sages from conjecture, or by the analogy of meaning; and this must be considered by any person who may have an opportunity of comparing my English with the Emperor's Chinese. Yet if the reader should be of opinion that I have sometimes totally misunderstood, and sometimes falsely conjectured, the meaning of the Emperor, he will be inclined to forgive me, when he considers for a moment the nature of the Chinese language.

Father Du Halde will inform him, that "there was Dictionary composed by order of the late Emperor, " and that it did not contain all the language, since "it was found necessary to add A SUPPLEMENT IN

TWENTY-FOUR VOLUMES, though the first work con, "tained NINETY-FIVE VOLUMES, the greatest part very " thick and in a small character*." I must observe, that I was favoured only with the first ninety-five volumes, some of which were a little imperfect; and Sir George Staun. ton himself could not procure for me the supplemental twenty-four, though he endeavoured to oblige me with the greatest politeness. This must be my first excuse. As to the words themselves Father Du Halde shall give an example or two, which will be sufficient to give an idea of the rest. He says, "The word TCHU when pronounced slowly, sig"nifies a lord or master; if with an even tone, it signifies "a hog; if pronounced quick, means a kitchen; if in a strong and masculine tone, it signifies a column." Again; "The syllable Po, according to it's various accents and "modes of pronunciation has ELEVEN different meanings; "it signifies 1, Glass. 2, to boil. 3, to winnow rice. 4. "wise or liberal. 5, to prepare. 6, an old woman. "to break or cleave. 8, inclined. 9, a very little.

7,

10,

to

* Du Halde History of China, v. 2. p. 398. Eng. edit. 8vo.

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to water.

11, a slave or captive*." Under circumstan ces like these I really think it impossible, and rather unkind, not to make some allowance for my errors, as I certainly have not the opportunity of hearing the pronuncia, tion, and of conversing so frequently in Chinese, as I could wish; and, I think, if even an ambassador should be found to have made a mistake or two, we may be sorry, but we cannot be much surprised.

My original is an Ode; but for various reasons I have been obliged to soften it down to the milder and more familiar form of an Epistle. Besides, a political composition requires a discussion of subjects not always lyrical in this country; and the internal œconomy of a kingdom will not easily submit to an English stanza, however varied: but this is different in the court of Pekin.

Yet in order to give the reader some idea of the difficulty of translating poetically such sublime writings as the Emperor's, I beg leave to exhibit some part of the same imperial Author's " ODE IN PRAISE OF DRINKING TEA." But as it is impossible for an uninstructed European to conceive the form and solemnity, which accompanied the publication of that great national poem, he must for a few moments suspend his curiosity for the work itself, while I convince him of how much greater consequence the poetry of an Emperor seems to be, than his politics. I am informed by Sir William Chambers K.P.S. &c. &c. &c. in his note upon the Discourse of CHET-QUA of QuangChew-Fu Gentleman, annexed to his famous Dissertation on Oriental Gardening in 4to. page 118, second Edition,

that

* Du Halde Hist. of China, v. 2. p. 390. Eng. edit. 8vo. and Abbe Grosier's Account of China, v. 2. p. 382. Grosier's work is an agreeable compilation from various authors.

E

that "THE ODE IN PRAISE OF DRINKING TEA was pub"lised by the imperial edict of KIEN LONG, reigning

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Emperor of China, bearing date the twelfth day of the "ninth moon of the thirteenth year of his reign, in "THIRTY-TWO different types and characters, under the inspection of Yun-lou and Houng-yen, Princes by the " title of Tsin-Suang; Fou Keng, Grandee by the title of Taypao; Count, by the title of Valiant; and First Presi"dent of almost all the great tribunals of the empire; whose Deputies were Ak-down and Tsing-pou, Grandees by the "title of Taytzee Chaopao; and these were again assisted by Isau, Fouki, Elquinque, Tetchi, Mingtee, Tsoungming, Tchaugyu, Tounmin, and about a dozen other "Mandarins of rank and reputation; so that there is no " doubt but the work is perfectly correct."

