Hao Qiu Zhuan/en-wilkinson/Front Matter

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Hau Kiou Choaan: Front Matter

From: Hau Kiou Choaan, or The Pleasing History. Translated by James Wilkinson, edited by Thomas Percy (London, 1761)

Note: This text was digitized via OCR from the original 1761 print.

Title Page

HAU KIOU CHOAAN OR The Pleasing History.

A TRANSLATION FROM THE CHINESE LANGUAGE.

To which are added,

I. The Argument or Story of a Chinese Play.

II. A Collection of Chinese Proverbs, and

III. Fragments of Chinese Poetry.

IN FOUR VOLUMES.

WITH NOTES.

Il n'y a pas de meilleur moyen de s'instruire de la Chine, que par la Chine même; car par là on est sûr de ne se point tromper, dans la connoissance du génie et des usages de cette nation. P. Du Halde, tom. 2. p. 258.

VOL. I.

LONDON: Printed for R. and J. DODSLEY in Pall-mall. MDCCLXI.

Dedication

To the RIGHT HONOURABLE THE COUNTESS OF SUSSEX.

MADAM,

I should not intreat your Ladyship's acceptance of the following sheets, if they had not a moral tendency: if they were not designed to countenance virtue and to discourage vice. At a time when this nation swarms with fictitious narratives of the most licentious and immoral turn, to shew what strict regard to virtue and decorum is paid by writers amongst the Chinese, notwithstanding the deplorable ignorance they labour under of those sublime and noble truths, which we enjoy to so little purpose — it may have some good effect.

To prepare these volumes for the public, has been the agreeable employment of some vacant hours of rural life: and I shall be happy, if the perusal of them can supply your Ladyship's leisure with amusement. One reward of my labours I have already obtained, in the opportunity they afford me of acknowledging the great obligations I am under to my Lord Sussex's Family, and of testifying the great respect with which I am,

MADAM,

Your Ladyship's most obliged, and most obedient Servant,

M.DCC.LXI.

[Added to the second edition, 1774.]

When this little Work was first published, it was apprehended that the peculiarities of the composition would so clearly prove it to be a genuine Translation from the Chinese Language, as to render it unnecessary to mention the names either of the Translator, or the Editor. But in order to remove any doubt or suspicion arising from that circumstance, the Editor has now subscribed his name to the Dedication; and he no longer conceals that of the Translator: who was Mr. James WILKINSON, an English merchant, equally respected for his abilities and his probity. This gentleman's residence at Canton may be ascertained from the records of the East India Company; and his respectable character is not yet forgotten. His own Manuscript was lent to the Editor by his Nephew, the late Captain JAMES WILKINSON, of Bugbroke, near Northampton; to whom it was returned, when the publication was compleated; and it is doubtless at this time in possession of his Widow, a very amiable Lady.

M.DCC.LXXIV.

Extract of a Letter from Canton

Extract of a Letter from Canton, July 9th, 1763, to James Garland, Esq.

"As to Hau Kiou CHOAAN, I inquired among my Chinese acquaintance about it, but without success, until I happen'd by chance to mention the Hero of the Story Ty-chung-u, when they immediately knew what I meant, and said in their jargon, 'Truely have so fashion man 4 or 500 years before; have very true story. How can have so many leaves he.'"

This History has been well received in France, where a Translation of it was published under the following title:

Hau Kiou Choaan, Histoire Chinoise, traduite de l'Anglais, par M. E——. 4 tom. (dans 2.) 12mo. à Lyon, chez Benoit Duplain, libraire, Rue Merciere, à l'Aigle. 1766.

