FOR THE ESSEX HEAD CLUB. 551 ftitution-nor fhall make any apology on the fourth month, fhall be confidered as having abdicated the Club.

IX. When a vacancy is to be filled, the name of the candidate, and of the member recommending him, shall stand in the Club-room three nights: on the fourth he may be chofen by ballot, fix members at least being prefent, and two-thirds of the ballot being in his favour, or the majority, fhould the numbers not be divisible by three.

X. The mafter of the house shall give notice, fix days before, to each of thofe members whofe turn of neceffary attendance is come.

The notice may be in these words: ["Sir, On"the of will be your turn of prefiding at "the Effex-head; your company is therefore earnestly "requested."]

One penny fhall be left by each member for the waiter.

NIGHTLY RULES of the ESSEX-HEAD CLUB.

I. The prefident will collect feven-pence from each member at his entrance, marking his attendance thus V; and three-pence for every preceding night which is not marked against his name in the book thus V.

II. The forfeits to be paid over to the landlord. The feven-pence to be confidered as part of each member's diftinct reckoning.

III. Two letters of notice are to be forwarded each night, by the Penny-poft, to the presidents of that day feven-night, as by lift of the members.

IV. When the forfeits are paid, they should be noted in the book thus W.

LETTER

1

LETTER

ON

DU HALDE'S HISTORY OF CHINA, 1738.

HERE are few nations in the world, more talked

TH

of, or lefs known, than the Chinese. The confufed and imperfect account which travellers have given of their grandeur, their sciences and their policy, have hitherto excited admiration, but have not been fufficient to fatisfy even a fuperficial curiofity. I therefore return you my thanks for having undertaken, at fo great an expence, to convey to English readers the moft copious and accurate account, yet published, of that remote and celebrated people, whofe antiquity, magnificence, power, wisdom, peculiar customs, and excellent conftitution, undoubtedly deserve the attention of the public.

As the fatisfaction found in reading defcriptions of diftant countries arifes from a comparison which every reader naturally makes, between the ideas which he receives from the relation, and thofe which were familiar to him before; or, in other words, between the countries with which he is acquainted, and that which the

author

author difplays to his imagination; fo it varies according to the likeness or diffimilitude of the manners of the two nations. Any cuftom or law unheard and unthought of before, ftrikes us with that furprize which is the effect of novelty; but a practice conformable to our own pleases us, because it flatters our self-love, by showing us that our opinions are approved by the general concurrence of mankind. Of these two pleasures, the first is more violent, the other more lafting; the first seems to partake more of instinct than reason, and is not easily to be explained, or defined; the latter has its foundation in good sense and reflection, and evidently depends on the fame principles with most human paffions.

An attentive reader will frequently feel each of these agreeable emotions in the perufal of Du Halde. He will find a calm, peaceful fatisfaction, when he reads the moral precepts, and wise instructions of the Chinese fages; he will find that virtue is in every place the same, and will look with new contempt on those wild reasoners, who affirm that morality is merely ideal, and that the distinctions between good and ill are wholly chimerical.

But he will enjoy all the pleasure that novelty can afford, when he becomes acquainted with the Chinese government and conftitution; he will be amazed to find that there is a country where nobility and knowledge, are the fame, where men advance in rank as they advance in learning, and promotion is the effect of virtuous industry, where no man thinks ignorance a mark of greatnefs, or laziness the privilege of high birth.

His furprise will be ftill heightened by the relations he will there meet with of honeft minifters, who, how

ever incredible it may feem, have been seen more than once in that monarchy, and have adventured to admonish the emperors of any deviation from the laws of their country, or any error in their conduct, that has endangered either their own fafety, or the happiness of their people. He will read of emperors, who, when they have been addrefféd in this manner, have neither ftormed, nor threatened, nor kicked their ministers, nor thought it majeftig to be obftinate in the wrong but have, with a greatness of mind worthy of a Chinese monarch, brought their actions willingly to the teft of reafon, law, and morality, and fcorned to exert their power in defence of that which they could not fupport by argument.

I must confefs my wonder at these relations was very great, and had been much greater, had I not often entertained my imagination with an inftance of the like conduct in a prince of England, on an occafion that happened not quite a century ago, and which I fhall relate, that fo remarkable an example of spirit and firmness in a fubject, and of conviction and compliance in a prince> may not be forgotten. And I hope you will look upon this letter as intended to do honour to my country, and not to ferve your interest by promoting your undertaking.

The prince, at the chriftening of his first son, had appointed a noble duke to stand as proxy for the father of the princess, without regard to the claim of a marquis, (heir apparent to a higher title) to whom, as lord of the bed-chamber then in waiting, that honour properly belonged. The marquis was wholly unacquainted

with the affair, till he heard at dinner the duke's health drank by the name of the prince he was that evening to represent. This he took an opportunity after dinner of enquiring the reason of, and was informed by the prince's treasurer of his highness's intention. The marquis immediately declared, that he thought his right invaded, and his honour injured, which he could not bear without requiring fatisfaction from the ufurper of his privileges; nor would he longer serve a prince who paid no regard to his lawful pretenfions. The treasurer could not deny that the marquis's claim was inconteftable, and by his permiffion acquainted the prince with his refolution. The prince thereupon fending for the marquis, demanded, with a resentful and imperious air, how he could difpute his commands, and by what authority he prefumed to controul him in the management of his own family, and the chriftening of his own fon. The marquis answered, that he did not encroach upon the prince's right, but only defended his own: that he thought his honour concerned, and as he was a young man, would not enter the world with the lofs of his reputation. The prince, exafperated to a very high degree, repeated his commands; but the marquis, with a fpirit and firmnefs not to be depreffed or fhaken, perfifted in his determination to affert his claim, and concluded with declaring that he would do himself the justice that was denied him, and that not the prince himfelf should trample on his character. He was then ordered to withdraw, and the duke coming to him, affured him, that the honour was offered him unasked; that when he accepted it, he was not informed of his

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