becoming capricious and hypocondriacal 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 stair-cases, 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." CHAP. IV. Sketch of the State of Society in China.--Manners, Customs, Sentiments, and Moral Character of the People. _Condition of Women, a Criterion of the State of Society.--Degraded State of in China.--Domestic Manners unfavourable to Filial Affection.--Parental Authority.--Ill Effects of Separating the Sexes.--Social Intercourse unknown, except for gaming.--Their Worship Solitary.--Feasts of New Year.--Propensity to gaming.--Influence of the Laws seems to have destroyed the natural Character of the People.--Made them indifferent, or cruel.--Various Instances of this Remark in public and in private Life.--Remarks on Infanticide.--Perhaps less general than usually thought.--Character of Chinese in Foreign Countries.--Temper and Disposition of the Chinese.--Merchants.--Cuckoo-Clocks.--Conduct of a Prince of the Blood.--Of the Prime Minister.--Comparison of the Physical and Moral Characters of the Chinese and_ Mantchoo _Tartars.--General Character of the Nation illustrated._