Preface

The following translation was found in manuscript, among the Papers of a gentleman who had large concerns in the East-India Company, and occasionally resided much at Canton. It is believed by his relations, that he had bestowed considerable attention on the Chinese language, and that this translation (or at least part of it) was undertaken by him as a kind of exercise while he was studying it: the many interlineations, &c. which it abounds with, shew it to be the work of a learner: and as the manuscript appears in places to have been first written with a black-lead pencil, and afterwards more correctly over-written with ink, it should seem to have been drawn up under the direction of a Chinese master or tutor. The History is contained in four thin folio books or volumes of Chinese paper; which after the manner of that country, are doubled in the fore-edge, and cut on the back. The three first of these volumes are in English: the fourth in Portuguese; and written in a different hand from the former. This part the Editor hath now translated into our own language.

The MS. is dated 1719, which was the last year the translator resided in China. He died in 1736.

The missionaries have given abstracts and versions of several Chinese books, which may be seen in the curious collection of P. Du Halde. Among them are some few novels. As these are but short pieces, the Editor thought it would be no unacceptable present to the curious to afford them a specimen of a larger kind: that they might see how a Chinese Author would conduct himself through the windings of a long narration.

Although the general character of a people should not be drawn from one or two individuals; nor their literary excellence determined by the particular merit of one book; yet it may be concluded that the following is a piece of considerable note among the Chinese, otherwise a stranger would not have been tempted to translate it. That book would naturally be put first into the hands of a foreigner, which is in highest esteem among the natives.

Such as it is, the Editor here presents it to the Public. Examined by the laws of European criticism, he believes it liable to many objections. It will doubtless be urged, that the incidents are neither sufficiently numerous, nor all of them ingeniously contrived; that the imagery is often neither exact nor lively; that the narrative is frequently dry and tedious, and while it runs out into a minute detail of unimportant circumstances, is too deficient in what should interest the passions or divert the imagination.

That there is a flatness and poverty of genius in almost all the works of taste of the Chinese, must be acknowledged by capable judges. This at least is evident in their writings; and in a narrative like the following, would make a writer creep along through a minute relation of trifling particulars, without daring to omit the most inconsiderable. The abjectness of their genius may easily be accounted for from that servile submission, and dread of novelty, which enslaves the minds of the Chinese, and while it promotes the peace and quiet of their empire, dulls their genius and cramps their imagination.

Perhaps their taste in gardening ought to be excepted.

It ought, however, to be observed in favour of the Chinese, that if they do not take such bold and daring flights as some of the other Eastern nations, neither do they run into such extravagant absurdities. Whether this be owing to the cause now mentioned, or to their having bestowed more attention on literature, so it is that they pay a greater regard to truth and nature in their fictitious narratives, than any other of the Asiatics. For it must be allowed to our present work, that the conduct of the story is more regular and artful than is generally seen in the compositions of the East; hath less of the marvellous and more of the probable. It contains an unity of design or fable, and the incidents all tend to one end, in a regular natural manner, with little interruption or incoherence. After all, the Editor is not concerned about the judgment that will be passed upon the piece itself: he attempts to conceal none of its faults, and he hopes he hath obscured none of its beauties. He gives it not as a piece to be admired for the beauties of its composition, but as a curious specimen of Chinese literature, and leaves to the critics to decide its merit.

But he also begs it may be considered in another light, as a faithful picture of Chinese manners, wherein the domestic and political oeconomy of that vast people is displayed with an exactness and accuracy to which none but a native could be capable of attaining. To read in a Collection of Voyages and Travels; in a portion of Universal History; or in a Present State of any Country, an elaborate account of it, under the several heads of its customs, laws, government, &c. drawn up by a foreigner however well acquainted with the subject, can convey but a superficial knowledge to the mind. Those accurate compilations have certainly their merit, but the little distinguishing peculiarities which chiefly compose the true character of a living people will hardly be learnt from them. Many of these can come under no regular head of methodical arrangement. Those writers may give a dead resemblance, while they are careful to trace out every feature, but the life, the spirit, the expression will be apt to escape them. To gain a true notion of these we must see the object in action. There is not a greater difference between the man who is sitting for his Portrait, stiffened into a studied composure, with every feature and limb under constraint; and the same person unreserved, acting in his common sphere of life, with every passion in play, and every part in motion; than there is between a people methodically described in a formal account, and painted out in the lively narrative of some domestic history. A foreigner will form a truer notion of the genius and spirit of the English, from one page of Fielding, and one or two writers now alive, than from whole volumes of Present States of England, or French Letters concerning the English Nation.

