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the world has difclaimed them; fociety turns its back upon their diftrefs, and has given them up to nakednefs and hunger. These poor fhivering females have once feen happier days, and been flattered into beauty. They have been proftituted to the gay luxurious villain, and are now turned out to meet the severity of winter. Perhaps, now lying at the doors of their betrayers, they fue to wretches whose hearts are infenfible, or debauchees who may curse, but will not relieve them.

Why, why was I born a man, and yet fee the fufferings of wretches I cannot relieve! Poor houseless creatures! the world will give you reproaches, but will not give you relief. The flightest misfortunes of the great, the most imaginary uneafineffes of the rich, are aggravated with all the power of eloquence, and held up to engage our attention and sympathetic forrow. The poor weep unheeded, perfecuted by every fubordinate fpecies of tyranny; and every law, which gives others fecurity, becomes an enemy to

them.

Why was this heart of mine formed with so much femfibility! or why was not my fortune adapted to its impulfe! Tenderness, without a capacity of relieving, only makes the man who feels it more wretched than the object which fues for affiftance. Adieu.

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LETTER CXVII.

Fum Hoam to Lien Chi Altangi, the difcontented
wanderer, by the way of Mofcow,

I HAVE been juft fent upon an embaffy to Japan; my commiffion is to be difpatched in four days, and you can hardly conceive the pleasure I fhali find upon revifiting my native country. I fhall leave with joy this proud, barbarous, inhofpitable region, where every object confpires to diminish my fatisfaction, and increafe my patriotifm.

But though I find the inhabitants favage, yet the Dutch merchants who are permitted to trade hither, feem ftill more deteftable. They have raised my diflike to Europe in general; by them I learn how low avarice can degrade human nature; how many indignities an European will fuffer for gain.

I was prefent at an audience given by the emperor to the Dutch envoy, who had fent feveral prefents to all the courtiers fome days previous to his admiffion; but he was obliged to attend thofe defigned for the emperor himself. From the accounts I had heard of this ceremony, my curiofity prompted me to be a fpectator of the whole.

Firft went the prefents, fet out on beautiful enamelled tables, adorned with flowers, borne on men's fhoulders, and followed by Japanese mufic and dancers. From fo great refpect paid to the gifts themfelves, I had fancied the donors must have received almoft divine honours. But about a quarter of an hour after the prefents had been carried in triumph, the envoy and his train were brought forward, They were covered from head to foot with long black

veils, which prevented their feeing, each led by a conductor, chofen from the meaneft of the people. In this difhonourable manner having traverfed the city of Jedo, they at length arrived at the palacegate, and after waiting half an hour, were admitted into the guard-room. Here their eyes were uncovered, and in about an hour the gentleman-ufher introduced them into the hall of audience. The emperor was at length fhewn fitting in a kind of alcove at the upper end of the room, and the Dutch envoy was conducted towards the throne.

As foon as he had approached within a certain diftance, the gentleman-ufher cried out with a loud voice, Holanda Capitan; upon these words the envoy fell flat upon the ground, and crept upon his hands and feet towards the throne. Still approaching, he reared himself upon his knees, and then bowed his forehead to the ground. These ceremonies being over, he was directed to withdraw, ftill groveling on his belly, and going backward like a lobfter.

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Men must be exceffively fond of riches, when they are earned with fuch circumftances of abject fubmiffion. Do the Europeans worship Heaven itself with marks of more profound refpect. Do they confer thofe honours on the Supreme of beings, which they pay to a barbarous king, who gives them a permiffion to purchase trinkets and porcelaine ! What a glorious exchange, to forfeit their national honour, and even their title to humanity, for a screen or a fnüff-box!

If these ceremonies effayed in the firft audience appeared mortifying, thofe which are practifed in the fecond are infinitely more fo. In the fecond audience, the emperor and the ladies of court were placed behind lattices in fuch a manner as to fee without being feen. Here all the Europeans were directed

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directed to pass in review, and grovel and act the ferpent as before: with this fpectacle the whole court feemed highly delighted. The ftrangers were asked a thousand ridiculous queftions; as their names, and their ages: they were ordered to write, to ftand upright, to fit, to ftop, to compliment each other, to be drunk, to speak the Japanese language, to talk Dutch, to fing, to eat; in fhort, they were ordered to do all that could fatisfy the curiofity of

women.

Imagine, my dear Altangi, a set of grave men thus transformed into buffoons, and acting a part every whit as honourable as that of thofe inftructed animals which are fhewn in the ftreets of Pekin to the mob on a holiday. Yet the ceremony did not end here, for every great lord of the court was to be visited in the fame manner; and their ladies, who took the whim from their husbands, were all equally fond of feeing the ftrangers perform, even the children feemed highly diverted with the dancing Dutchmen.

Alas, cried I, to myfelf, upon returning from fuch a fpectacle, is this the nation which affumes fuch dignity at the court of Pekin? Is this that people that appear fo proud at home, and in every country where they have the leaft authority? How does a love of gain transform the graveft of mankind into the most contemptible and ridiculous? I had rather continue poor all my life, than become rich at fuch a rate. Perifh thofe riches which are acquired at the expence of my honour or my humanity. Let me quit, faid I, a country where there are none but fuch as treat all others like flaves, and more deteftable ftill, in fuffering fuch treatment. I have feen enough of this nation to defire to see more of others. Let me leave a people fufpicious to excefs, whofe morals are corrupted, and equally debased

debased by fuperftition and vice; where the fciences are left uncultivated, where the great are flaves to the prince, and tyrants to the people, where the women are chafte only when debarred of the power of tranfgreffion; where the true difciples of Confucius are not lefs perfecuted than thofe of Chriftianity in a word, a country where men are forbidden to think, and confequently labour under the moft miferable flavery, that of mental fervitude. Adieu.

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THE misfortunes of the great, my friend, are held up to engage our attention, are enlarged upon in tones of declamation, and the world is called upon to gaze at the noble fufferers; they have at once the comfort of admiration and pity.

Yet where is the magnanimity of bearing misfortunes when the whole world is looking on? Men in fuch circumftances can act bravely even from motives of vanity. He only who, in the vale of obfcurity, can brave adverfity, who without friends to encourage, acquaintances to pity, or even without hope to alleviate his diftreffes, can behave with tranquillity and indifference, is truly great: whether peafant or courtier, he deferves admiration, and Thould be held up for our imitation and respect.

The miseries of the poor are however entirely dif regarded; though fome undergo more real hardships in one day, than the great in their whole lives. It is indeed inconceivable what difficulties the meanest

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