THE

CHINESE REPOSITORY.

VOL. III.-OCTOBER, 1834.—No. 6.

ART. I. Sketch of the character of Hokwăn, the prime minister of China during the last years of Keënlung; his impeachment and condemnation; confiscation of his vast treasures.

The rise, power, and fall of the once illustrious statesman, Hokwǎn, presents an instructive page of Chinese history. Though long possessed of eminent power in the state, his name was not known in Europe till the period of the British embassy in 1793. During the last years of the emperor Keënlung, Hokwan was prime minister, and eminent over all others by his almost unlimited influence, and immense wealth. He was, it is said, a Tartar of obscure birth, raised by the emperor from an inferior station, as guard at one of the palace gates, at first merely on account of his comely countenance; but afterwards finding him possessed of talents, he speedily elevated him to high dignities. Yet the emperor did not blindly confide in his honesty and capacity; for having once suspected him of falsehood, he degraded the favorite as suddenly as he had been raised to rank; but after a fortnight's disgrace, his innocence was accidentally established, and he was restored to favor, and exalted to power inferior only to his imperial majesty.

His ability is acknowledged in Staunton's account of Macartney's embassy: "the manners of Hokwan were not less pleasing than his understanding was penetrating and acute. He seemed indeed to possess the qualities of a perfect statesman. A daughter of the emperor was married to his son. This circumstance was thought sufficient to alarm the imperial family and other loyal subjects, as if they were fearful of the height to which the ambition of that favorite might aspire. This is not the partial testimony of friends; for his great control over the aged emperor, and his disinclination towards foreigners, were regarded as the chief causes of the failure of that expedition. A disclosure of the real character of the favorite was long prevented by the display of really estimable and splendid talents, and not less by the influence which he had managed to secure in the courts

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of the provincial governments. One officer, more zealous than wise, addressed a petition to the monarch, praying him to declare his successor to the throne, during his lifetime, in order that subsequent commotions might be prevented;—not doubtfully intimating a cause of aların in the dangerous ascendaucy of the favorite. The memorialist was immediately sentenced to death for his audacity by the criminal tribunal, whose president was the creature of Hokwan. Apprehensions were entertained that, on the death of the emperor, he would attempt an open revolt, or at least withdraw from the court, where he would no longer have protection, to his adherents. It was proba bly with a view to defeat any such intentions, that the young emperor Keäking, appointed him to the honorable office of a chief superintendent over the rites of mourning, on his imperial father's decease; because the discharge of that duty confined the minister to the palace, and made his arrest less dangerous. So immense was his wealth, and so numerous his adherents and friends in the tribunals and throughout the departments of government which he had filled with his own creatures, that his removal was thought a dangerous undertaking even for a Chinese emperor. But the young monarch did not hesitate.

In the fourth year of his reign, A. D. 1799, as soon as he had performed the duties of mourning for his deceased father, and meditated on a "three years' forbearance from change when succeeding to an inheritance," recommended by the Lunyu, Keäking then made public his designs. He seized Hokwan, divested him of rank and employment, and committed him to the supreme military tribunal for trial, on sixteen articles of impeachment. The fate of a subject is not doubtful, when the son of heaven' is his accuser. But in this case, that fate does not seem undeserved; for, though some of the charges were frivolous and vexatious, yet the disclosures made, and the evidence arising from his immense treasures, were sufficiently couvincing of his corruption. The following are some of the charges preferred against him by his imperial accuser; That, being summoned by our royal father to the palace at Yuenming yuen, he ventured to ride on horseback through the left gate as far as to the bottom of the mount called Sheushan, regardless to an unexampled degree of a father and a sovereign, That the young females, educated for the service of the palace, he took from thence and appropriated to himself as concubines. That on the day previous to our royal father's announcement of our election as his heir and successor, Hokwǎn waited upon us and presented us with the insignia of the rank newly conferred on us,—thereby betraying an important secret of state, expecting that conduct would be meritorious in our estimation. That, during the latter campaign against the rebels in Szechuen and Hookwang, while our imperial father was bereft of sleep and appetite through his anxiety for intelligence, Hokwǎn was receiving reports from the troops, and detaining them at his pleasure. That many of his own kindred and dependents were intrusted with offices for which they were incompetent; and many of the civil and military officers

were removed by his sole authority. That in the late confiscation of his property, many apartinents were found built of the imperial wood nanmoo, and terraces and inclosures constructed in the style of the imperial palace; and gardens like those of Yuenming yuen. That, among his treasures of precious stones, upwards of two hundred bracelets or strings of pearls were found, many times exceeding in value those in our possession. One of the pearls even surpassed that which adorns the imperial crown. Various buttons of precious stones were found of princely rank, such as he might not wear; besides many scores of unwrought gems to an incalculable amount and variety unknown among the imperial treasures.

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These and other grievous offenses, the emperor declared had been proved against him by a council of ministers and princes, and acknowledged without reserve in his own confession. For the further trial and sentence on these charges, his majesty resolved to call a supreme council extraordinary, consisting of the princes, great officers of state, presidents of the imperial college and tribunal of censors, and others, to investigate and fix the punishment. In a second imperial proclamation, the decision of this high council is published: "that the said Hokwău do receive sentence of a slow and painful death." Upon this the emperor remarks, that in justice no mitigation could be demanded, but in consideration of his once exalted rank, "Hokwán is hereby permitted, through our imperial favor, to become his own executioner." This was to be carried into immediate effect. Foochang Gan, second only to Hokwän, and his constant associate, was sentenced to decollation; which the emperor postponed till the usual time of execution in the ensuing autumn. Holin, the deceased brother of Hokwän, was sentenced to be deprived of his hereditary title, his name erased from the sacred temple, and the altar which his family had erected to his memory was to be demolished. Fungshin Yinte, the son of Hokwăn, who had married a princess, was only degraded from the highest hereditary title in the empire to the lowest. Fungshin Yemeën, the son of Helin, was removed from his command in the imperial guards, and forbidden to attend the palace gate. Seulin, the son of Foochang Gan, received a similar sentence; and other dependents of Hokwan were dismissed or degraded. Thus fell an ambitious minister, who had acquired power too great for the safety of his master, if he proved faithless; and wealth too vast for his own security, even though he had been innocent.