But not to mention that many curious customs and peculiarities of a nation are better understood by example than by description: many of these cannot easily be known to foreigners at all. The whole system of the manners of a people can only be thoroughly known to themselves. The missionaries are the only foreigners from whom we can possibly expect compleat and accurate accounts of China, for none besides themselves were ever permitted to range at large through the Chinese empire: but let it be considered, that supposing we had no reason to question their veracity, yet the very gravity of their character would prevent them from being ocular witnesses (not only of the idolatrous ceremonies, but) of many particulars of the interior conduct of the Chinese.

Most of the accounts of China have been given by missionaries of the Jesuite order. Now these accounts have been taxed, as partial and defective, especially so far as they describe the religious ceremonies of the Chinese. For the reader is to be informed that the Jesuites have been accused by the missionaries of other orders, of making very improper concessions to their Chinese converts, and of so modelling christianity, as to allow an occasional conformity to many pagan superstitions, under a pretence that they are only of a civil nature. How far this charge was true, we will not pretend to determine, but probably it was not altogether groundless, as sentence was given against them by their superiors. These disputes have subsisted near a century; and in all the descriptions of China, published by the Jesuites during this period, it may be expected they would give such an account of the Chinese ceremonies, as would best favour their cause.

Un air serieux et grave est celuy qu'un missionnaire doit prendre, et retenir inviolablement jusques dans l'interieur de sa maison, s'il veut que les Chinois l'estiment & que ses paroles fassent impression sur leurs esprits. Lett. edif. viii. p. 238.

It is well known that this people affect a privacy and reserve beyond all other nations, which must prevent many of their domestic customs from transpiring to strangers: and therefore the entire manners of the Chinese can only be thoroughly described by themselves.

Thus much in favour of the present, which the Editor here makes to the Public. It behoves him now to mention the share he hath had in preparing it for their acceptance. As the version was the work of a gentleman whose province was trade, and who probably never designed it for the Public, nothing could be expected from him but fidelity to the original: and this, if one may judge from the erasures and corrections that abound in the manuscript, was not neglected; which the general prevalence of the Chinese idiom will serve to confirm. The Editor therefore hath been so far obliged to revise the whole, as to render the language somewhat more grammatical and correct. Yet as the principal merit of such a piece as this, must consist in the peculiarities of its style and manner, he hath been careful to make no other alterations than what grammar and common sense merely required. He is desirous to conceal none of its faults, and he hopes he hath obscured none of its beauties. He hath been particularly exact in retaining the imagery, the allusions, the reflections, the proverbial sayings, any uncommon sentiment or mode of expression, and as much of the Chinese idiom in general as was not utterly inconsistent with the purity of our own; and when he could not retain this in the text, he hath frequently been careful to preserve it in the margin.

It may not be improper to mention here, that in the Translator's manuscript, the whole work being divided but into XVI. Chapters, and these being of an inconvenient length, it was thought necessary to subdivide them afresh: yet because there is reason to believe that the former are the divisions of the Chinese author, we have every where preserved them in the margin.

