A Sketch of Chinese History, Ancient and Modern: Comprising a Retrospect of the Foreign Intercourse and Trade with China, Volume 2China is daily becoming more and more an object of interest and curiosity to European nations, in proportion as commerce, the fore-runner, if not the cause, of all improvement.in the arts of civilization, discloses its resources, and sheds new light on the character and intellectual cultivation of its inhabitants. Hitherto, the remoteness of its situation with respect to Britain, and the rude, inhospitable nature of its policy toward strangers, have concurred in perpetuating the erroneous impressions created by travelers imperfectly informed, or prone to exaggeration. Among the unfounded notions sedulously propagated by the advocates of arbitrary power, is the opinion that this vast empire, the government of which may be regarded as the beau ideal of despotism, has been torn by fewer revolutions and civil wars than the free states of the West; and that its military power is a kind of colossus, fabricated by the wisdom of ages, which no force or policy that could be exerted by any European nation would suffice to overthrow.--Amazon.com. |
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afterwards ambassador amongst Amuy anxious army arrived attack barbarians Batavia boats British Canton Canton river capital cargo carried celestial empire chief China Chinese government Chinese language Christians church coast commander court death Dutch duties dynasty edict embassy emperor emperor of China emporium endeavoured enemy English entered European factory favour fleet force foreigners Formosa frontiers Fuh-keën governor grandees greatly harbour Heaven holy hong merchants honour hoppo imperial majesty inhabitants island Japan Jesuits junks Kaldan Kang-he Keën-lung king Kok-sing kong-heep laws Macao Malacca mandarins Mantchoo ment Ming Ming dynasty mission missionaries Mongol nation native nese never Ning-po officers palace peace Peking petition pirates port Portuguese possession present priests prince prohibited prostrate provinces punished rebels received refused reign requested river Russian sail Schaal security merchants sent ships soldiers soon subjects supercargoes taëls Tatars throne tion took treated tribes vessels viceroy whilst whole Woo-san-kwei Yun-nan Yung-ching