286 The Stoic. [VOL. 2. to live as if I stood alone in the world, turned young De Grey, wringing his without loving, fearing or trusting any hand--" for I cannot confide all even to one except myself!-Could you censure you-but I will go with you to prison, if me even if I had made your property my you will not pity my grandfather's old own, in defiance of public opinion? age, and save our family's honour."-and by what right do you now expect Maurice stood a few steps beyond the me to surrender my feelings to yours? outer gate of Lord De Grey's mansion, -But, my lord, I have not robbed you. undetermined and in an agony of doubt, An instinct, truer and better than your when two officers of justice suddenly reason, forbade me to injure my benefac- sprang upon him. He surrendered himtor, though he licensed me by his lessons." self without resistance, and was led to Lord De Grey grew pale, and his very the usual auditory, where he learned that vitals seemed crushed by this reproach. the forged paper ascribed to him had Truth has a tone and attitude which can- been presented to Lord De Grey's banknot be borrowed :-he felt them, and er by a man who professed to have resnatching up his roquelare, threw it on ceived it from his hand, and had brought Maurice's shoulders" Begone, (said witnesses to prove that they had seen he) save yourself, lest I execrate my ex- Maurice affix his signature. Maurice, istence. My doors are beset with spies, in silent consternation, saw his own but in this you may escape. Why do name accurately endorsed on the forged you linger, Maurice ?What is it you bill, and now remembered having signed desire more from me?"-"Only your a list of subscribers to a charitable plan blessing (he replied) such as a father brought to him by an unknown petitionwould give a repenting son."-De Grey er of imposing appearance in a public fell upon his neck in the bitterness of room on the day mentioned by the witanguish then covering his face, closed nesses. A fac-simile of his hand-writing the door upon him. At the foot of the might have been thus obtained, but his most private staircase stood young De examiners informed him that a search of Grey, listening to his grandfather's move his person was indispensable. Even the ments.—“ Whither are you going, Mau- presiding magistrate's countenance exrice? (he exclaimed, as the unwilling fu- pressed surprise and grief when the bankgitive rushed past him) for what purpose notes found upon him were recognized do you come ?"-"Not for a base one!" by the banker's clerk as part of those answered Maurice hastily, throwing off paid to the bearer of the forgery. Mauhis protector's cloak-"I go to chal- rice, with the spirit and simplicity of lenge and extort justice."-He ran on, truth, could only state the fact of their but found himself forcibly held; and conveyance to his foster-father's house; looking back, saw Edward De Grey up- and the presence of the curate was acon his knees." You are the culprit, cordingly required to attest it. But the then;" said he, in a faltering voice, for chief actor in this plot had disappeared : his pure beart felt no triumph in the fall the utterer of the fabricated note could no of his enemy." I am utterly undone," where be found and though Maurice's replied Edward, "if you provoke inqui- guilt seemed substantiated without him, ry. Only absent yourself a few months his innocence could not be made perfectsubmit to leave the affair ambiguous, ly clear until his accuser's conviction. and you will bind me to you forever. I Mordaunt, his first and firm friend, arhave unlimited credit now on my grand- rived in town, and urged the most rigorfather's banker, and my purse shall be ous inquiry for the absent witness. He your's."-All the pride of a generous was found. Crowds of strangers assemheart, all the force of the blow levelled bled at the place of examination; and at his honour, was felt by Maurice at that Lord De Grey, whose utmost power had instant."This is too much, Edward! been strained to stifle an affair which his you have robbed me of my fair fame hasty anger had exposed, was compelled where I valued it more than life, and to attend among the witnesses. No inyou dare to offer me a price :"- "I am ducement could tempt his grandson to more miserable than you can guess!" re- enter the court, but his absence was as VOL. 2.] The Stoic. 287 cribed to generous feelings, and applaud- a dangerous rival from the way of my ed. The accused was brought forward, only son-the legal and natural heir of and his accuser turning aside his eyes as Lord De Grey's possessions." if dazzled by the intense light in Mau- Mordaunt paused, and his whole soul rice's, stood before him. He was a man gathered itself into his fixed eye. beyond the middle age, with deep lines" Wretched man!" he exclaimed "learn in his forehead, and a lurking smile about the fallacy of your system from its fruits! his lip which seemed to mock his sordid Maurice is your eldest son the fruit apparel. Lord De Grey fearfully and of your first rash marriage. I received slowly looked towards him, and fell from him from the death bed of his forsaken his place in a swoon. The stranger fix- mother, whom your disavowal left to ed his large hollow eye sternly on the old perish in poverty. But your father man as he sunk, and turned towards his knows his claims, and received him from examiners. To their close inquiries he my hands. See to what misery and refused to