Sometimes where the narrative was insupportably diffuse and languid, interrupted by short questions and answers of no consequence, or retarded by dull and unmeaning repetitions: in these cases he could not help somewhat shortening and contracting it; and probably the most rigid admirer of Chinese literature, would have pardoned him, if he had done this oftener. As the great fault of the original was its prolixity, it was generally more requisite to prune away than to add; yet as the Editor hath been sometimes tempted to throw in a few words, it may be proper to inform the Reader that these will generally be found included in brackets. Once or twice where the incidents were inartificially conducted, a discovery which seemed rather premature, hath been postponed for a few pages, but never without notice to the reader. Some few inconsistencies and contradictions have been removed by the Editor, but generally such as the Translator himself had corrected in some other place: and where he had rendered a Chinese title improperly, it hath been set right from better authorities: two or three instances have occurred of this kind, wherein it was thought unnecessary to detain the Reader with particular information. But even this liberty hath never been assumed, where there could be the least doubt of its propriety. In short, as the grand merit of such a piece as this must consist in its peculiarities and authenticity; the reader may be assured that nothing hath been done to lessen the one or impair the other.

This close attachment to the original may perhaps be blamed, as it hath prevented the style from being more lively and flowing; but the Editor had in view rather to satisfy the curious than to amuse the idle. It may have rendered the book less entertaining, but he believes more valuable. It was his intention, however, to have removed all such expressions, as were quite barbarous and ungrammatical, yet he cannot be sure but instances of both will be found to have escaped him. If any thing faulty of this kind should occur, he hopes the candid will pardon it as one of those oversights, which will sometimes elude the most vigilant attention.

It remains that something be said concerning the Notes, if it be only to apologize for their frequency and length. It was at first intended to have incumbered the page with as few of these as possible: but it was soon found necessary to depart from this plan. The manners and customs of the Chinese, their peculiar ways of thinking, and modes of expression are so remote from our own, that they frequently require a large detail to render them intelligible. The Editor quickly saw that he should have occasion to touch upon most things remarkable among the Chinese: this tempted him to introduce a short account of others. He was desirous that the History and Notes taken together might be considered as forming a concise, and not altogether defective account of the Chinese, such as might be sufficient to gratify the curiosity of most readers, and to refresh the memory of others. This he hopes will serve as an apology for such of the Notes as appear impertinent or digressive. Where the narrative can interest or entertain the Reader, he will not suffer them to take off his attention: and where it is dull and tedious, they may possibly prove no unwelcome relief. The Editor was the less sparing of them, in hopes they might procure the book a second perusal: he can truly affirm, that they are extracted from the best and most authentic writers on the subject, many of which are scarce and curious: and that they will be frequently found to supply omissions in more celebrated and more voluminous accounts of China.

The Editor wishes he could as easily apologize for some of the Notes which he is afraid will be thought unimportant and trifling: but, after the labour of inquiry many things will appear more deserving of attention than they really are; and such is the weakness of the human mind, that it is apt to estimate things not so much by their intrinsic worth, as by the difficulty and pains with which they were acquired. After all, 'tis hoped there will not be found many instances of this kind, and that these will be pardoned for the sake of others more curious and important.

The Editor ought not to conclude without returning thanks to that Gentleman, to whose friendship he is indebted for the use of the manuscript here printed: who not only gave him leave to commit this piece to the press, but in the most obliging manner indulged him with the free use of all the Translator's papers, many of which contributed to throw light upon it.

His thanks are also due to those Gentlemen of distinction, who so obligingly gave him access to their libraries, and thereby enabled him to prefix to his Notes a list of Authors, that would do honour to a much more considerable publication. The assistance received from the Earl of Sussex's library deserves particularly to be acknowledged; the treasures of literature contained in that large and valuable collection are so well known to the learned world, that it will perhaps be some disadvantage to our little work to mention it here, as it will be apt to raise expectations in the reader, which nothing that follows may be able to answer.

Vide MSS. Yelverton. in Catalog. Libror. MSS. Ang. à T. Hyde. fol.

List of Books

A list of books from whence the following Notes are extracted, and of the editions there referred to.

