1 fent age have, for the most part, embraced more liberal fentiments. They have difcovered, that tafte and genius are not the exclufive privileges of a Frenchman; and, what is ftill better, now boldly declare, that liberty, the best of human bleffings, is a happiness which their native country does not enjoy. Mr. Mercier has the honour to be one of this fociety of true philofophers and real patriots; on every occafion he checks the literary petulance of his countrymen, and joins his manly efforts, to crush the monfter defpotifm, which is gradually, though flowly, expiring under the benevolent and spirited exertions of philosophy. Of Racine and Boileau, who are ftill the delight and admiration of the greater number among the French, Mr. Mercier will no doubt be thought by his countrymen to have spoken with too much freedom. But in faying of the former, that he was "Tailleur á la Françoife de tous les rois anciens," they hould recollect that he only speaks after Voltaire; • Racine obferve les portraits TEMPLE DU GOUT. They should confider too, that he acts more confiftently; for he does not, like Voltaire, abfurdly exalt him above every author of tragedy, either ancient or modern, after having denied him the power of difcrimination and painting of character; certainly one of the greatest talents a tragic author can poffefs. But in this perhaps, in their eyes, confifts the atrocity of his crime. Addreffing himself to Boileau, he fays, "I can con"fider you only as fometimes a fkilful plagiary, and sometimes as a pedant, puffed up with Latin authors. You "are however a good verfificator; be it fo; but I would give all your works for twelve fables of Fontaine, four scenes "of Corneille, and thirty pages of Bruyere"-" Taffo "and Milton, who you did not understand, poffeffed a genius, " of which you had not even the fhadow." This is harfhly faid: a decifion fo dictatorial would have appeared with a better grace, after a minute investigation, and folid reafoning on the fubject. A little more of the fuaviter in modo would have conciliated the minds of fome, who now exclaim against what they call the blafphemies of Mercier. Upon the whole we will venture to promife, that the perufal of "Mon Bonnet de Nuit" will give fatisfaction to the reader. ART. XVI. Tal om Japanska Nationen. &c. A Speech concerning the Japanese; delivered before the Royal Academy of Sciences, by C. P. Thunberg, when he refigned the office of "Prefident. Stockholm. THIS great naturalift and traveller, the fucceffor of Linnæus, has enjoyed fuperior advantages of obfervation to any. other perfon, fince the expulfion of the Portuguese from the Japanese iflands. The adventurers of that, nation were fo entirely occupied by their thirst of gain, and their eagerness to propogate the catholic faith, that, notwithstanding all their opportunities, they have left nothing, which, by cafting a ray of light on the hiftory of man, might have formed fome small counterpoife to the indignation and horror, which are excited by the accounts of their rapacity and bloodshed. Kæmpfer's account is the only one which deferves any notice, and that, notwithstanding the veracity and refearch of the author, is more calculated to excite curiofity, than to gratify it. The prefent writer occupied the ftation of phyfician to the Dutch factory; and, partly by means of fome fubftantial benefits which his profeffional fkill enabled him to confer on the natives; partly by his eager defire of information; and partly, no doubt, by the prudence of his conduct; overcame much of their well-grounded jealousy of the Europeans; and, unlike the common run of Oriental adventurers, returned happily to his country, laden with the rich, but innocent, fpoils of the Eaft. He has already communicated fome of his treafures to the world in his Flora Japonica, and his papers in the Swedish tranfactions; in this academical harangue of forty pages, he communicates fome of the general results of his obfervations on the inhabitants, referving the reft, with the particulars, for a feparate and more confiderable publication. In this and the following numbers, it is our intention to give rather a tranflation than an abftract, fince readers of all denominations will undoubtedly with for as full information on such a subject as can be obtained. To them we leave it to enquire, whence it happens that a nation fo diftinguished by good fenfe, and good morals, fo far advanced in the art of government, and in economy, in manufactures, and agriculture, fhould be fo far behind in fcience? Is this owing to their strong averfion to every thing foreign, or to some unufual occurrence in the progress of that society? The The empire of Japan, is fituated at the very eaftern extremity of Afia, entirely cut off from our quarter of the world, and confifts of a great multitude of iflands of various magnitude. It lies between the 30th and 40th degrees of north latitude; and so far to the eaft, that when we in Stockholm reckon four o'clock in the afternoon, the inhabitants are immersed in the deep fleep of midnight, and confequently have fun fet and fun rife eight hours earlier. The Portugueze, who, about two centuries and a half ago, firft difcovered it, were accidentally thrown by a ftorm on the coaft, which is in general bordered with hills and clifts, together with a multitude of unfafe and ftormy ports, whence navigation is always dangerous, and fometimes impoffible. The whole inland part of the country confifts of mountains, hills and dales; so that it is rare to meet with any extenfive plain. The mountains are of various altitude, more or lefs continued, more or lefs covered with wood, fometimes volcanic, but moft frequently cultivated quite up to the fummit. It may, in general, be juftly faid of Japan, that the foil is of itself unfruitful, but in confequence of fufficient warmth of climate, plentiful rains, continual manuring, and industry, it is forced into a confiderable degree of fertility, and maintains á number of inhabitants, not exceeded by thofe of any other country. The natives are well grown, agile, and active, and at the fame time ftout limbed, though they do not equal in strength the northern inhabitants of Europe. The men are of moderate ftature, feldom tall, and in general thin; though I have feen fome that were fufficiently fo. The