in general are neither greedy, nor eager after riches, while at the fame time they seem to avoid gluttony and drunkeness. Haughtiness is among the chief failings of the nation. They believe themselves to be the facred offspring of the gods, heaven, fun and moon; an origin which many of the Afiatic nations, with equal confidence, arrogate to themselves. They alfo believe themselves to be fuperior to other men. If a Japanese fhould bear with patience all other injuries, the pride of other men would be totally infupportable to him. The haughtiness of the Portuguefe drove them from this country, and this alone would be fufficient to ruin the trade of the Dutch. Juftice is much regarded by them; the monarch never exceeds his bounds; nor is there, either in ancient or modern hiftory, that he has extended his ambition or his demands, to the territories of other people. Their hiftory abounds with heroic atchievements exerted in defending their country against external violence, and internal fedition; but not a fingle inva→ Lion of other countries, or other men's property, occurs. Voltaire fays, that whoever fhall defire that his country fhall be neither greater nor lefs, neither richer nor poorer, may juftly be called a citizen of the world. Such are the Japanese they wish not to acquire the territories of others, nor will they fuffer any diminution of their own. They follow the ufages of their forefathers, and never adopt the manners of other countries. Juftice is always feen in their courts; their fuits are always finished speedily, and without intrigue; equity is obferved even towards the Europeans; fo that the contract entered into is neither anulled, nor is it_mifinterpreted or altered in a fingle letter, provided the Europeans themfelves do not give occafion to fuch practices. Liberty is the life of the Japanese; not indeed fuch a kind of liberty as often degenerates into violence and licentiouf nefs, but a liberty fecured and limited by law. I cannot com→ prehend how it has happened, that fome hiftorians have confidered the common people in Japan as flves. A fervant, who hires himself for a year, is not on that account a flave. A foldier, fubject to ftill more fevere difcipline, enlisted for a certain, often a confiderable term of years, is not on this account a flave, though he is content to obey the ftricteft commands of his officer. The Japanese fpeak with horror of the Dutch flave trade. The liberty, both of high and low, is protected by laws; and the uncommon feverity of those jaws, together with their certain execution, keeps every one within his proper limits. With refpect to foreign nations, there is no people, in all the extent of India, fo vigilant over their freedom, and none more exempt from foreign invafion oppreffion oppreffion or fraud. The precautions ufed for this purpofe are without parellel throughout the whole globe; for, fince all the natives who were abroad were recalled, none can leave the coafts of the empire, under the penalty of death; and no foreigner approach them, except a few Dutch and Chinese, who, during the whole time of their ftay, are watched like prifoners of ftate. Almost every perfon in Japan has a fervant, who waits upon him in the houfe; and, when he goes but, carries after him a cap, fhoes, umbrella, a light, or any thing of this kind which he needs. This nation has never been fubdued by any foreign power, not even in the most remote periods; their chronicles contain fuch accounts of their valour, as one would rather incline to confider as fabulous inventions, than actual occurrences, if later ages had not furnished equal ftriking proofs of it. When the Tartars, for the first time, in 799, had overrun part of Japan, and when, after a confiderable time had elapfed, their fleet was deftroyed by a violent storm, in the course of a single night, the Japanese general attacked, and fo totally defeated, his numerous and brave enemies, that not a fingle perfon furvived to return and carry the tidings of fuch an unparalleled defeat. In like manner, when the Japanese were again, in 1281, invaded by the warlike Tartars, to the number of 240,000 fighting men, they gained a victory equally complete. The extirpation of the Portuguese, and, with them, of the Chriftian religion, towards the beginning of the 17th century, was fo complete, that fcarce a veftige can now be difcerned of its ever having existed there. Many thousands of men were facrificed; and, at the laft fiege alone, not less than 37,000. Nor are thefe victories, however fignal, the only ones which display the courage of the Japanese. Another instance, which occurred in 1630, is à further proof of it. The governor of Formofa, which then belonged to the Dutch company, thought fit to treat, with ill-advited infolence and injustice, the mafter of a small Japanese veffel, who came thither to traffic. The Afiatic, on his return, complained to the emperor of his ill-treatment, as well as of the affront which w offered to the fovereign. His anger being the more roufed, as the infult proceeded from defpifed foreigners, and as he was incapable of avenging it, his life-guard addreffed him in the following manner: We will no longer guard your perfon, "if we are not able to protect your honour: nothing but the "blood of the offender can wash away this ftain: command, "and we will either cut off his head, or bring him hither alive, that you may inflict punishment according to your good pleasure, and his deferts: feven of us are enough; 66 ❝ neither 66 "neither the danger of navigation, the ftrength of the fort, 66 nor the number of his guard, fhall free him from our vengeance." After receiving orders, and taking prudent meafures, they arrive at Formofa. Being admitted to an audience by the governor, they draw their fabres, take him prifoner, and carry him off to their veffel. This audacious deed was atchieved at mid-day, in the presence of the guard and domeftics, none of whom, aftonished and dismayed as they were, durft move a step to the affiftance of their mafter, whose head was cleft in the fame inftant by the adventurers. (Kæmpfer, P. 479.) He who fhall confider the haughtiness, fpirit, equity, and courage, will not be surprised at finding them implacable to wards their enemies. They are not lefs refentful and inexor able than intrepid and high-minded. Their hatred never appears in acts of violence, but is concealed under the utmoft coolness, till an occafion of vengeance offers itself. I have feen no people fo little fubject to vehement.emotions. You may abuse and infult them as much as you pleafe, they make no reply, but merely fhew their furprise, by coolly exclaiming, ha ha! they conceive, however, in filence, the most deadly hatred, which neither fatisfaction of any kind, length of time, nor change of