  • A description of the empire of China and of Chinese Tartary, &c. from the French of P. Du HALDE, London 1738. 2. vol. folio. — Although the references are chiefly made to this translation, yet recourse was occasionally had to the grand Paris edition of the original, intitled: Description Géographique, Historique &c. de l'Empire de la Chine & de la Tartarie Chinoise &c. par le P. J. B. Du HALDE, de la Comp. de Jésus. Paris 1735. 4 tom. folio.
  • The Hist. of China, lately written in Italian by F. Alv. SEMEDO, now put into English, &c. Lond. 1655. folio.
  • A new history of China, &c. by Gabriel Magaillans [or MAGALHAENS] of the society of Jes. done out of French. Lond. 1686. 8vo.
  • Nouveaux mémoires sur l'état de la Chine par le R. P. Louis LE COMPTE, de la Comp. de Jés. Paris 1697. 2. tom. 12mo.
  • A short description of China, &c. by Dionysius KAO, a native, &c. printed at the end of Isbrant Ides's &c. London 1705. 8vo.
  • Novus ATLAS SINENSIS a Martino MARTINIO Soc. Jes. Amst. a Bleau 1655. folio.
  • Martini MARTINII Tridentini e Soc. Jesu. SINICÆ HISTORIÆ, decas prima. Amst. a Bleau, 1659. 12mo.
  • LETTRES ÉDIFIANTES & CURIEUSES, écrites des missions étrangères, par quelques missionaires de la Comp. de Jés. Recueils I-XXVIII. Paris 1702 à 1758. 12mo.
  • TRAVELS OF THE JESUITS, &c. compiled from their letters, &c. by Mr. LOCKMAN. Lond. 1743. 2. vol. 8vo.
  • CONFUCIUS Sinarum Philosophus, sive SCIENTIA SINENSIS Latine exposita, studio & opera P. Couplet, &c. Paris 1687. folio.
  • The MORALS of Confucius. Lond. 1691. 12mo.
  • L'AMBASSADE de la Compagnie Orientale des Provinces Unies vers l'Empereur de la Chine, &c. par Mons. J. NIEUHOFF. Leyd. 1665. folio.
  • KIRCHERI China illustrata, &c. Amst. 1667. folio.
  • Theoph. Sigefr. BAYERI, Museum Sinicum, in quo Sinicæ Linguæ et Literaturæ ratio explicatur. Petropoli 1730. 2. 8vo.
  • Historia cultus Sinensium, seu varia scripta de cultibus Sinarum, &c. oblata Innocentio XII. Colon. 1700. 2. tom. 12mo.
  • The MODERN part of an Univ. HIST. from the earliest accounts of Time, &c. Lond. 1759. 8vo. vol. the 8th.
  • OGILBY's China, &c. Lond. 1669, 1671. 2. vol. folio.
  • PICART's ceremonies & religious customs, &c. Lond. 1735. vol. the 4th. folio.
  • HARRIS's collection of voyages & travels. Lond. 1744. 2. vol. folio.
  • KÆMPFER's Hist. of Japan. Lond. 1727. folio.
  • Voyage round the world, by GEORGE ANSON, Esq; &c. compiled by R. WALTER, A. M. Lond. 1748. 8vo.
  • DAMPIER's voyages, vol. 1. 1691. vol. 2. 1699. 8vo.
  • DE L'ESPRIT DES LOIX. Genève. 2. tom. 8vo.
  • RÉFLEXIONS critiques sur les histoires des anciens peuples, &c. par Mons. Fourmont, professeur en langue Arabe au collège de France. Paris 1735. 2. tom. 4to.
  • HISTOIRE de l'Académie Royale des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres. Paris. tom. var. dat.

N. B. We beg leave to inform the Reader that the plates prefixed to these volumes are only given as curiosities, being copied from prints in a Chinese History, that was found among the Translator's papers. In this book every page of Chinese characters was faced with one of these cuts.

With regard to the additional pieces, they will be found distributed in the following manner. At the end of Vol. III: A Collection of Chinese Proverbs. At the end of Vol. IV: The Argument of a Chinese Play. Fragments of Chinese Poetry.

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