"There was a man of our town Who thought himself so wise, He jumped into a bramble bush, And scratched out both his eyes. But when he saw his eyes were out, With all his might and main He jumped into another bush, And scratched them in again!" This would _seem_ to suggest that a conceited man, having committed an egregious blunder, rashly undertakes to remedy it by one equally unwise. The folly of conceited impulsiveness! Another, and I have done. "Little Jack Horner Sat in a corner, Eating his Christmas pie; He put in his thumb, And pulled out a plum, Oh, what a good boy am I!" This is to encourage children with an idea that, if they be _good_, they shall have _plums_. It is very significant of the low culture. As if one were to imagine that the possession of a big plum (riches, or the like) demonstrated the moral excellency of the possessor! Commentaries and parodies of these _Comic_ trivialities have been written, and, forsooth, their beauties and meanings need exposition! CHAPTER VI. OF TRADE, AND REVENUE DERIVED FROM IT. We have ourselves, in our maritime parts, some experience of the English, as traders [Kie-tee]. Something of their moral character is known, not as traders only, but as representatives of the general civilization of their tribe. It will be a long period before the events of the _opium_ war are forgotten--when these selfish and cruel Barbarians came with their big fire-ships and great cannons, and massacred so many of our province, Quantung! Nor will the slaughters of the people of our Central Kingdom, and the burnings and plunderings at the Illustrious seat of our Exalted, pass out of mind for many generations. Trade! yes, Trade is the _Moloch_ [Kan-ni-bli] of the English; there is nothing (of character) which they will not sacrifice to this Idol. The god by which they mostly swear, and whose name they apply to themselves, knew nothing of trade, and his words, as recorded in the _Sacred Writings_, condemn every practice customary in it. This inconsistency is always found in the devotees of irrational worship; where formal observances stand for practical virtues. Perhaps dishonesty in trade is no more conspicuous, than immorality everywhere; only traffic touching on all sides, and affecting nearly every interest, carries with it an almost universal debasement. Blind and conceited, it is the custom to speak of our _Central Kingdom_ contemptuously, and to brand our people as Heathen _thieves_ [ta-ki]. We have thieves, and punish them. But how strangely to those of our people who know these Barbarians, this charge sounds! It is notorious that the vile stuff packed up as _Tea_ by our knaves is for the gain of English traders; and that the horribly obscene pictures of degraded artists find a market with the Barbarians! We punish these plunderers when we detect them; but these Christians who would _convert_ us encourage this immorality!