E testifying their friendship by actions, ad leaves me only words to express the ncerity of mine. I am perfectly sensible of the delicacy ith which you endeavour to lessen your wn merit and my obligations. By calling Our late instances of friendship only a etura for former favours you would inLuce me to impute to your justice what ove to your generosity. The services I did you at Canton justice, manty, and my office bade me perform; hose you have done me since my arrival at Amsterdam no laws obliged you to, no justice required. Even half your favours would have been greater than my most sanguine expectations. The sum of money, therefore, which you privately conveyed into my baggage, when I was leaving Holland, and which I was ignorant of till my arrival in London, I rst beg leave to return. You have been La merchant, and I a scholar; you consently love money better than I. You find pleasure in superfluity; I am perfectly content with what is sufficient. Tike therefore what is yours: it may give yu some pleasure, even though you have ne occasion to use it; my happiness it canna improve, for I have already all that I My passage by sea from Rotterdam to Fand was more painful to me than all the journeys I ever made on land. I have taversed the immeasurable wilds of Mogul Tartary; felt all the rigours of Siberian es: I have had my repose a hundred tes disturbed by invading savages, and have seen, without shrinking, the desert mods rise like a troubled ocean all around Against these calamities I was armed thresolution; but in my passage to Enghd, though nothing occurred that gave the mariners any uneasiness, to one who was ever at sea before all was a subject of nishment and terror. To find the land dappear to see our ship mount the ves, swift as an arrow from the Tartar bw-to hear the wind howling through e cordage-to feel a sickness which depresses even the spirits of the brave, these were unexpected distresses, and Basequently assaulted me, unprepared receive them. You men of Europe think nothing of a voyage by sea. With us of China a man who has been from sight of land is regarded upon his return with admiration. I have known some provinces where there is not even a name for the ocean. What a strange people, therefore, am I got amongst, who have founded an empire on this unstable element, who build cities upon billows that rise higher than the mountains of Tipartala, and make the deep more formidable than the wildest tempest! Such accounts as these, I must confess, were my first motives for seeing England. These induced me to undertake a journey of seven hundred painful days, in order to examine its opulence, buildings, sciences, arts, and manufactures, on the spot. Judge, then, my disappointment on entering London, to see no signs of that opulence so much talked of abroad: wherever I turn I am presented with a gloomy solemnity in the houses, the streets, and the inhabitants; none of that beautiful gilding which makes a principal ornament in Chinese architecture. The streets of Nankin are sometimes strewed with gold leaf: very different are those of London: in the midst of their pavement a great lazy puddle moves muddily along; heavy-laden machines, with wheels of unwieldy thickness, crowd up every passage: so that a stranger, instead of finding time for observation, is often happy if he has time to escape from being crushed to pieces. The houses borrow very few ornaments from architecture; their chief decoration seems to be a paltry piece of painting hung out at their doors or windows, at once a proof of their indigence and vanity: their vanity, in each having one of those pictures exposed to public view; and their indigence, in being unable to get them better painted. In this respect the fancy of their painters is also deplorable. Could you believe it? I have seen five black lions and three blue boars in less than the circuit of half a mile; and yet you know that animals of these colours are nowhere to be found, except in the wild imaginations of Europe. From these circumstances in their buildings, and from the dismal looks of the inhabitants, I am induced to conclude that the nation is actually poor; and that, like THE CITIZEN OF THE WORLD. THE EDITOR'S PREFACE. The schoolmen had formerly a very exact way of computing the abilities of their saints or authors. Escobar, for instance, was said to have learning as five, genius a four, and gravity as seven. Caramuel was greater than he. His learning was asht, his genius as six, and his gravity as thirteen. Were I to estimate the merits of our Chinese Philosopher by the same scale, I would not hesitate to state his genius till higher; but as to his learning and gravity, these, I think, might safely be marked as nine hundred and ninety-nine, within one degree of absolute frigidity. 