This I believe is perfectly new in the annals of poetry to most of my readers. Now in our Europe, we find the reverse in the present time, even in political subjects. Emperors, Kings, Vice-roys, Governors, Dukes, Admirals and Generals publish their Manifestos and Counter Manifestos with advice, or without advice, just as they please, and generally in a noble manner, without any consideration at all, like the Duke of Brunswick, Lord Hood, or Earl Fitzwilliam. To be sure in these manifestos mere trifles are at stake; such as the lives and properties, the happiness or the misery of millions. But in China (hear this, ye Right Honourable Statesmen, William Pitt and Henry Dundas!) when an Emperor's ODE IN PRAISE OF DRINKING TEA, is to be published, Princes, Grandees, Counts, First Presidents of all the great tribunals, and Mandarins of high rank and reputation, are summoned to sanction and superintend the publication of the important national work,

I shall

I shall make no excuse for these preliminary articles; but proceed to present the reader with some sublime passages from the Ode itself, dignified and ushered in with the solemnity which I have described, and as it stands in page 119 of Sir William Chambers's Discourse, just mentioned. The original commences with these words, " Meihòa che pou

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yao, &c." the first verse will be quite sufficient to shew the harmonic power of the original; the translation is as follows. "The colours of the Meihòa are never brilliant, yet is the flower always pleasing; in fragrance or neat"ness the Focheou has no equal; the fruit of the pine is " aromatic, it's odour is inviting. In gratifying at once "the smell, the sight, and the taste, nothing exceeds "these three things; and if at the same time you put upon

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a gentle fire an old pot with three legs, grown black and "battered with length of service; and if, when the fire is "heated to a degree that will boil a fish or redden a lobster, you pour hot water directly into a cup made of the earth Yuë, upon the tender leaves of superfine tea; and if you "then gently sip this delicious beverage, it is labouring effectually to remove the five causes of discontent which usually disturb our quiet."—I cannot help observing, that all other Emperors and authors would be happy to have all their causes of discontent limited to five, and removed effectually by a little tea.

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The imperial poet proceeds, and cries out in rapture, "Methinks I see the virtuous LINFOU bending into "form with his own hands the branches of the Meihòa"chou! It was thus, say I to myself, that he relieved his "mind after the fatigues of profound meditation on the "most interesting subjects." But the Emperor's rapture is very short indeed, and he breaks forth, or rather says, "I skip from Linfou to Tchao-cheou, or to Yu-chouan, " and see the first, (that is, Tchao-cheou), in the middle

" of a vast many tea-cups, of which he sometimes tastes one. "and sometimes another: while the second,(that is, Yu-chou

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an,)drinks with the profoundest indifference the best tea*, "and scarce distinguishes it from the vilest stuff." The Emperor then resumes his lyre, which it may be necessary to observe, he never does but at night, and generally by moon light. "Already, he cries, the rays of the moon break through the windows of my tent, and with their lustre brighten the few moveables with which it is adorned." The Emperor's modesty is conspicuous at the close of this great ode, and like Pindar, he strikes us with what Lord Bacon calls a virgula divina, I mean, an useful moral sentence, very unexpectedly. "I find myself (cries the

imperial bard) neither uneasy nor fatigued: my stomach "is empty (the Emperor is poetical to the last) and I may without fear go to rest. It is thus with my poor abilities, "I have made THESE VERSES in the little spring of the "tenth moon in the year Ping-yu of my reign.

"KIEN LONG."

From these extracts the reader will form some conjecture concerning the nature of my labour, and of the necessity of this preface.

As my translation of the Imperial Epistle has been much handed about in manuscript, I have been favoured with a variety of notes by persons of eminence and distinction. I

value

*The East India Directors, with that great prudence which distinguishes all their well-debated resolutions, have given positive orders to all their Supercargoes, to have no dealings with Yu-chouan (if alive) or any of his descendants. What would become of the Commutation Act, (not forgetting the new Act in 1795) if this Mandarin's profound indifference for the best tea should gain ground in this country.