colour of the face is commonly yellow, which fometimes varies to brown, and fometimes to white. The inferior fort, who, during their work in summer, have often the upper parts of the body naked, are fun-burnt and browner; women of diftinction, who never go uncovered into the open air, are perfectly white. The eyes of this people, as well as of the Chinese, are well known they have not the round shape of those of other nations, but oblong, fmall, more funk, and appear more fmiling They are moreover of a dark brown, or rather black colour; and the eyelids form at the larger angle a deep furrow, which gives them their peculiar keen look, and diftinguishes them fo ftrikingly from other nations. The eyebrows are alfo fituated fomewhat higher. The head is in general and the neck fhort; the hair black, thick and of an oily fmoothnefs; the nose, though not flat, yet fomewhat thick and thort. The national character confifts in intelligence and prudence, franknefs, obedience and politenefs, good-nature and civility, curiofity, industry and dexterity, ceconomy and fobriety, hardi 03 nefs, nefs, cleanlinefs, juftice and uprightness, honesty, and fidelity; in being miftruftful, fuperftitious, haughty, resentful, brave, and invincible. In all its tranfactions, the nation fhews great intelligence, and can by no means be numbered among the favage and uncivilized, but rather is to be placed among the polished. The prefent mode of government, admirable kill in agriculture, fparing mode of life, way of trading with foreigners, manufactures, &c. afford convincing proofs of their cunning, firmness, and intrepid courage. Here there are no appearances of that vanity, fo common among the Afiatics and Africans, of adorning themselves with fhells, glafs beads, and polished metal plates: neither are they fond of the useless European ornaments of gold and filver lace, jewels, &c. but are careful to provide themselves, from the productions of their own country, with neat clothes, well-tafted food, and good weapons. Neatnefs and cleanlinefs is obferved, as well with respect to their perfons, as clothes, houses, furniture, meat and drink. The bathe and wash themselves, not barely once a week, like our ancestors, but every day, and that in a warm bath, which is prepared in every houfe, and for travellers in all the inns. In politeness, obedience, and fubmiffion, the Japanese have few equals; fubmiffion to the magiftrate, and obedience to parents, is implanted in children from their earlieft years; and in all ranks they are inftructed in this by examples. Infe riors make to their fuperiors deep and respectful, and fhew them blind and reverential, obeifance: To their equals they make the politeft compliments and falutations. They generally bow the back with the head downwards, and the hands. towards the knees, or below them along the legs as low as the foot, to fhew greater reverence: The deeper this must be, the nearer to the ground do they bow their head. When they fpeak to a fuperior, or are spoken to by him, or when they have any thing to deliver to him, they never omit these bows. When an inferior meets a fuperior, he always continues in this pofture till the latter has paffed by. When equals meet each other, they pay one another the fame compliment, and pass each other in a pofture fomewhat bent. Upon entering a houfe, they fall down on their knees, and bow the head; and when they rife to depart, the fame ceremony is repeated. Superftition is perhaps more general and extravagant here, than any where elfe; which arifes from the little knowledge they have in moft fciences, and the abfurd principles which their priests implant in them. This imperfection appears in their worship, feftivals, vows, ufe of certain medicines, &c. Their curiofity is exceffive; nothing imported by the Europeans efcapes it. They afk for information concerning every article, and their questions continue till they become wearifome. It is the phyfician, among the traders, that is alone re garded as learned, and particularly during the journey to court, and the refidence at Jeddo, the capital of the empire, that he is regarded as the oracle, which they truft can give responses in all things, whether in mathematics, geography, phyfics, chemistry, pharmacy, zoology, botany, medicine, &c. When the Dutch have their audience of the emperor, council, or governors, they confider, from head to foot, their hats, fwords, clothes, buttons, trimming, watches, fticks, rings, fhoes, buckles, &c. nay, they muft frequently write on paper, or the peculiar fans of the Japanese, in order to fhew them their manner of writing and their letters. It is highly probable that this people were not always fo fufpicious. Disturbances or war perhaps introduced them, but the deceits practiced by the Europeans ftill more excited and increafed this vice; which at prefent, in their trade, at least with the Dutch and Chinese, exceeds all bounds. I have often been a witness of the good difpofition of the Japanese, even at a time when they have every reason to entertain all poffible contempt and hatred, and to use every precaution, on account of the bad conduct and cunning artifices of the Europeans who trade thither. The nation is indeed haughty, but ftill gentle. By mild measures and civility it may be led and affected, but by menaces it is altogether immoveable. Honesty and fidelity is obferved in all the country; in few other countries perhaps is theft fo rare. Robbery is totally unknown. Theft is feldom heard of: and Europeans, during their journey to court, are fo fafe, that they take little care of the goods they carry along with them; though it is other wife not confidered as a crime, at least at the Dutch factory, and by the lower people, to fteal from the Dutch fome of their wares, fuch as fugar or copper, as they are carried to or from the quay. Economy has its peculiar abode in Japan. It is a virtue, admired as well in the emperors palace, as in the meanest cottage. It makes thofe of fmall poffeffions content with their little, and it prevents the abundance of the rich from overflowing in excess and voluptuoufnefs. Hence it happens that what in other countries is called fcarcity and famine, is unknown here, and that, in fo very populous à ftate, fcarce a person in neceffity, or a beggar, should be found. The people |