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4. Shay-tseih, the gods of the land and grain; these are the special patrons of each existing dynasty, and are generally located in the fourth place.

5. Jeih, the sun, called also ta-ming, 'the great light.' 6. Yué, the moon, called also yay-ming, 'the night light.' 7. Tseen-tae-te-wang, the names of the emperors and kings of former ages.

8. Seen-sze-Kungtsze, the ancient master Confucius.

9. Seen-nung, the ancient patron of agriculture.

10. Seen-tsan, the ancient patron of the manufacture of silk. 11. Teen-shin, the gods of heaven.

12. Te-Ke, the gods of the earth.

13. Tae-suy, the god of the passing year.

14. Seën-e, the ancient patron, of the healing art, together with choo-gin-kwei-che-tse, the innumerable ghosts of deceased philanthropists, faithful statesmen, eminent scholars, martyrs to virtue, &c.

15. Sing-shin, the stars, are sometimes placed next after the sun and moon.

16. Yun, the clouds

17. You, the rain

18. Fung, the wind

19. Luy, the thunder

These atmospheric divinities are placed

in one column.

20. Woo-yo, the five great mountains of China.

21. Sze hae, the four seas; i. e. all the waters of the ocean.

22. Sze tuh, the four rivers.

23. Ming shan, famous hills.

24. Ta chuen, great streams of water.

25. Ke tuh, military flags and banners.

26. Taou loo che shin, the god of a road where an army must

pass.

27. Ho paou che shin, the god of cannon.

28. Mun shin, gods of the gate.

29. How too che shin, the queen goddess of the ground. 30. Pih-keih, the north pole, &c.

From this specimen it is apparent, that in the Chinese state religion, the material universe, as a whole, and in detail, is worshipped, and that subordinate thereto they have gods

celestial and terrestrial, and ghosts infernal; that they worship the work of their own hands, not only as images of persons or things divine, but human workmanship for earthly purposes, as in flags and banners, and destructive cannon. That the material universe is the object of worship appears not only from the names of those several parts which have been given above, but also from other circumstances. Thus the imperial high-priest, when he worships heaven, wears robes of azure colour, in allusion to the sky. When he worships the earth, his robes are yellow, to represent the clay of this earthy sod. When the sun is the object, his dress is red, and for the moon, he wears pale white. The kings, nobles, and centenary of official hierophants wear their court-dresses. The altar on which to sacrifice to heaven, is round, to represent heaven; this is expressly said. The altar on which the sacrifices to the earth are laid, is square, whether for the same wise reason is not affirmed. The prayer boards, » chuh pan, are of various colours, for the same reason as the emperor's robes. In the worship of the heavens, a yellow ground with vermillion letters is used; in the worship of the earth, a yellow ground is used with black characters; for the worship of ancestors, a white ground is required, with black characters; for the sun, a carnation, with vermillion characters; and for the moon, a white ground with black characters.

We proceed now to the second part of our subject, and notice the sacred persons who perform the rites of sacrifice. The priests of the Chinese state religion are the emperor himself, who is the high priest, the «pontifex maximus; » and subordinate to him, the kings, nobles, statesmen, and pih kwan (as they phrase it) the centenary or crowd of civil and military officers. The joo keaou, or sect of philosophers, monopolize both civil and sacred functions. At the grand state worship of nature, neither priests nor women are admitted; and it is only when the sacrifice to the patron of silk manufactures takes place by itself, that the empress, and several grades of imperial concubines, princesses, &c., may take part.

It is required of the Chinese hierophants that they be free from any recent legal crime, aud not in mourning for the

dead. For the first order of sacrifices they are required to prepare themselves by ablutions, a change of garments, a vow, and a fast of three days. During this space of time they must occupy a clean chamber, and abstain,-1st. From judging criminals. 2nd. From being present at a feast. 3rd. From listening to music. 4th. from visiting their wives or concubines. 5th. From enquiries about the sick. 6th. From mourning for the dead. 7th. From wine. 8th. From eating onions, leeks, or garlic. For, says the annotator, sickness and death defile, while banquetting and feasting dissipate the mind, and unfit it for holding communion with the gods. »

