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rious groupes of well contrasted trees in the offskip. As we moved onward, an extensive lake appear ed before us, the extremities of which seemed to lose themselves in distance and obscurity. Here was a large and magnificent yacht ready to receive us, and a number of smaller ones for the attendants, elegantly fitted up, and adorned with numberless vanes, pendants, and streamers. The shores of the lake have all the varieties of shape, which the fancy of a painter can delineate; and are so indented with bays, or broken with projections, that almost every stroke of the oar brought a new and unexpected object to our view. Nor are islands wanting; but they are situated only where they should be, each in its proper place, and having its proper character: one marked by a pagoda, or other building; one quite destitute of ornament; some smooth and level; some steep and uneven; and others frowning with wood, or smiling with culture. Where any things particularly interesting were to be seen we disembarked from time to time, to visit them, and I dare say that, in the course of our voyage, we stopped at forty or fifty different palaces or pavilions. These are all furnished in the richest manner, with pictures of the emperor's huntings and progresses; with stupendous vases of jasper and agate; with the finest porcelain and japan, and with every kind of European toys and singsongs; with spheres, orreries, clocks, and musical automatons, of such exquisite workmanship, and in such profusion, that our presents must shrink from the comparison, and hide their diminished heads; and yet I am tokl, that the fine things which we have seen are far exceeded by others of the same kind in the apartments of the ladies, and in the European repository at Yuenmin-yuen. In every one of the pavilions was a throne, of imperial state, and a Eu-jou, or symbol of peace and prosperity, placed at one side of it, resembling that which the emperor delivered to me yesterday

VOL. III. NO. XIX.

for the king. It would be an endless task, were I to attempt a detail of all the wonders of this charming place. There is no beauty of distribution, no feature of amenity, no reach of fancy, which embellishes our pleasure grounds in England, that is not to be found here. Had China been accessible to Browne or Hamilton, I should have sworn they had drawn their happiest ideas from the rich sources which I have tasted this day; for, in the course of a few hours, I have enjoyed such vicissitudes of rural delight, as I did not conceive could be felt out of England; being at different moments enchanted by scenes perfectly similar to those I had known there, to the magnificence of Stowe, the softer beauties of Wooburn, and the fairy-land of Paine's Hill.

One thing I was particularly struck with; I mean the happy choice of situation for ornamental buildings. From attention to this circumstance they have not the air of being crowded or disproportioned; they never intrude upon the eye; but, wherever they appear, always show themselves to advan tage, and aid, improve, and enliven the prospect.

In many places the lake is over. spread with the nenuphar or lotus (nelumbian) resembling our broadleaved water-lily. This is an accompaniment which, though the Chinese are passionately fond of, cultivating it in all their pieces of water, I confess I don't much admire. Artificial rocks and ponds, with gold and silver fish, are, perhaps, too often introduced; and the monstrous porcelain figures of lions and tygers, usually placed before the pavilions, are displeasing to a European eye; but these are trifles of no great moment; and I am astonished that now, after a six hours critical survey of these gar dens, I can scarcely recollect any thing besides to find fault with.

The western garden, which forms a strong contrast with the other, and exhibits all the sublimer beauties of nature, in as high a degree as the

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part which we saw before possesses the attractions of softness and amenity. It is one of the finest forestscenes in the world; wild, woody, mountainous, and rocky, abounding with stags and deer of different species, and most of the other beasts of the chace, not dangerous to man. In many places immense woods, chiefly oaks, pines, and chesnuts, grow upon almost perpendicular steeps, and force their sturdy roots through every resistance of surface and of soil, where vegetation would seem almost impossible. These woods often clamber over the loftiest pinnacles of the stony hills, or, gathering on the skirts of them, descend with a rapid sweep, and bury themselves in the deepest valleys. There, at proper distances, you find palaces, banqueting houses, and monasteries, (but without bonzes) adapted to the situation and peculiar circumstances of the place, Sometimes with a rivulet on one hand, gently stealing through the glade, at others with a cataract tumbling from above, raging with foam, and rebounding with a thou sand echoes from below, or silently engulphed in a gloomy pool or yawning chasm.

The roads by which we approached these romantic scenes are often hewn out of the living rock, and conducted round the hills in a kind of rugged stair-case; and yet no accident occurred in our progress, not a false step disturbed the regularity of our cavalcade, though the horses are spirited, and all of them unshod. From the great irregularity of the ground, and the various heights to which we ascended, we had opportunities of catching many magnificent points of view by detached glances; but, after wandering for several hours (and yet never wearied with wandering), we at last reached a covered pavilion, open on all sides, and situated on a summit so elevated as perfectly to command the whole surrounding country, to a vast extent. The radius of the horizon I should suppose to be at least twenty miles from the

central spot where we stood; and, certainly, so rich, so various, so beau tiful, so sublime a prospect, my eyes had never beheld. I saw every thing before me as on an illuminat ed map; palaces, pagodas, towns, villages, farm-houses, plains, and valleys, watered by innumerable streams, hills waving with woods, and meadows covered with cattle of the most beautiful marks and colours. All seemed to be nearly at my feet, and that a step would convey me within reach of them.

