reprefentative of the King of Great Britain, was confidered by the Chinefe court as particularly honourable and diftinguished: ambaffadors being feldom received by the Emperor on his throne, or their credentials delivered by them into his own hands, but into that of one of his courtiers. Thefe diftinctions, fo little material in themfelves, were however understood by this refined people as fignificant of a change in the opinions of their government in refpect to the English; and made a favourable impreffion

on their minds.

His Imperial Majefty, after a lit tle more converfation with the ambaffador, gave, as the first prefent from him to his Imperial Majefty, a gem, or precious ftone, as it was called by the Chinefe, and accounted by them of high value. It was upwards of a foot in length, and curiously carved into a form intended to refemble a fceptre, fuch as is always placed on the Imperial throne, and confidered as emblematic of profperity and

peace.

The Chinese etiquette requiring that amballadors fhould, befides the prefents brought in the name of the fovereign, offer others on their own part, his Excellency and the Minifter, or, as the Chinese called him, inferior ambaflidor, refpectfully prefented theirs; which his Imperial Majefty condefcended to receive, and gave in return others to them. Thofe prefents were probably, on both sides, lefs valuable in the eflimation of the receivers than in that of the donors; but were mutually acceptable, upon the confideration of being tokens of refpect on the one part, and of favour and good-will upon the other.

During the ceremonies, his Im

perial Majefty appeared perfectly unreferved, cheerful, and unaffected.-The frontispiece to the first volume of this work, is a portrait of him, from a drawing by Mr. Alexander, one of the draughtfinen to the embaffy. It was made under unfavourable circumstances yet the perfon, drefs, and manner, are perfectly like the original; but the features of the face, which were taken by ftealth, and at a glance, bearalefs ftrong refemblance. This, of all the drawings made by Mr. Alexander throughout the route, the gentlemen of the embaffy, who had an opportunity of comparing them with the originals, thought the only one which was defective. To the facility and truth with which he caught with his pencil the mott ftriking objects, and coftume of the country, as the embafly paffed ra pidly along, this work is principally indebted for the ornamental part of it, in which every plate is a faithful copy after nature.

To render the portrait of his Imperial Majefty more correct, it might have been proper to draw the eye more full and clear, and the countenance more open and cheerful Such at leaft it was during the in terview with the Ambassador, which was lengthened by interpreting whatever was faid by either party.

His Imperial Majefty, adverting to the inconvenience arising from fuch a circumftance, inquired from Ho-choong-taung, whether any perfon of the embally understood the Chinese language; and being informed that the am bailador's page, a boy then in his thirteenth year, had alone made fome proficiency in it, the Emperor had the curiofity to have the youth brought up to the throne, and defired him to speak Chinefe. Either what he faid, or

his

bis modeft countenance, or manner, was fo pleafing to his Imperial Majefty, that he took from his girdle a purte, hanging from it for holding areca nut, aud prefented it to him.

Throughout the day, the Empetor's attention to his European guefts did not abate. A banquet being ferved, he fent to them feveral dithes from his own table. Soon after the Ambafador's return, he received from the Emperor prefents of filks, porcelaine, and tea, for himself and all the gentlemen of his fuite. The next example of civility was an invitation to his Excellency and his fuite to fee the pleafure-grounds of Zhe-hol. The appointment of any courtier of rank to attend the Ambaffador in his tour might have appeared a fufficient honour: but his Excellency was not a little furprifed when he found that the prime minifter himfelf had been ordered to give up fome portion of his time from the calis of government, to accompany a ftranger in a tour of pleafure and curiofity. The grounds of Zhehol included the utmoft variety of furface; fome parts bearing the hardy oaks of northern hills, and others the tender plants of fouthern vallies. The whole feemed calculated to exhibit the striking contraft of rugged wildnefs and cultivated foftneis."

The return of the embaffy is faid to have been haftened by the defire of bringing fafe from China, under convoy of the Lion, the fleet of Indiamen, which was endangered by the breaking out of the war with the French Republic. With this purpofe, the following obfervations, fuggefted by a friendly perfon who was thoroughly acquainted with the

court of Pekin, powerfully co-ope rated.

"The Chinese had no other idea of an embafly than that of a vifit with prefents on fome folemn feftival, and to laft only during the continuance of the latter; that accordingly, of the many embaffies fent to them in the paft and prefent century, none of them were fuffered to pafs that period; that in the prefent reign the ambaffador of the Portugueze, the most favoured na tion, was difmiffed in thirty-nine days; that the Chinese had little notion of entering into treaties with foreign countries; but whatever bu¬ finefs it might be defirable to tranfact with them, muft, after a favourable foundation for it, laid by the compliment of an embaffy, be afterwards profecuted to effect by flow degrees; for that much might be obtained from them by time and management, but nothing fuddenly. That it was true the oppreffions by the inferior officers and others who had to deal with ftrangers at Canton, had been augmenting gradually; and, unlefs curbed by power, muft in the course of time become fo heavy, as to leave no alternative but that of giving up the trade entirely, or of fending at laft an embafly to remonftrate againft them; that the fooner, therefore, it had been undertaken, the better; that had the prefcnt arrived fooner, and before the troubles in France had indifpofed the Chinese miniftry and tribunals against the smalleft innovation, it would have had fewer difficulties to encounter in the outfet; but that the prefent miffion had made fuch an impreffion throughout the empire, as muft lead to beneficial confequences in favour of the English, notwithstanding any

inomentary

momentary obftructions; and that henceforward the oppreffions would at least be at a stand: that fuch was the nature and practice of the Chinefe government, that however adverfe in the beginning to any new propofitions, left it thould be furprized into an undue conceffion or improper regulation, the fame matters might be brought again, when the offenfive novelty of the idea was over, into a more ferious and difpaffionate confideration; that this event right be accelerated by the means of letters fent from one fovereign to the other by the annual fhips, which might be done without impropriety, now that the communication had been opened between them in a fit manner. He concluded by advifing against perfifting to continue any longer at

Pekin."