66 Yet, upon his first appearance here, many were angry not to find him as ignorant a Tripoline ambassador or an envoy from Mujac. They were surprised to find a man born so far from London, that school of prudence and wisdom, endued even with moderate capacity. They expressed the same surprise at his knowledge that the Thinese do at ours. How comes it," said they, "that the Europeans, so remote from China, think with so much justice and precision? They have never read our books, scarcely know even our letters, and yet they talk and reason just as we do." The rah is, the Chinese and we are pretty much alike. Different degrees of refinement, and not of distance, mark the distinctions among mankind. Savages of the most psite climates have all but one character of improvidence and rapacity; and tutored stions, however separate, make use of the very same methods to procure refined | expzyment. But The distinctions of polite nations are few; but such as are peculiar to the Chinese thear in every page of the following correspondence. The metaphors and allusions are all drawn from the East. Their formality our author carefully preserves. Many of their favourite tenets in morals are illustrated. The Chinese are always concise; ishe. Simple; so is he. The Chinese are grave and sententious; so is he. in one particular the resemblance is peculiarly striking: the Chinese are often dull; and so is he. Nor has my assistance been wanting. We are told in an old romance f a certain knight-errant and his horse who contracted an intimate friendship. The horse most usually bore the knight; but, in cases of extraordinary dispatch, the knight returned the favour, and carried his horse. Thus, in the intimacy between my author and me, he has usually given me a lift of his eastern sublimity, and I have sometimes given him a return of my colloquial ease. Yet it appears strange, in this season of panegyric, when scarcely an author passes antraised either by his friends or himself, that such merit as our Philosopher's should be forgotten. While the epithets of ingenious, copious, elaborate, and refined are lavished among the mob, like medals at a coronation, the lucky prizes fall on every side, but not one on him. I could on this occasion make myself melancholy, by considering the capriciousness of public taste, or the mutability of fortune; but during this fit of morality, lest my reader should sleep, I'll take a nap myself, and when I awake tell him my dream. Several booths I imagined the Thames was frozen over, and I stood by its side. were erected upon the ice, and I was told by one of the spectators, that Fashion Fair was going to begin. He added, that every author who would carry his works there might probably find a very good reception. I was resolved, however, to observe the humours of the place in safety from the shore; sensible that ice was at best precarious, an: having been always a little cowardly in my sleep. Several of my acquaintance seemed much more hardy than I, and went over #= ice with intrepidity. Some carried their works to the fair on sledges, some on carz and those which were more voluminous were conveyed in waggons. Their temeri astonished me. I knew their cargoes were heavy, and expected every moment the would have gone to the bottom. They all entered the fair, however, in safety, are. each soon after returned, to my great surprise, highly satisfied with his entertainme and the bargains he had brought away. The success of such numbers at last began to operate upon me. If these, cried meet with favour and safety, some luck may, perhaps, for once attend the unfortunate I am resolved to make a new adventure. The furniture, frippery, and fireworks e China have long been fashionably bought up.. I'll try the fair with a small cargo Chinese morality. If the Chinese have contributed to vitiate our taste, I'll try how fa they can help to improve our understanding. But, as others have driven into th market in waggons, I'll cautiously begin by venturing with a wheelbarrow. The resolved, I baled up my goods, and fairly ventured; when, upon just entering the fair I fancied the ice, that had supported an hundred waggons before, cracked under me. and wheel-barrow and all went to the bottom. Upon awaking from my reverie with the fright, I cannot help wishing that th pains taken in giving this correspondence an English dress had been employed in contriving new political systems, or new plots for farces. I might then have take my station in the world, either as a poet or a philosopher, and made one in those litt societies where men club to raise each other's reputation. But at present I belong t no particular class. I resemble one of those animals that has been forced from it forest to gratify human curiosity. My earliest wish was to escape unheeded throug life; but I have been set up for half-pence, to fret and scamper at the end of my chainThough none are injured by my rage, I am naturally too savage to court any friends by fawning, too obstinate to be taught new tricks, and too improvident to mind whaz may happen. I am appeased, though not