From hence was pointed out to us a vast enclosure below, which was not accessible to us, being never entered but by the emperor, his women, or his eunuchs. It includes within its bounds, though on a smaller scale, most of the beauties which distinguish the eastern and the western gardens which we have already

seen.

If any place in England can be said, in any respect, to have similar features to the western park, it is Lowther Hall, in Westmoreland, which, from the extent of prospect, the grand surrounding objects, the noble situation, the diversity of surface, the extensive woods, and command of water, might be rendered, by a man of sense, spirit, and taste, the finest scene in the British dominions.

Whether the English style of gardening was really copied from the Chinese, or originated in England, I leave for vanity to assert, and idleness to discuss. A discovery which is the result of good sense and reflexion may equally occur to the most distant nations, without either borrowing from the other. There is certainly a great analogy between our gardening and the Chinese; but our excellence seems to be rather in improving nature, theirs to conquer her, and yet produce the same effect. It is indif ferent to a Chinese where he makes his garden, whether on a spot favoured, or abandoned, by the rural deities. If the latter, he invites them, or compels them to return. His point is to change every thing

from what he found it, to explode the old fashion of the creation, and introduce novelty in every corner. If there be a waste, he adorns it with trees; if a dry desert, he waters it with a river, or floats it with a lake. If there be a smooth flat, he varies it with all possible conversions. He undulates the surface, he raises it in hills, scoops it into valleys, and roughens it with rocks. He softens asperities, brings amenity into the wilderness, or animates the tameness of an expanse, by accompanying it with the majesty of a forest. Deceptions and eye-traps the Chinese are not unacquainted with, but they use them very sparingly. I observed no artificial ruins, caves, or hermitages. Though the sublime predominates in its proper station, you are insensibly led to contemplate it, not startled by its sudden intrusion; for, in the plan, cheerfulness is the principal feature, and lights up the face of the scene. To enliven it still more, the aid of architecture is invited; all the buildings are perfect of their kind, either elegantly simple, or highly decorated, according to the effect that is intended to arise, erected at suitable distances, and judiciously contrasted, never crowded together in confusion, nor affectedly confronted, and staring at each other without meaning. Proper edifices in proper places. The summer-house, the pavilion, the temples, have all their respective situations, which they distinguish and improve, but which any other structures would injure or deform. The only things disagreeable to my eye are the large porcelain figures of lions, tygers, &c. and the rough hewn steps, and huge masses of rock-work, which they seem studious of introducing near many of their houses and palaces. Considering their general good taste in the other point, I was much surprised at this, and could only account for it, by the expence and difficulty of bringing together such incongruities; for it is a common effect of enormous riches to push every thing they can procure to bombast and

extravagance, which are the death of taste. In other countries, however, as well as in China, I have seen some of the most boasted seats, either outgrowing their beauty from a plethora of their owner's wealth, or becoming capricious and hypochondriacal by a quackish application of it. A few fine places, even in England, might be pointed out, that are labouring under these disorders; not to mention some celebrated houses where twisted staircases, window-glass cupolas, and embroidered chimney-pieces, convey nothing to us but the whims and dreams of sickly fancy, without an atom of grandeur, taste, or propriety.

The architecture of the Chinese is of a peculiar style, totally unlike any other, irreducible to our rules, but perfectly consistent with its own. It has certain principles, from which it never deviates; and although, when examined according to ours, it sins against the ideas we have imbibed of distribution, composition, and proportion; yet, upon the whole, it often produces a most pleasing effect, as we sometimes see a person, without a single good feature in his face, have, nevertheless, a very agreeable countenance.

For the Literary Magazine.

ON LONGEVITY.

To the Editor, &c.

LONGEVITY appears to be a favourite topic of speculation with you, as, indeed, it is with the greatest part of mankind. You will probably, therefore, give place to the following observations on that subject; and this the more readily, when you are told that they have been made by one who has made this subject his peculiar study, and who joins much reflection to no small experience.

Longevity does not appear to be restricted to any particular climate,

for remarkable instances of it occur both in very hot and very cold countries, though certainly they abound most in temperate climes. Man adapts himself easily to the atmosphere and peculiarities of the country in which he receives life, or even into which he is afterwards removed. Thus, France and Sweden are countries differing materially, in soil and climate, and in the general modes of life; yet the usual rate of mortality is nearly the same in both, being about one in thirtyfive per annum. Men live equally well under very different circumstances; sudden changes are chiefly injurious; and temperate climates, being less liable to such changes, are most favourable to the prolongation of life. Almost every country contains particular districts more favourable to health than others; and this is chiefly owing to a free circulation of air, uncontaminated by the noxious exhalations which impair its purity in other parts: thus hilly districts are more healthy than low and marshy places.