The enormous riches of this statesman leave at a distance the wealth of all ancient and modern individuals, whom we recollect, monarchs alone excepted. The proverbial wealth of the Roman Crassus amounted to nearly $8,000,000. The philosopher Seneca in four years amassed a fortune of more than $11,000,000. But both these were exceeded by that of Lentulus, the augur, who was worth above $14,000,000. In recent times, the banker Girard, of the United States, left an immense property, whether it were $15,000,000 or but $10,000,000. At the time of issuing the imperial

accusation and sentence against Hokwan, the estimate of his confiscated property had not been completed, though the sum was already found, says the emperor, to exceed many millions of ounces in silver. According to a statement received as authentic at Canton, when the enrollment was completed, it appears that besides houses, lands, and other immoveable property to an amazing amount, "not less than eighty millions of Chinese ounces of silver, or about 105,000,000 dol lars value in bullion or gems, were found in his treasury." "This sum," observes sir George Staunton, "though immense is not incredible, when the vast extent of the empire is considered, over the various departments of which he had certainly for many years a very unusual, and indeed almost unbounded influence."

ART. II. Propagation of the gospel in China; little progress hitherto made; difficulties to be encountered; encouragements to perseverance. By PHILOSINENHS.

It is now twenty-seven years since the first protestant missionary arrived in China. During this period, almost all other missions in the world have made rapid progress, whilst we have still to look with sorrow, but not with despair, upon an empire which demands nearly as many laborers as the collective population of all the other pagan nations. No gloomy thoughts, however, obscure our faith; no, we rejoice in hope; we believe in the Son of God, to whom all the nations, the Chinese included, are given for an inheritance. We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto we do well to take heed, as unto a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawn and the daystar arise in our hearts. We are desirous to aid the great cause by our feeble exertions, and with help from God to labor to the last. But in so large a sphere of usefulness, where so many millions are to be reclaimed from the thralldom of sin and death, we would lose all nxious thoughts for ourselves in deeper anxiety for others; and be indifferent about human praise and disapprobation, fixing a steady eye upon the great Author and Finisher of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right frand of the throne of God.

Let all who are engaged in this arduous enterprise, adopt the peculiar characteristics of the apostle John, as their creed, and subscribe to his first epistle as the rule to regulate their conduct towards each other. By so doing, they will daily wax stronger and stronger;form one body strongly cemented by Christian love; and, acting with unanimity, will present a formidable barrier against the attacks of the prince of this world. So far as individual relationship is concerned, we can never act better, and may God implant in our bosoms a holy desire to exemplify those precepts, which we are advancing to those who are perishing for lack of vision. Let us use the talent and grace

bestowed upon us, to the utmost of our strength, and in studying unity of design, render the work more effective. Delusive are the hopes of success founded upon ourselves: we know the rock upon which the Jesuits suffered shipwreck, and therefore let us steer wide from their course, to escape a similar disaster.

Unhappily a fear of arousing the jealousy of the Chinese government has considerably paralyzed our efforts. We have trembled at the persecutions which the Romanists underwent, in which the religion of the Lord of heaven' was proscribed; and we naturally feared that the pure gospel would share the same fate. In consulting, however, the history of the church of Christ, we find persecution usually ensued, after the word of God had taken root; but as long as the germ was still invisible, or just sent forth its tender shoots, the mighty hand of the great Husbandman has checked the machinations of the wicked, for the destruction of the tender plant. We may safely trust that this will also be the case in China. The Lord is faithful, and can cover us with the wings of his almighty protection. In his strength we may venture to proclaim the gospel boldly, and to disseminate it to the remotest provinces of this wide empire. Let us not be stumbled if our plans for the welfare of China miscarry; the Lord will show other ways, more conducive to the interests of his kingdom, and surely amplify the field of our operations. If we only possess a faith founded upon the Rock of Ages, and pursue the good work with Christian energy and perseverance, we shall very soon see the effects. Timidity in a good cause is not honorable; we have an almighty Lord, who has promised to be with his faithful messengers to the end of the world. Upon this let us rely in times of trouble, and under the most distressing circumstances, he will never forsake us.

We expected, that long before this time, some men full of faith and the Holy Ghost would have stood forth as candidates for the Christian missions in the maritime provinces. There is nothing Utopian in such a proposal. Did not the first Moravian missionaries, when they were requested to become slaves in order to instruct the negroes upon Antigua and St. Thomas, willingly consent to such a proposition? What had the first missions in Hindostan and Africa to suffer? What the heralds of salvation to endure in Greenland and Labrador? Did they not conquer by the power of the Author and Finisher of our faith? Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, (viz. timidity,) and let us run with patience the race set before us. O, when will the time come that we may boldly penetrate into the heart of the Chinese empire, and no longer fear the wrath of man, who can do us no harm without the special permission of Him, whom we call our almighty Protector?

It is true our numbers are still very insignificant; the churches of Christ at home have shared in the general apprehension that nothing ean be done for China in the way of openly preaching the gospel, previous to a general revolution in this empire; but it is most delightful to observe that so unfounded an opinion is on the wane.

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