contented. Too indolent for intrigue, an too timid to push for favour, I am—But what signifies what am I? To Mr. Ελπὶς καὶ σὺ τύχη μέγα χαίρετε· τὸν λιμέν' εὗρον. LETTER I. [1760-62.] Merchant in London. Amsterdam. SIR,-Yours of the 13th instant, covering two bills, one on Messrs R. and D., value £478 10s., and the other on Mrvalue £285, duly came to hand, the former of which met with honour, but the other has been trifled with, and I am afraid will be returned protested. The bearer of this is my friend, therefore let him be yours. He is a native of Honan in China, and one who did me signal services, when he was a mandarine, and I a factor, at Canton. By frequently conversing with the English there he has learned the language, though entirely a f testifying their friendship by actions, nd leaves me only words to express the incerity of mine. I am perfectly sensible of the delicacy ith which you endeavour to lessen your wn merit and my obligations. By calling Our late instances of friendship only a eturn for former favours you would inLuce me to impute to your justice what owe to your generosity. The services I did you at Canton justice, manity, and my office bade me perform; hose you have done me since my arrival at Amsterdam no laws obliged you to, no justice required. Even half your favours would have been greater than my most sanguine expectations. The sum of money, therefore, which you privately conveyed into my baggage, when I was leaving Holland, and which I was ignorant of till my arrival in London, I mast beg leave to return. You have been Lasia merchant, and I a scholar; you conSepeatly love money better than I. You ca find pleasure in superfluity; I am perfectly content with what is sufficient. Tike therefore what is yours: it may give you some pleasure, even though you have Boccasion to use it; my happiness it cannt improve, for I have already all that I My passage by sea from Rotterdam to England was more painful to me than all the journeys I ever made on land. I have taversed the immeasurable wilds of Mogul Tartary; felt all the rigours of Siberian s: I have had my repose a hundred tres disturbed by invading savages, and Lave seen, without shrinking, the desert ads rise like a troubled ocean all around Against these calamities I was armed wah resolution; but in my passage to Engnd, though nothing occurred that gave the riners any uneasiness, to one who was fever at sea before all was a subject of anishment and terror. To find the land chappear to see our ship mount the aves, swift as an arrow from the Tartar bow-to hear the wind howling through the cordage-to feel a sickness which depresses even the spirits of the brave, -these were unexpected distresses, and sequently assaulted me, unprepared Dreceive them. You men of Europe think nothing of a voyage by sea. With us of China a man who has been from sight of land is regarded upon his return with admiration. I have known some provinces where there is not even a name for the ocean. What a strange people, therefore, am I got amongst, who have founded an empire on this unstable element, who build cities upon billows that rise higher than the mountains of Tipartala, and make the deep more formidable than the wildest tempest! Such accounts as these, I must confess, were my first motives for seeing England. These induced me to undertake a journey of seven hundred painful days, in order to examine its opulence, buildings, sciences, arts, and manufactures, on the spot. Judge, then, my disappointment on entering London, to see no signs of that opulence so much talked of abroad: wherever I turn I am presented with a gloomy solemnity in the houses, the streets, and the inhabitants; none of that beautiful gilding which makes a principal ornament in Chinese architecture. The streets of Nankin are sometimes strewed with gold leaf: very different are those of London: in the midst of their pavement a great lazy puddle moves muddily along; heavy-laden machines, with wheels of unwieldy thickness, crowd up every passage: so that a stranger, instead of finding time for observation, is often happy if he has time to escape from being crushed to pieces. The houses borrow very few ornaments from architecture; their chief decoration seems to be a paltry piece of painting hung out at their doors or windows, at once a proof of their indigence and vanity: their vanity, in each having one of those pictures exposed to public view; and their indigence, in being unable to get them better painted. In this respect the fancy of their painters is also deplorable. Could you believe it? I have seen five black lions and three blue boars in less than the circuit of half a mile; and yet you know that animals of these colours are nowhere to be found, except in the wild imaginations of Europe. From these circumstances in their build ings, and from the dismal looks of the inhabitants, I am induced to conclude that the nation is actually poor; and that, like |