Budhism having been, as before observed, invited into China about the middle of the first century of our era, the progress of its professors is thus explained by the same writer:-" Accommodating their system to all the existing superstitions, they opened the door to every sort of converts, who might retain as many of their old prejudices as they chose. They were by no means rigorous in enforcing the obligations of men to morality. To expiate sins, offerings to the idols and to the priests were sufficient. A temple built in honour of Fŏ, and richly endowed, would suffice to blot out every stain of guilt, and serve as a portal to the blessed mansions of Budha. When death approached, they promised to every one of their votaries speedy promotion in the scale of the metempsychosis, till he should be absorbed in Nirupan or Nirvâna-nonentity. With these prospects the poor deluded victim left the world. To facilitate his release from purgatory, they said mass, and supplied the wants of the hungry departed spirit by rich offerings of food, which the priests in reality devoured. As Confucius had raised veneration towards ancestors into idolatrous* worship, they were ready to perform the office of priests before the tablets of the dead.

"But notwithstanding their accommodating creed, the Chinese government has at times disapproved of it. As the importance of marriage has been acknowledged in China from time immemorial, and almost every person at years of maturity been obliged to enter that state, the celibacy of the priesthood of Fŏ was considered a very dangerous custom. Budha regarded contemplation and exemption from worldly cares as the nearest approach to bliss and perfection; therefore his followers passed lives of indolence, and practised begging as the proper means

*Not exactly idolatrous. They sacrifice to the invisible spirit, and not to any representation of it in the figure of an idol.

of maintaining themselves. This was diametrically opposed to the political institutions of China, where the emperor himself sets the example of holding the plough. If such a system prevailed extensively, the immense population of the empire must be reduced to starvation, for it is only by the utmost exertion that it can subsist. These serious faults in the foreign creed gave occasion for its enemies to devise its extirpation. It was proscribed as a dangerous heresy, and a cruel persecution followed, but it had taken too deep root to be easily eradicated. Then again some emperor would think more favourably of its tendency, and even adopt it himself. Yet the natural consequence of its tenets was, that it could never become a religion of the state, and that the priests were never able to exercise any permanent influence over the populace. Besides, the Chinese are too rational to believe implicitly all the absurd Budhistic fables, nor can they generally persuade themselves that those numerous images are gods. When we add to this their national apathy towards everything concerning religion, from their being entirely engrossed by the affairs of this life, we can easily account for the disesteem in which they hold Budhism."

The present condition in China of the religion of Fŏ is very far from flourishing, and the extensive and magnificent establishments, which have been founded in former times, are evidently in a state of dilapidation and decay. It is rarely that one meets with any of their nine or seven storied pagodas in tolerable repair, though one or two of these striking and elegant objects occur in almost every landscape. Between Macao and Canton there are no less than four or five nine-storied pagodas on elevated points by the river-side, and every one of them is in a state of ruin. They serve, however, as admirable landmarks in the navigation of the river. The monasteries, or establish

ments of mendicant priests, are generally found in the most romantic spots of the hilly country. One of these particularly attracted the attention of both our embassies from its remarkable situation; and Lord Macartney has given a description of it which must be admitted to be somewhat beyond the reality. This temple of the goddess Kuan-yin (one of the principal idols of the Budhists) is seated in the face of a perpendicular limestone cliff, at least five hundred feet in height, and can be approached only by boats, as it rises abruptly from the side of the river about three or four days' journey above Canton. The natural fissure or cavern in the rock has been enlarged by human labour; and the abodes of the priests and idols consist of several chambers, one above the other, which are severally approached by stairs and shelving portions of the limestone. In front of the middle story hangs an enormous mass of stalactite, at least a ton in weight, threatening destruction to all who approach the temple from below.

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The resemblance which we have already noticed between the ritual of Fŏ in these temples, and the Roman Catholic ceremonies, had excited the attention of Mr. Gutzlaff. "That they should count their prayers by means of a rosary, and chant masses for both the living and the dead; that they should live in a state of celibacy, shave their heads, fast, &c., might be perhaps accounted for as a mere coincidence of errors into which men are prone to fall but their adoration of Tien-how, the Queen of Heaven' (called also Shing-moo, 'the Holy Mother'), must be a tenet engrafted upon Budhism from foreign traditions. We are unable to fix the exact date of the adoption of this deity. There is a legend of modern date among the people of Fokien, which tells us that she was a virgin of that province, who in a dream

saw her kindred in danger of being wrecked, and boldly rescued them; but this affords no satisfactory solution. It is likely that some degenerate Nestorian Christians amalgamated with their faith and ceremonies the prevailing errors of China, and caused the priests of Budha to adopt many of their rites." In one instance that missionary saw a marble bust of Napoleon, before which incense was burnt in a temple; hence, he adds, it would not be extraordinary if they had also adopted among their other idols so conspicuous an object of worship as the Virgin is among Romanists.

*

In corroboration of this surmise may be adduced a very curious account of Christ, taken by Dr. Milne from the Chinese mythological history, in which Jesus is ranked among the number of the gods.* That the account was received by the Chinese from the Romish mission seems indisputably proved by the epithets applied to the Virgin, and the virtues and powers attributed to her. The work in which it appears is called 'A Complete History of Gods and Genii,' and was compiled in two-and-twenty thin octavo volumes by a Chinese physician, during the reign of Kâng-hy, at a time when many priests of Rome were in China. "The extreme western nations say, that at the distance of ninety-seven thousand ly from China, a journey of about three years, commences the border of Sy-keang. In that country there was formerly a virgin named Ma-le-a. In the first year of Yuen-chy, in the dynasty Hân, a celestial god reverently announced to her, saying, 'The Lord of heaven has selected thee to be his mother.' Having finished his discourse, she actually conceived, and afterwards bore a son. The mother, filled with joy and reverence, wrapped him in a cloth, and placed him in a horse's manger. A flock of celestial gods

* Chinese Gleaner, p. 105.

(angels) sang and rejoiced in the void space. Forty days after, his mother presented him to the holy teacher, and named him Yay-soo. When twelve years of age, he followed his mother to worship in the holy palace. Returning home they lost each other. After three days' search, coming into the palace, she saw Yay-soo sitting on an honourable seat, .conversing with aged and learned doctors about the works and doctrines of the Lord of heaven. Seeing his mother, he was glad, returned with her, and served her with the utmost filial reverence. When thirty years of age, he left his mother and teacher, and, travelling to the country of Yu-teh-a, taught men to do good. The sacred miracles which he wrought were very numerous. The chief families, and those in office in that country, being proud and wicked in the extreme, envied him for the multitude of those who joined themselves to him, and planned to slay him. Among the twelve disciples of Yay-soo there was a covetous one named Yu-tah-sze. Aware of the wish of the greater part of his countrymen, and seizing on a proffered gain, he led forth a multitude at night, who, taking Yay-soo, bound him and carried him before Ana-sze in the courthouse of Pelah-to. Rudely stripping off his garments, they tied him to a stone pillar, inflicting on him upwards of 5400 stripes, until his whole body was torn and mangled ; but still he was silent, and like a lamb remonstrated not, The wicked rabble, taking a cap made of piercing thorns, pressed it forcibly down on his temples. They hung a vile red cloak on his body, and hypocritically did reverence to him as a king. They made a very large and heavy machine of wood, resembling the character ten,* which they compelled him to bear on his shoulders. The whole way it sorely pressed him down, so that he moved The Chinese write ten with an upright cross.

*