give any farther replies than shame you have doomed a beneficent he had already given, and referring to the father, and the children he cherished for evidence adduced against Maurice, ap- your sake!" 66 pealed to facts. A long inquisition af- Even a heart hardened by systematic forded no new light: the prisoners were selfishness shrinks from the deserved hadismissed to separate chambers, and be- tred of a son. The self-convicted father, fore the close of day Mordaunt entered in the stubborn silence of despair, fixed the stranger's. Both viewed each other his eyes upon the earth, and raised them with cold and austere glances; but after no more. After many hours spent in a long pause, the curate said" I am a prayer beside him, Mordaunt departed minister of the religion which would re- without obtaining either word or sign of deem you even now. Have you forgot- hope. Before the following day his sudten both?""No," returned the pris- den death was announced. The inno oner fiercely, nor need you remind me cent son he had so nearly sacrificed, soon who I am.-Tell Lord De Grey, if he obtained acquittal; but Edward De sent you, that I am still his only son; Grey, driven to madness by his father's and though he has renounced and aban- ignominy, and by pangs of humbled selfdoned me, his precepts are not forgotten. love which no principle ever balanced or He taught me to seek pleasure as the only corrected, remained a victim to the purpose of existence, to idolize myself, gloomiest visionary terrors.—- Maurice, and to reverence no law. Let him not half consoled for unmerited sufferings be surprised if I have employed his name by his own pure and benevolent spirit, to regain a small part of that birthright took refuge in the church, where he which he seems disposed to squander learned those truths which saved him from upon beggars-upon that nameless boy the errors of his brother. He lives hapwho has crept into his favour."-" That py in the secluded parsonage in which nameless boy!" repeated Mordaunt, his uncle Mordaunt once presided; but shuddering was it to rend him from no comfort remains for the desolate and his place under your father's roof that despairing grandfather. Lord De Grey you covered your fraud with his name, still exists, deploring the fate of a son and contrived to make even me an ac- misled by his precepts, and a grandson complice by putting those fatal notes into plunged by his example into the darkness his hands!"" Are not the means justi- of false philosophy. He has seen the fied by the end?" said the culprit, with retributive hand of the Providence he a gullen sneer-" So at least, your philo- doubted, and felt the well-proportioned sophic patron told me. He thought that punishment due to self-worshipping pride. all morality depended upon circumstance, and unrelenting obduracy. Concealed and was framed by men only to guard in this retirement he endeavours to melio. their own convenience. Why should rate his sorrows; and is learning those his family be exempt from this rule? I precepts of patient resignation, hope and have but committed a civil trespass for the charity, which render Man sufficient for Just purpose of obtaining what his bounty himself." cught to have given me, and of removing 288 Ellis's Journal of the late Embassy to China. LORD AMHERST'S LATE EMBASSY TO CHINA. From the London Literary Gazette, October 1817. JOURNAL OF The proceedinGS OF THE LATE EMBASSY TO china, &c. TH 4to. [VOL. BY HENRY ELLIS, HIS work, which excited so much to Aujere-roads occupied the intervening public curiosity before its appear- time to the 9th of June, four months ance, was on Monday published by Mr. since their departure. Murray, with maps, coloured drawings, typographical accuracy and beauty, which would have done credit to the longest preparations, and are really surprising when we consider the short period that has elapsed since the author arrived in England. At Anjere they landed and set out for Batavia; their progress to which by Serang furnishes topics for remark; but as Java has been treated more at large, in recent and separate publications, we shall not enter upon it here further than to state, that Mr. Ellis confirms all preceding acSince it issued from the press it has counts of the short-sighted and bad polsupplied ample stores for extracts to the icy pursued by the Dutch in their govperiodical newspapers, and within this ernment of this colony. He represents little week parts of its contents have per- General Daendels as extremely harsh, vaded the whole British Empire. View- but the following anecdote (at page 32) ing this circumstance, we shall deviate is not the best illustration of the asserfrom our favourite plan of reviewing, and sion, which is more clear y borne out by give ourselves to the formation of a other records. faithful analysis of the volume, accompanied by fewer quotations than we usually make. Whether natural, or assumed for the purpose of intimidation, his (Daendels') manner was ferocious to an unparalleled The first chapter is devoted to the degree. An anecdote is related of his voyage. On the 8th of February, 1816, arriving late at night at one of the regen. the Embassador with his suite embarked cies, and ordering some eggs to be preon board the Alceste frigate, and sailed pared for his supper: the native chief on their destination. Having a great su- unluckily had none in the house, and periority in speed, the Alceste suffered the had