circumftances, can appeafe. They omit no mark of politenefs, either in addreffing, or on meeting their adversary, but they counterfeit as great regard for him as for others, till an opportunity of doing him fome effential damage occurs. The names of families, and of fingle perfons, are under very different regulations from ours. The family name is never changed, but is never ufed in ordinary converfation, and only when they fign fome writing; to which they alfo, for the most part, affix their feal. There is alfo this peculiarity, that the furname is always placed first; juft as, in botanical books, the generic name is always placed before the fpecific name. The prænomen is always ufed in addreffing a person; and it is changed feveral times in the courfe of life. À child receives, at birth, from its parents, a name, which is retained it has itfelf a fon arrived at maturity. A perfon again changes his name, when he is invefted with any office; as alfo when he is advanced to an higher truft: fome, as empe rors and princes, acquire a new name after death. The names of women are lefs variable; they are, in general, borrowed from the moft beautiful flowers. The drefs of the Japanese deferves, more than that of any other people, the name of national; fince they are not only different from that of all other men, but are alfo of the fame form in all ranks, from the monarch to his meaneft fubject, as } well well as in both fexes; and, what exceeds all credibility, they have not been altered for at least 2444 years. They univerfally confift of night-gowns, made long and wide, of which feveral are worn at once, by all ranks and all ages. The more diftinguished, and the rich, have them of the fineft filk; the poorer fort, of cotton. Thofe of the women reach down to the ground, and fometimes have a train; in the men, they reach down to the heels; travellers, foldiers, and labourers, either tuck them up, or wear them only down to the knees. The habit of the men is generally of one colour; the women have theirs variegated, and frequently with flowers of gold interwoven. In fummer, they are either without lining, or have but a thin one; in winter, they are stuffed to a great thickness with cotton or filk. The men feldom wear a great number, but the women thirty, fifty, or more, all fo thin, that they scarce together amount to five pounds. The undermoft ferves for a fhirt, and is, therefore, either white or blue, and, for the most part, thin and tranfparent. All these gowns are faftened round the waift with a belt, which, in the men, are about a hand's-breadth; in the women, about a foot; of fuch a length that they go twice round the waift, and afterwards are tied in a knot, with many ends and bows. The knot, particularly among the fair fex, is very confpicuous, and immediately informs the fpectator whether they are married or not. unmarried have it behind, on their back; the married, before. In this belt the men fix their fabres, fans, pipe, tobacco, and medicine boxes. In the neck the gowns are always cut round, without a collar; they, therefore, leave the neck bare; nor is it covered with cravat, cloth, or any thing else. The fleeves are always ill-made, and out of all proportion wide at the opening before, they are half fewed up, fo that they form a fack, in which the hands can be put in cold weather; they also serve for a pocket. Girls, in particular, have their fleeves fo long, that they reach down to the ground. Such is the fimplicity of their habit, that they are foon dreffed; and to undress, they need only open their girdle, and draw in their arms. There is, however, fome fmall variation in these gowns, according to the fex, age, condition, and The The very lower forts, as labourers, fifhermen, and failors, have, at their work, in fummer, either the upper part of the body naked, fo that the gown is fastened only by the girdle; or they have only a girdle, which paffes between their legs, and is faftened behind. Men of better condition have a fhort gown alfo, which reaches down to the waift, and a fort of breeches. The fhort gown is fometimes green, but generally black; when they re tura turn home, or enter their office, they take it off, and fold it carefully, if no fuperior be present. A drefs, which is only used on particular occafions, is called the compliment-drefs; in this the inferior fort wait on the fu perior, and go to court. It is worn on the long gowns, which conftitute the general drefs of the nation. It confifts of two pieces, made of the fame kind of cloth. The lowermost piece is the long breeches juft mentioned, which, for this purpose, are made of white ftuff, adorned with blue flowers. The upper piece is not very unlike the fhort gown lately defcribed; it differs only in being widened behind, between the shoulders, and makes the wearer appear very broad-shouldered. Thefe dreffes are partly of filk, partly of cotton, partly of finen, which is procured from a fpecies of nettle. The higher fort wear the finest filk, which, in thinnefs and fineness, exceeds every thing produced by Europe, or other parts of Afia. But as this cloth is feldom a foot in breadth, it is feldom brought to Europe as an article of commerce. The lower ranks wear cotton, which is produced and manufactured here in the greatest abundance. The Sometimes, though indeed only as a rarity, the Japanese make a cloth from the morus papyriferus, which is either prepared in the fame way as paper, or else spun or woven. latter, which is very fine, white, and like cotton, is fometimes used for women's drefs. The former, with flowers printed on it, makes long gowns, which are worn only by people advanced in life, fuch as old dignitaries, and that only in winter. In general, it may be faid of the Japanefe drefs, that it is very large and warm; that it is eafily put on and off; that it conftrains no limb; that the fame habit fuits all; that there is no lofs of cloth; and that it may be made with little art and trouble; but that it is inconvenient in moving, and ill adapted for the execution of most things which occur to be done. As the gowns, from their length, keep the thighs and legs warm, there is no occafion for stockings; nor do they use them in all the empire. Among poorer perfons on a journéy, and among foldiers, which have not fuch long gowns, one fees bufkins of cotton. I have feen poor people, at Nagafaki, with focks of hempen cloth, with foles of cotton, for keeping the feet warm in the févéreft weather of winter. Shoes, or, more properly speaking, flippers, are, of all that is worn by the Japanefe, the fimpleft, the meaneft, and the moft miferable, though in general ufé among high and low, rich and poor. They are made of interwoven rice-straw; and fometimes, for perfons of diftinction, of reeds split very thin. |