Of 145 persons recorded to have lived 120 years, and upwards, more than half were inhabitants of Great Britain, viz.:

63 of England and Wales,
23 of Scotland,

29 of Ireland,

30 of other countries. Though this may indeed be owing to the deficiency of records in other countries, and the great care taken in Great Britain to register and publish such remarkable cases.

The instances in Scotland, compared with those of England, appears to have been more than twice as numerous, in proportion to the population, which certainly shows, that the climate of the former is very favourable to long life.

It is well known, that more males are born than females; in almost all the forms of animal life, the male possesses somewhat more bodily strength than the female. Hence it might be thought, that the number of males living would be greater than that of females, and that, in

general, they would enjoy longer life. It is probable, however, that in forming the accounts from which the number of females living appeared greater than that of the males, sufficient attention was not paid to the number of males engaged chiefly abroad in the army and navy, and of the emigrants to foreign parts being chiefly males. That the apparent deficiency in England arose from these causes, is shown by the result of the late enumeration, in which, including soldiers and seamen, the females exceed the males by less than one in a hundred: a difference easily explained by the number of males who emigrate to the East and West Indies, and other foreign parts.

In America, which receives most of the emigrants from Europe, the total of males appears greater than that of females, being nearly in the proportion of one hundred to ninetysix. Hence it is highly probable, could we accurately number the males and females of any country, they would prove nearly equal; and the greater number of males born would be a mere provision for the greater destruction of males, by war, navigation, and various casualties.

That the male constitution is na. turally more durable than that of females, may be inferred from the preceding account of 145 persons who have attained unusually great age, more than two-thirds of the number being males; but the adventitious causes, which bring the numbers of each sex nearly to a level, render the expectations of life likewise nearly equal.

Longevity has been supposed to be in a great degree hereditary; and as weakness and disease are frequently so, it appears very pro bable, that the constitution of body and temper of mind best adapted for duration may prevail more in some families than in others. Dr. Rush says, he has not found a single person who had lived eighty years, who was not descended from long-lived ancestors; it is certain, however.

there have been, in Great Britain, many persons who have exceeded eighty years, whose family were not remarkable for longevity.

Moderate sized and well proportioned persons have doubtless the best chance of long life. And yet a few persons of a different form have attained considerable age. Mary Jones, who died, in 1773, at Wem, in Shropshire, aged 100 years, was only two feet eight inches in height, very deformed, and lame; and James M'Donald, who died, near Cork, August 20th, 1760, aged 117, was seven feet six inches high.

Matrimony, if not too early, seems very conducive to health and long life, the proportion of unmarried persons attaining great age being remarkably small. Dr. Rush says, that, in the course of his enquiries, he met with only one person beyond eighty years of age who had never married. There are some such, however, to be met with: Mrs. Malton, who died in 1733, at 105; Ann Kerney, who died the same year, at 110; Martha Dunridge, who died in 1752, in her 100th year; and Mrs. Warren, who died in 1753, at 104, had never married; and in the list prefixed to sir John Sinclair's Essay on Longevity, of Greenwich pensioners, upwards of eighty years old, there are sixteen never married: the same list, however, contains five times as many who had been married, and other accounts give a still greater proportion.

The Chinese erect honorary trophies to those who have lived a century, thinking that, without a sober and virtuous life, it is impossible to attain so great an age. Temperance is certainly the best safeguard of health; and no man can reasonably expect to live long, who impairs the vital powers by excess, which converts the most natural and beneficial enjoyments into the most certain means of destruction. The few persons who, notwithstanding their licentious life, have reached great age, cannot be compared with the immense number whose lives have

been materially shortened by such

excesses.

It is a striking circumstance in the Mosaic institutions, that long life is frequently assigned as the reward for the obedience of the precepts of the law; and when the salutary influence of what may be termed the physical precepts of that law is considered, and due weight is given to the influence on health of internal serenity and approbation, we shall see that this reward would naturally follow the observance of these precepts.

The cheerful and contented are certainly more likely to enjoy good health and long life, than persons of irritable and fretful dispositions; therefore whatever tends to promote good-humour and innocent hilarity must have a beneficial influence in this respect; and persons whose attention is much engaged on serious subjects should endeavour to preserve a relish for cheerful recreations.

From the great age to which many eminent musicians have lived, an inference may be drawn in fayour of that pleasing science, as conducive to health and long life.

Dr. Child aged 90
Dr. Turner

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