Part 6

Having already considered the Regimen of the Chinese, I shall proceed to take Notice of their Manners, Customs, and Dispositions: In the Execution of which Design I shall take my Accounts from Martinius, who, when treating of Quack-Physicians, affirms, that the Chinese, as well as the Cretans, are greatly addicted to Lying. The same Author, in his Atlas Chinicus, speaks in the following Manner: "The Europeans are superior to the Chinese in Fortitude, but the Chinese excel the Europeans in Brightness of Genius: They are also sagacious, cunning, intrepid, industrious, and dextrous, in managing sudden Emergencies: Notwithstanding their great Abundance, they collect and preserve the most worthless Things, such as Dogs Bones, Feathers, and Hogs Bristles, which they sell. Their Penetration often discovers itself by Fraud, Guile, and Imposition. Their Merchants are industrious and active, and the whole of the Inhabitants spare no Pains, and think no Labour too severe, when they have the smallest Prospect of Gain, because they always prefer Profit to Honesty. They have sound and robust Constitutions, being accustomed to Fatigue from their Infancy: Some of them are of as fair Complexions as the Europeans."

As I have before compared the Chinese with the European Regimen, so I should here institute the Comparison between their Manners and Dispositions, if Barclay had not already executed that Design with great Judgment and Accuracy: Only I must observe, that their Cunning surpasses our Prudence, and that their Fraud sufficiently evinces their Inclination to deceive us. In a word, Cunning, Avarice, and Lying, are the distinguishing Characteristicks of the Asiatics, who yearly defraud the Europeans of such immense Sums of Money for Teas. As Hippocrates spared no Pains to remove and root out the Athenian Plague, so I have used the utmost of my Endeavours to destroy the raging epidemical Madness of importing Tea into Europe from China; since I have demonstrated, that the Chinese Tea, and the Chamelæagnus, or Myrtus Brabantica, are Plants of the same Species. Let such, therefore, as are unacquainted with Botany, cease to use Chinese Tea, and in its Room substitute our European Chamelæagnus. Tho' I have not Authority sufficient to force my Opinions upon others, yet let me perswade my Countrymen to use Betony, which, as Antonius Musa informs us, cures no less than forty Disorders, instead of the Chinese Tea, which is without Smell, corrupted by the Length of the Voyage, and destitute of the Qualities it is possessed of in Asia: Nor do I in the least doubt, but the European Betony would happily cure those Disorders, for which the Chinese recommend their Tea. The Physicians of China are indeed to be commended for curing Diseases by Abstinence from Meat and Drink, and the Use of simple Decoctions, or other similar Things; because Nature delights in Simplicity, is contented with little, and overpowered by a Farrago of compound Medicines.

If I should be laughed at for my Opinions, I shall comfort myself with this Reflection, that I have always had so sacred and inviolable an Attachment to Truth, that I have chearfully gone whithersoever she led me; so that I may, with a few Variations, put a Close to this Work, in the Words of Cicero, in Academ. Quest. Lib. 4.

"If I had been induced to this Work by Ostentation, or the Love of Dispute, I ought to be condemned, not only as a Fool, but also as a vicious and immoral Man; for, if Obstinacy in Trifles is justly ridiculed, it ought to be much more so in Affairs of Importance. During the whole Course of my Life I have been impartial in my Searches after Truth, and never attempted to impose upon the Judgment of others; for I can swear by the immortal God, that I not only have an ardent Love to Truth, but also that I speak the genuine Sentiments of my Mind; for why should not I desire to discover Truth, when I rejoice to find what bears a near Resemblance to it. As it is the peculiar Glory of the human Nature, to perceive Truth in its genuine Colours; so, it is a Disgrace to Reason to embrace Falshood for Truth. I do not, however, lay claim to Infallibility, since I confess that I may err, as well as other Men."

FINIS.

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* * * * *

Transcriber's Notes: Italic text is denoted by underscores.

æ and œ ligatures were used interchangeably in this text. Based on context, the transcriber chose the most appropriate ligature for each incidence. Examples: All instances of Chamelœagnus were corrected to Chamelæagnus; instances of Spirœa were corrected to Spiræa; instances of Dodonœus were corrected to Dodonæus.

Both preternaturally and præternaturally are used in the text; left as printed.

Minor punctuation and printer errors repaired.

Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including obsolete and variant spellings and other inconsistencies.

It is noted that, despite the title, only the treatises on Tobacco and Tea were present in this volume.