despotism of the Imperial Government. The Emperor is the parent of the people, and by his title of "GREAT FATHER," indicates the correlative obligation of filial duty on the part of his subjects. The theoretical principle of the Chinese scheme is that of intellectual perfection in the rul ing power. "The highest practical point of moral goodness and beauty," says Mr. Kidd,*-"is agreement with nature, as regulated by the unalterable ordinations of heaven, and consentaneous with reason, its grand and ultimate aim." "Such is the celebrated wisdom of China." * influence of Confucius's ethical system with contemporary and succeeding governments, arises from the irresponsible power it ascribes to a virtuous prince, and the unbounded veneration of regal authority, with which it inspires its subjects."

"The

In order to illustrate this idea of veneration, and to carry out the notion of its basis in the irresistible laws of Nature, the Emperor of China, who often styles himself the "Ru ler of the World," and "Son of Heaven," makes his prostrations before the Empress Dowager on the first day of every new year, and causes all the great officers of state to go through the same ceremony. This doctrine of filial obedience controls every ramification of government,-from the Chief of a Province, down to the lowest head of Department or humble official. The actual administration of the Empire, in consequence of its great extent, is necessarily confided to vice-roys, many of whom are entrusted with territories larger and more populous than European Kingdoms, These men are proud, stately, and supreme within their sphere They maintain courts and represent the majesty of the Emperor, in the splendor of their retinue and establishments. Yet to the Emperor himself,-to the incarnation of "Reason's Glory," and "Father of the People," they are as subserviently filial as the meanest of his subjects.

This system, it will be perceived, is the complete realization of perfect despotism, and is calculated to repose, in human hands, a power that deifies its holder. And yet such is not the case in China. It is supposed that the Emperor, wise as he ought to be, and deserving as he ever is, of the strictest loyalty, may nevertheless err in the administration of his high office. In order, therefore, to guard him from

* Kidd, p, 192.

the disgrace and danger consequent upon human frailty, a board of officers, holding the highest rank in the Empire, and bearing the title of Tou-TCHE-YOUEN, or CENSORS, is required to point out to him the mistakes with which it thinks him chargeable; "and this duty is enforced by making the board responsible for every wrong that is committed without its remonstrance. Nor has this duty been mere

ly nominal. Illustrious patriots have braved the dangers of the Imperial frown in resisting wrong, and several have brought their coffins to the gate of the palace to intimate a determination to abide whatever might be the issue of their advice."*

There is one institution in the Chinese system, which is peculiarly worthy of the attention of statesmen. The two great permanent estates of the government are the EMPEROR and THE PEOPLE, without an intermediate grade of hereditary nobility. But the PEOPLE, as we have seen, en. joy no constitutional rights and are subject alone to parental despotism. Yet these very PEOPLE have an unlimited privilege of advancing to power; and, in fact, oan only attain it, as we shall see, in a manner consistent with the purest republicanism. "The officers, who have been styled by the Portugese,-'MANDARINS,' all arrive at that dignity through their proficiency in learning ascertained by a minute and careful examination." Thus the meritorious influence of learning or wisdom, is vindicated in the adminis. tration of the only perfect despotism in existence. "Among the countless millions that constitute the Empire," says Mr. Lay, "almost every man can read and write sufficiently for the ordinary purposes of life, and a respectable share of acquirement falls to the lot of nearly every individual." The object of the government in encouraging education is not perhaps so much for the sake of learning alone, as it is to enable the empire to avail itself of the cultivated talents of the ablest people; for unconstitutional monarchies ever require more watchfulness and cleverness in their servants than governments administered according to the representative forms of liberty. It is a tribute from despotism, which is not inherently wicked, to genius and virtue. Strict examinations winnow the candidates for literary honors. The + Id. page 30.

* Lay, 29 and 30.

merit must be great, the talent quick, and the learning various, that can procure their possessor power. But, by this intellectual strife, education is widely diffused, and the successful student confers honor not only on himself, but reflects his fame on his ancestors. He cannot entail his reputation, office or position upon his posterity, for his successors must work out their own destiny. The nation is not cursed either by hereditary rank or primogeniture. Yet whatever fame an individual achieves,-instead of becoming the heritage of idleness to a series of titled successors, reverts, as it were, to a preceding age; and, with filial reverence, embalms the memory and adds to the lustre of his parents. The parent becomes illustrious as the producer of so renowned a child; and thus parents, who are not distinguished for their talents or exertions, are led to cultivate and foster the genius of their offspring, with the hope that their own names may be made eminent by the reflected glory of their sons. As the examinations are open to all comers, the aspirants are of course very numerous, and castes are by this means entirely abolished. "Every principal city is furnished with appropriate halls for examination, which are surrounded by separate cells for the candidates, who are admitted with nothing but blank paper and the implements of writing. The students who succeed in their own districts at the annual examination, are ranked as Sew-tsae, and, according to their merit, are drafted for further advancement, until they become fitted for the triennial examination, held at the provincial Capital by an officer deputed from the Hanlin College at Peking. Those who succeed at these examinations attain the rank of Kiajin, which qualifies them for actual employment; and once in three years these licenciates repair to Peking, (their expenses being paid if necessary,) to be examined for the Tsintsee, or Doctor's degree, to which thirty, only, can be admitted at one time. From these are selected the members of the Imperial College of Hanlin, after an examination held in the palace itself, and they compose the body from whom the Ministers of the Empire are generally chosen. All these examinations are of incomparable interest to great multitudes of people in every department and district of the Empire. High honors, rich emoluments, and, in a word, every thing that the young aspirant and his numerous kinsmen must esteem, are at stake. The competitors for the