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The victims sacrificed, and the things offered, form our third article. The animal or bloody sacrifices for heaven or earth are divided into the four following classes: A heifer, or new tsze, a cow's child. 2nd. A bullock, or a new foo, a- a cow's father." 3rd. Oxen generally. 4th. Sheep or pigs. The things offered are generally silks, on which we do not dwell. The Greeks sacrificed the ox, hog, sheep, kid, cock, and goose. The victims were to be sana et integra. The different deities had the proper victims; Jupiter, an ox five years old; Neptune, a black bull, a hog, and a ram; Minerva, a heifer, and an ewe; Esculapius, a she-goat and a cock. The Chinese also require, that the victims should be whole and sound, and they prefer an azure-black colour. For the grand sacrifices, the victims are to be purified nine decades; and for the herd or flock of sacrifices, one decade or ten days. We do not perceive any ceremonies connected with killing the victims. There are no wreaths or garlands as there were among the Greeks, nor, as among the Jews, any sprinkling of blood particularly mentioned. The victims seem to be simply butchered the day before they are to be offered, and dressed, and we rather think, ready to be distributed; (after being laid on the altar,) among the hungry participators of the tse fuh jow, the sacrificed blessed flesh," which the civil and military priesthood will no doubt relish after three days fast. The times of sacrifice are specified as follows:-those to heaven are offered on the day of the winter solstice earth on the day of the summer solstice, and the

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those to others at

regularly appointed times, which it is not important to detail in this sketch.

The ceremonies of this grand worship of nature, this 'natural religion' consist in kneeling, bowing, knocking the head against the ground, or in Chinese, pae kwei kow.

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In those sacrifices in which the emperor officiates, in propria persona, he never knocks his head against the ground. What he requires of the greatest monarch on earth, he will not give to the greatest, supremest» thing that he worships. The three kneelings and knockings of the head against the ground he turns into three kneelings and nine bows. The kow or pae, i. e. the knocking or bowing, seems to make a material, or rather a feeling difference in the estimation of his majesty.

The last topic on which we proposed to remark, is the penalty of informality. The punishment annexed to the neglect of the preparation, imperfect victims &c., is either forfeiture of salary for a month or longer, or a specified number of blows with the bamboo, which can be avoided by the payment of a very small sum of money. There is nothing to be feared but man's wrath; nothing but a forfeiture or a fine. The fines in these cases are rated according to the number of blows adjudged to the delinquent. But while such is the easy penalty of these philosophical legislators and hierophants, in cases where they themselves offend; the case is far different if any of the common people presume to arrogate the right of worshipping heaven, and announcing their affairs thereto, or of lighting lamps to the seven stars of ursa major &c.; they shall be punished bona fide with eighty blows or strangulation. For the state religion and the objects of worship proper for monarchs and philosophers are not to be desecrated and dishonoured by vulgar adoration. Ye vulgar plebians, go and worship things suited to your station; arrogate not the right of worshipping the supreme powers! (Chinese Repository.)

(NAUTICAL MAGAZINE.)

MISCELLANEA.

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Mr. T. Hood
New Monthly

EDITORSHIP OF THE NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE. has succeeded Mr. T. Hook as editor of the Magazine; and Mr. Colburn is, we see, rejoicing at the singular good fortune which has always attended this, his favourite child; nursed from its birth, we are told, by the first poet of the age, Mr. Campbell; dry-nursed, if that be the phrase, by the first novelist, Mr. Bulwer; and brought out by the first wit-no, not exactly the first, says the scrupulous little puritan paragraph, for in that sphere there were two suns-T. Hook and T. Hood. Here, however is only an additional cause for exultation and triumph, for the Magazine was long under the guiding protection of the one, and is now laughing under the sunny influence of the other. However, in our plain phrase, we will admit-that we know not where the worthy bibliopole could have found a more fitting successor. We have just got a glimpse of the first-fruits offering of the new editor, and already find traces of his pleasant pen in more places than the table of contents would indicate. (ATHENEUM.)

RETORT UNCOURTEOUS. A keen sportsman, provoked by a cockney horseman who had ridden over two, of his hounds, could not forbear swearing at him for his awkwardness. « Sir! » said the offender, drawing up both himself and his horse, and

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