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His tour to Siam, from Oporto,

Is publish'd in three volumes quarto ;

From these you'll learn, if you will buy 'em,
Some facts peculiar quite to Siam.
He says (no wonder he was smitten
With things so opposite in Britain)
That Bancok's polished aristocracy
Have no great love for the democracy;
Are sometimes proud, and overbearing,
Nor vastly for one's feelings caring.
Strange is this fact-nor less to find,
That through the Siamese dominion
Religion in effect's confined

Almost entirely to opinion; +

*

* Mr. Finlayson, in his account of the mission to Siam, complains of the "offensive coarseness," the "manifest disregard to the feelings of others," and the " arrogance unbounded" of the highest ranks in Siam. How grateful we Europeans ought to be that these faults are so peculiar to the Aristocracy of Siam!

"The people are governed by opinion absurd and unjust-not by reason-by sense-or by kindness."—Finlayson's Mission to Siam. -Speaking afterwards of the Theism of the Chinese, this gentleman observes, "that it appears to have no effect whatsoever on their conduct."-O things rare and strange !-How odd must be that people who are governed by absurd opinion! How solitary in the world must be that religion which does not influence conduct !-The excellent Buchanan, in those articles in the "Asiatic Researches," so really valuable, entitled On the Literature and Religion of the Burmese," hath preceded Mr. Finlayson in the merit of one of his observations." It must be, however, confessed," saith he, "that the practice of morality among the Burmas

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And rarely-save by paltry fractions
Varies the total of their actions.

Unlike us-who, what e'er you say for it,
Are really good—because we pay for it!
Ne'er left by Virtue in the lurch
But bolstered up by mother Church,
And cured of evils (in which writhes
Poor Siam)-by a dose of tithes.
He also saw the poor were poor,
That pockets were not quite secure ;*—
The court, in nought beside sagacious,
Was far too knowing-when rapacious;
Both sexes too did oft incline awry
To penchants for display, and finery; †
He saw, with many tears, moreover,
That lords and ladies lived in clover,

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is by no means so correct as might be perhaps expected among a people whose religious opinions have such an apparent tendency to virtue !”Alas! the day is yet to come, all over the world, when our conduct shall obey our religious opinions!

* From beggary-a sort of polite theft practised among the nobility, clergy, and gentry of Siam, something like subscriptions here. Plain theft, and professional beggary, thanks to a population not regulated by the desires of Mr. Sadler, are little known in the Siamese dominions.

+ With the above rare discoveries in the Siamese character, and curious anomalies in the human mind, the acute Mr. Finlayson hath in especial (not that I would diminish our obligations to Captain Craufurd's larger, and in many respects, really excellent work,) been pleased to perplex the moral observer, and supersede the labours of Monsieur de la Loubère, hitherto perhaps the very best traveller who ever explored the East.

And in an idle vegetation,

Produced not sixpence to the nation. *
Things, so unlike the things in Europe,
The good man warmly did to cure hope,
And vow'd he'd turn a papist-if he
Reform'd not Bancok in a jiffy.

But search we from St. Paul's to Siam,
And Flower is much the same as Fiam.
All love good eating, and good drinking—
All hate the trouble of much thinking;
And all agree, there are no fellows
So odious, as the over zealous.

The Bancok Lords at first were civil,
And merely wish'd him at the devil;
But finding Hodges bent to bore,
They clos'd the matter by the door.

There, you must know that folks endure not
As here, the evils they can cure not;

So some resolved that he should vanish-meant
To send petitions for his banishment;
And Kochai Sâc, † a very bad man,
Propos'd to hang him as a madman.

*" It is lamentable to observe how large a proportion of men in this country (Cochin China,) are employed in occupations that are totally unproductive to the state, as well as subversive to national industry. Every petty Mandarin is attended by a multitude of persons !"-Finlayson's Mission.-Happy, Europe, where there are no Mandarins!

Kochai Sahac, a Malay, or Moorman, useful to his employer

But Hodges, though so much he prized
Our peers-all foreign rank despised,
Declared, with generous warmth, he thought
The same the sovereign and the snob,
And swore, since Siam must be taught
New steps-to lead off with the mob !

Accordingly our saint one day,
Into the market took his way,
Climb'd on an empty tub, that o'er

Their heads he might declaim at ease,
And to the rout began to roar

In wretched Siamese.

"Brethren! (for every one's my fellow,
"Tho' I am white, and you are yellow,)
“Brethren! I come from lands afar
"To tell all-what fools you are!
you

“Is slavery, pray, so soft, and glib a tie,
"That you prefer the chain to liberty?
"Is Christian faith a melancholy tree,
"That you will only sow idolatry?

"Just see to what good laws can bring lands,
"And hear an outline of old England's.
"Now, say if here a Lord should hurt you,
"Are you made whole by legal virtue?

(Captain Crauford) but a rascal in general-the sort of creature in short

-that in England we should call

an Agent!

"For ills by battery, or detraction,

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Say, can you bring at once your action?
And are the rich not much more sure

"To gain a verdict, than the poor?
“With us alike the poor or rich,
"Peasant or prince, no matter which—
"Justice to all, the law dispenses,
"And all it costs-are the expenses!
“Here, if an elephant you slay,
"Your very lives the forfeit pay;
"Now, that's a quid pro quo-too seri-
"Ous much for beasts naturæ feræ.
"With us no beast, or bird, is holy-

"Such nonsense really seems to shame laws! "And all things wild, we shoot at-solely

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Subject to little hints, call'd Game Laws.' "Your parsons dun you into giving"Ours take their own-a paltry living. "Each selfish wish they nobly stifle, "And save our souls-for quite a trifle.

"Our lords are neither mean nor arrogant,

"Nor war against broad truths by narrow cant; "Ne'er wish for perquisites, nor sinecures,

"Nor prop great ills, by proffering tiny cures ; "Our goods before their own they rate 'em, "And as for younger sons-they hate 'em! "Thus all our patriots are invincible,

"And, bless you!-as to change of principle!—

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