the distinguishing Mark of his Employment. The Veffels arrive at the Port; the Shops are opened; and the Goods are exposed for Sale. There is one Quarter for thofe who fell, Silks, and another for those who fell Cloth one Street for Porcelain, and another for Varnishworks. You may be fupplied with whatever you want. This Man fells Furniture of all Sorts; that, Cloaths and Ornaments for the Ladies; a third

D 2

[ocr errors]

h;

has

has all Kinds of Books for the learned and curious. There are Coffee-houses too, and Taverns of all Sorts, good and bad; beside a Number of People that cry different Fruits about the Streets, and a great Variety of refreshing Liquors. The Mercers, as you pass their Shops, catch you by the Sleeve, and prefs you to buy fome of their Goods. "Tis all a Place of Liberty and Licence; and you can fcarce distinguish the Emperor himself from the meanest of his Subjects. Every body bauls out what he has to fell; fome quarrel, others fight; and you have all the Confufion of a fair about you. The public Officers come and arrest the Quarrellers; carry them before the Judges, in the Courts for Justice; the Cause is tried in form; the Offender condemned to be baftinadoed; and the Sentence is put in Execution; and that so ef fectually, that the Diversion of the Emperor fometimes cofts the poor Actor a great deal of real Pain.

The Mystery of Thieving is not forgot, in this general Representation. That noble Employ is affigned to a confiderable Number of the cleverest Eunuchs, who perform their Parts admirably well. If any one of them is caught in the Fact, he is brought to Shame, and condemned (at least they go through the Form of condemning him) to be ftigmatised, bastinadoed, or banished; according to the Heinoufnefs of the Crime, and the Nature of the T'heft. It they fteal cleverly they have the Laugh on their Side; they are applauded, and the Sufferer is without Redrefs. However, at the

En

End of the Fair, every thing of this Kind is reftored to the proper Owner.

This Fair (as I told you before) is kept only for the Entertainment of the Emperor, the Empress, and his Mistresses. 'Tis very unusual for any of the Princes, or Grandees, to be admitted to fee it; and when any have that Favour, it is not till after the Women are all retired to their several Apartments. The Goods which are exposed and fold here, belong chiefly to the Merchants of Pekin; who put them into the Hands of the Eunuchs, to be fold in reality; so that the Bargains here are far from being all pretended ones. In particular, the Emperor himself always buys a great many Things; and you may be fure they afk him enough for them. Several of the Ladies too make their Bargains; and fo do fome of the Eunuchs. All this trafficking, if there was nothing of real mixt with it, would want a great deal of that earnestnefs and Life, which now make the Bustle the more active, and the Diversion it gives the greater.

[ocr errors]

To this Scene of Commerce, fometimes fucceeds a very different one; that of Agriculture. There is a Quarter within the fame Inclosure, which is fet apart for this Purpose. There you fee Fields, Meadows, Farm-houses, and little scattered Cottages; with Oxen, Ploughs, and all the Neceffaries for Hufbandry. There they fow Wheat, Rice, Pulfe, and all other Sorts of Grain. They make their Harvest, and carry in the Produce of their Grounds. In a Word, they here imitate

D 3

imitate every thing that is done in the Country; and in every thing express a rural Simplicity, and all the plain Manners of a Country Life, as nearly as they poffibly can. t.

[ocr errors]

1

A

Doubtlefs you have read of the famous Feaft in China, called the Feaft of the Lanthorns. It is always.celebrated on the 15th Day of the firft Month. There is no Chinefe fo poor, but that upon this Day he lights up his Lanthorn. They have them of all Sorts, Figures, Sizes, and Prices. On that Day all China is illuminated; but the finest Illuminations of all are in the Emperor's Palaces; and particularly in these Pleasured grounds, which I have been defcribing to you. There is not a Chamber, Hall, or Portico, in them, which has not several of these Lanthorns. hanging from the Ceilings. There are feveral upon all the Rivulets, Rivers, and Lakes; made in the Shape of little Boats, which the Waters carry backward and forward. There are fome upon all the Hills and Bridges, and almoft upon all the Trees. Thefe are wrought mighty pret tily, in the Shapes of different Fithes, Birds, and Beafts; Vafes, Fruits, Flowers; and Boats of different Sorts and Sizes. Some are made of Silk; fome of Horn, Glafs, Mother of Pearl, and a Thoufand other Materials. Some of them are painted; others embroidered; and of very different Prices. I have feen fome of them which could never have been made for a Thousand Crowns. It would be an endlefs Thing to endeavour to give you a particular Account of all their Forms, Ma

terials,

« PreviousContinue »