The embaffy returned to England on the 6th of September, 1794, having been abfent juft two years. Of this fpace of time, upwards of five months were fpent in China; in which country, from Zhe-hol to Canton, they travelled on their return chiefly by canals, nearly thro' twenty degrees of latitude.

The feventh chapter contains an account of the refidence of the embafly at Canton and Macao; and it may be confidered as the laft that properly appertains to China, fince

with thofe exhibited by the other engravings, charts of the coafts and iflands of China, with tracks of the fhips from England, and various views of the interior country thro' which the embaffy was conducted. Three of them peculiarly attracted our attention;- the tower of the thundering winds, on the borders of the lake Sce-Hoo: the great wall of China, near the pass of Cou-pekoo; of which wall the mafonry and brick-work in the towers alone exceed in quantity thofe of all London: and thirdly, the fcoop-wheel of China, for lifting water on the banks of rivers, for agricultural purpofes. Thefe wheels, which are very common in the fouthern provinces, are made entirely of bamboo, are put together without a nail, and are from fifteen to forty feet in diameter. A wheel forty feet in diameter will lift, in the courfe of twenty-four hours, nearly feventy thoufand gallons of water.

The volumes want an alphabetical index.

An Account of Roman Antiquities difcowered at Woodchefter, near MinchingHampton, in the County of Gloucester. By Samuel Lyfons, F. R. S. and A. S. Folio. Price 10 Guineas. 1797.

WANT of fuch magnificent

defcribing the return homeward.

The first volume is embellished with feven engravings; and the fecond with twenty-eight; bearing a reference chiefly to the arts, manners, and mythology of the Chinefe. There is alfo a folio volume of plates accompanying the text, which are forty-four in number; reprefenting, befides fimilar fubjects

thofe which enrich the southern regions of Europe, has confined, in too great a degree, the researches of the English antiquary to the much lefs interefting productions of the darker age; and though far from depreciating what is generally, tho' improperly, called Gothic architecture, yet, from an affociation of ideas connected with the grandeur of the * G g

Roman

Roman name, we are irrefiftibly led to contemplate the works of thofe mafters of the world with greater curiofity and fatisfaction than can be excited by the more modern fabrics of monkith ingenuity. Amphitheatres, aqueducts, temples, and triumphal arches, in all probability decorated this ifland, as well as many other of the conquered provinces; and we have only to lament that they no longer exift to claim our refpect, and excite our admiraThere have not hitherto been discovered more perfect traces of a Roman dwelling than this fplendid volume affords; and the public are indebted to Mr. Lyfons for the accuracy and induftry of his inveftigation, as well as for the peculiar excellence of the plates which conftitute the most important part of the book, and which were chiefly executed by himself from the plans he had made on the fpot. The work confifts of a map of the Roman ftations, roads, and buildings, within fifteen miles of Woodchefter,-three views of Woodchefter and the adjacent country, -two plans of the Roman building difcovered at Woodchefter, fifteen coloured plates, or fac fimiles of the Mofaic pavements,-three plates of plans and fections of flues and hypocaults for warming the different apartments, three plates, containing a view and plans and fections of the fubftructure of a laconcium, or fweating-room, of fingular cenftruction and perfect prefervation, eight plates of fragments of columans, fucco, pottery, and various utenfils found among the ruins, -four plates of fragments of finall ftatues of Parian marble, found in the fame place; and fome of which carry the appearance of hav

ing been of Grecian workmanship. -The most important of these remains are the Motaic pavements, which are well preferved. It is a difficult task for us to give an adequate idea of a work which, to be properly appreciated, requires to be feen:-the letter-prefs is judicioufly confined to little more than is effentially neceflary to ferve as an explanation of the plates, but the author has introduced into his notes a variety of claffical illuftrations from Vitruvius, Pliny, and other writers, which fhew Mr. Lyfons's extensive knowledge of whatever is connected with his fubject; and at the fame time convey to the readers much general information on the fubject of Roman Architecture; and for the prefent credit of the country, it may with truth be afferted that no fimilar remains on the Continent have been more faithfully or more elegantly delineated. Á French translation of his defcription is added by Mr. Lyfons:-and a work that does fo much honour to our national taste and fpirit, will, we doubt not, be fufficiently applauded by the artists and virtuofi of other countries.

The State of the Poor, or an Hiftory of the Labouring Claffes in England, from the Conqueft to the prefent Period; in which are particularly confidered their Dornijtic Economy with respect to Diet, Drefs, Fuel, and Habitation; and the various Plans which, from time to time, have been propofed and adopted for the Relief of the Poor; together with Parochial Reports relative to the Adminiftratio of Workhoufes, and Houfes of Indaf try; the State of Friendly Societies and other Public Inftitutions in feverak Agricultural, Commercial, and Me

anfacturing