the temerity to inform the Marshal vessels in company to pursue their course that no eggs were procured at that late straight onward, while she ran to Rio hour. Daendels seized one of the pisJaneiro, where she arrived on the 21st tols, that were always placed near him, March. At Rio Janeiro they remained ten days and took several excursions into the surrounding country, the description of which occupies a few pages, but does not possess sufficient novelty to recommend it to much notice. The Queen of Portugal died on the day previous to their arrival, and in consequence of that event, or of i's furnishing an excuse, they were neither publicly received at court, nor, it would seem, very hospitably entertained by the Portuguese ministers, who refused to allot them a house for their residence on shore. From Rio Janeiro they proceeded on the 31st, and in good time reached the Cape. Here our Commissioner appears to be a little home-sick, but nevertheless takes several trips round Cape Town, and describes the impression made upon him by the natural scenery. From the Cape and discharged it at his head; the ball passed near his ear. The regent, a man of some humour, says that the whizzing of the bullet had a most wonderful effect, all the hens in the village commencing to lay their eggs immediately; the fact was, that a second search, under the fear of death, overcame the difficulty." Hungry Governors are not to be trifled with. Java is a good deal colonized by Chinese, some of whom revisit their native country and send their children thither, but return to lay their bones in the land of their adoption. Their descendants are invariably a mixed race, for no women ever leave China. But to whatever cast the Javanese belongs, he eager ly disclaims being confounded with the Malay, and in fact is a being of superior character in every respect. VOL. 2.] Ellis's Journal of the late Embassy to China, 289 On the 21st of June the Alceste left the complaints raised against us for the Batavia roads, and pursued the voyage improper seizure of an American ship by the Doris, within the Chinese protect towards Canton. Now approaching the object of their ing boundaries, to cultivate an amicable expedition, Mr. Ellis anticipates, that arrangement between the Viceroy of the former enquiries of those acute and Canton and the committee of supercarintelligent travellers Sir George Staun- goes, to obtain a free intercourse with ton and Mr. Barrow, as well as the nar- the seat of supreme government, Pekin, rations of De Guignes, Vanbraam, and and if possible to get permission to trade the ancient Missionaries, will render with a port to the north of Canton. It such information as he may procure less is obvious from this statement, that the valuable than it would otherwise be. viceroy and members of the Canton That they have taken off the edge of government, were deeply interested in novelty may readily be conceded, but defeating the purposes of the mission, that they have also left much for future and we have no doubt but their intrigues interest Mr. Ellis's own work is a suf- contributed greatly to the unsatisfactory ficient proof. We have, at least, found result which attended it. it eminently curious and entertaining. On the 10th of July, the squadron Yet in our critical capacity we ought to arrived at the Lemma islands, where notice one disadvantage under which it Sir George Staunton, the second comlabours; we allude to its diary form in missioner, joined Lord Amherst and Mr. which there has been much preserved Ellis. The embassy now consisted of as it was written, which events, subse- seventy-five persons, being twenty fewer quent to the date of the entry, render than composed the suite of Lord Maaltogether supererogatory. Thus we cartney." are often perusing what may be the con- The three commissioners were, acsequence of certain matters, what may cording to the formula of Chinese etibe expected, &c. as the author's mind quette, divided into Ching-wang-chae," led him to calculate a priori; a manner Tso-wang-chae,and Yew-wang-chae,i.e. of composition quite unnecessary, when middle, left-hand, and right-hand depu. in the very nature of the Journal ties. we * must within a few pages come to the As they came within ear-shot of their facts as they actually took place. This destination, they learnt that the Portudefect, and an occasional awkwardness guese had been zealous co-operators of style* (arising probably from long with the party at Canton, in preceding absence where foreign tongues were them with gross misrepresentations. So most heard,) are all the charges we have far had success attended these efforts, to bring against Mr. Ellis, and we bring that when the ships appeared off the them thus early that we may get rid of coast, their presence occasioned many fault-finding, and continue hence-for- military movements among the natives. ward in the more agreeable task of offering well-merited praise. About the part of the work to which we have conducted our readers, the anthor stops to state the grounds on which the embassy was dispatched, and the objects it had in view. These were briefly the oppressions which had been exercised upon the British mercantile interests at Canton, and the insecurity of their future prospects, in the former case; and in the latter to explain away As we profess never to censure without evidence, we merely mention such phrases as he commenced to perform," and a district where "shrabs swarm," in support of our allegation. To this inauspicious omen may be added an opinion of no less weight than that of Sir George Staunton, that the time was unfavourable for the objects in Besides the three commissioners, the most prominent individuals were Mr. Amherst, a boy of about twelve years of age, son and page to the ambassador; Henry Hayne, Esq. private secretary; F. Hastings Toone, I. F. Davis, Tho. Manning, Esq. and the John Griffiths, chaplain; Clarke Abel, Esq. physician Rev. Robert Morrison, Chinese secretaries; Rev. to the ambassador: Dr. Alexander Pearson, physician to the factory; William Havell, Esq. artist, (who re mains in India, by which means the public will be for excellent drawings before them ;) Lieut. J. Cooke, R. some time deprived of the gratification of having his Marines, commander of the guard; Lieut. Char es Somerset, Mr. James Marrige, Mr. Zachariah Poole, Dr. James Lynn, Mr. Charles Abbot, Mr. T. B. Martin, the two latter midshipmen of the Alceste, and the others variously attached to the embassy; together with servants, musicians, and gaards, to the number we have stated 290 Ellis's Journal of the late Embassy to China. [VOL. 2. view. The recent attempt to assassinate proved way, and cherry brandy was the emperor had filled that weak, feeble, obliged to be substituted; with this and irresolute monarch with suspicions; however the Mandarins were not at all and as it was ascribed to religious secta- dissatisfied, but swallowed the beverage ries, foreigners were at this moment look with much complacency. ed upon with peculiar and augmented This is the region of ceremony. The jealousy. A catholic bishop had been visit of the Mandarins was repaid by executed for the plot only six months Messrs. Morrison and Cooke on shore, before, and a missionary was still in pri- the only point of consequence to the Emson under sentence of death. What bassy developed, at which was an intiexcited this feeling also contributed to mation, that the Emperor desired the strengthen another which stood in the number of the suite to be limited to fifty way of a prosperous issue. It was no instead of seventy-five. period for a Chinese sovereign to relax We have refrained till now from menin his dignity, when even his life had tioning the grand consideration on which been aimed at; and the ceremonies, al- the reception or rejection of the Embasways pertinaciously enough adhered to sy turned. This was the performance by these fantastic persons, became unal- of the San-kwei-ken-kou,or thrice kneelterable as the laws of the Medes and ing and nine times bowing the head, on Persians, when alarmed by ambitious being presented to the Emperor. This innovation and treasonable inroad. courtly repetition of prostrations is called Notwithstanding these forebodings, in the journal simply ko-tou, and the however, it was intimated to our coun- negociations between the Chinese Mintrymen, that the emperor had not only isters and the Commissioners, on this granted permission for them to proceed important question, are the leading poon their voyage up the Yellow Sea for litical features of the work. felt in their intercourse at Canton. Pekin, but that his majesty was inclined It appears that the performance of this to receive them most graciously. Thus humiliation is almost a sine qua non with encouraged they sailed from the Hong the Chinese. It is true that Lord Ma(near Canton) on the 13th; their course cartney was introduced without it, and lay too far from the coast to permit of this was the precedent set up by Lord much observation; but where any op- Amherst; but, on the other hand, the portunity offers, it is found that the peo- custom has been complied with from the ple towards the north have not that dis- latter ages of the Byzantine Empire, like to Europeans, which is so sensibly when independent Princes observed it during the Crusades, to the present era, On the 25th they entered the gulph when Tartar Princes, and the represenof Pe-che-lee, and took immediate mea- tatives of foreign Kings, have almost sures to announce their arrival in due without an exception submitted to it in form to the proper authorities at Ta-koo, their intercourse with China. In 1805, The Chinese seem not to have expected Count Galovkin, the Russian ambassathem so soon, for four days elapsed be dor, was dismissed without an audience fore two Mandarins, one with a white for refusing it; and our Ministers apand the other with a gold button, came pear to have left it entirely to Lord Amon board to return the compliment, and herst's discretion to act according to cir signify that a Mandarin, with no less cumstances, either in acceding to, or de than a blue button, was appointed to clining the ceremony. Mr. Ellis seems conduct the embassy to Pekin. Hon- to think, that it might be gone into withours now flowed upon them. On the out degradation; and Sir George Staun31st four Mandarins, distinguished by ton, on the other hand, strenuously recrystal, ivory, and gold buttons, paid sisted the claim, as unbecoming in one them a complimentary visit, and were who was the representative of a great received with all the respect due to their Monarch, and not of a tributary Prince. buttons. Only one failure in etiquette This had been the subject of discussion is noticed. There was no apparatus fit with all the Mandarins who had previousfor handing tea round in the most ap- ly conversed with the commissioners, |