Olympic Games, never entered the arena before the assembled thousands of their countrymen with deeper emotion, than that which agitates the bosom of those who contest the palm in these literary combats. The number of candidates who assemble at the Provincial examinations at Canton, is between nine and ten thousand, often attended by their friends, and they continue here for several weeks, sometimes for months. They meet on equal terms, and their true nobility is determined by personal efforts which are to be made during a fixed period and under fixed cir

cumstances.

"The competitors after being searched, are placed in the narrow cells above mentioned, and are guarded by soldiers till the trial is over, so as to prevent collusion or communication. Each student must undergo a series of trials. Seven texts from the classics, and three themes are then handed them the first day. Upon each of the former, they have to write a prose composition, and upon each of the latter, a poetical effusion, for the inspection of the examiners. A scribe stands ready to transcribe the productions, as soon as finished, for presentation to the officers, and sets a mark upon both the original and the copy, so that they may not discover to whom the pieces belong. If the slightest fault is committed, the individual's mark is stuck. up at the office gate, by which he is to understand, that he will not be permitted to proceed to the next trial. The second trial is similar, but more severe than the first, and the defaulters are struck off as before, so that the numbers are greatly reduced by the time the third trial comes on. At the close of this, seventy-two are selected as the most intelligent, out of the 10,000 assembled from that province, and an equal number from each of the other provinces, making in all, about 1,300, for the whole Empire. The fortunate persons are then publicly announced, and handbills are circulated far and wide, not only for the information of the candidates themselves, but also of their parents and kindred, who receive honors in common with their favored relatives. Presents are then made to the triumphant scholars, and splendid apparel provided for them, so that they soon become rich and great.

"The third degree is the result of still more rigorous examination at the Capital. Here, also about 10,000 candidates enter the lists, from whom three hundred are chosen. The fourth degree follows a

still closer examination in the presence of the Emperor, and the three worthiest are chosen, who are forthwith mounted on horseback, and paraded for three days around the Capital, signifying-Thus it shall be done to the man whom the Sovereign delighteth to honor.'

"In order to succeed in any of these examinations, it is of course necessary to put forth extraordinary exertions. Of the great application and perseverance of Chinese students, many anecdotes are given in the native works. Of one man it is related, that he tied his hair to a beam of the house, in order to prevent him from falling asleep, whilst another bored a hole through the wall of his cottage, that he might study by the glimmer of his neighbor's light. One poor lad, suspended his book on the horns of a buffalo, that he might learn even whilst he followed the plough, and they tell of another, who finding the task assigned him, too difficult, abandoned his book in despair, and was returning to his manual employment, when he encountered an old woman who was rubbing a bar of iron against a stone. On asking her the reason of her strange employment, she replied that she was in want of a needle, and had determined to rub the bar until it was small enough for her purposes. The patience of the aged female provoked the student to another effort, and he succeeded in attaining the rank of the first three in the empire."

From this summary review of Chinese education and government, the reader will perceive that despotism and democracy are strangely mixed and balanced in the institutions of the empire. The central source of executive power resides unchangeably in the one estate; whilst the effective and administrative power is in the hands of an educated class, springing directly from all grades of the people, and holding its rank and influence by virtue of natural abilities. perfectly educated. Thus it is that a cultivated public opinion effectually tempers the natural tendencies of power in a despotic prince. And although the education received in the manner we have just exhibited, may not be of that lofty character that gives tone to Christian natious living under free or constitutional systems; yet, a literature founded upon

Medhurst. Lay, 36; Am. Ed. Each foreigner in Canton, has usually three domestics, a body servant or valet; a waiter who attends his chamber, makes his bed &c., and a cooley or "servant of all work." The individual who filled this last post in our establishment, was one of the most quiet and effeminate creatures we saw in India. He performed all his duties quickly and faithfully in the household, and we always noticed him in a corner of the servants' hall, bent over his paper and pencil in diligent composition. We inquired particularly into his condition, and found him to be an "ambitious student," laboring for his daily bread, and hoping to become a mandarin in the course of time. His favorite pursuit was poetry. He used to black our shoes in 1827; but for aught we know, he may now be the Laureat of the "Celestial Court!"-M.