Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 263

1841.

Historie of the Mightie Kingdome of China.

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dispositions, manners and customs of the people; and hazards the opinion that the time will come when all these things will be fully described so as to make a great booke! He then proceeds to dis- course of the religion that is among the people, and of the idols that they do worship, and of other things that they do use above nature.' Their temples and their various ceremonies, burying of the dead, mourning, marriages, &c., are all briefly noticed. Parke's account of the poor tallies badly with what exists in these degenerate times. The luxury of smoking opium was unknown in his day. Respect- ing the poor he says:

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"Manie things of great gouernment hath beene and shall be de- clared in this historie worthie to be considered: and in my opinion, this is not the least that is contayned in this chapter, which is such order as the king and his counsell hath giuen that the poore may not go a begging in the streets, nor in the temples whereas they make orations vnto their idols for the auoyding therof the king hath set downe an order, vpon great and greeuous penaltie to be executed upon the saide poore, if they do begge or craue in the streetes, and a greater penaltie vpon the citizens or townes men, if they do give vnto any such that beggeth, but must incontinent go and complaine on. them to the justice: who is one that is called the justice of the poore ordayned to punish such as doo breake the lawe, and is one of the principallest of the citie or towne, and hath no other charge but only this. And for that the townes be great and many and so full of peo- ple, and an infinite nomber of villages, whereas it cannot be chosen but there is many borne lame, and other misfortunes, so that he is not idle but alwaies occupied in giuing order to remedie the necessi- ties of the poore without breaking of the lawe. This judge the first day that hee doth enter into his office, hee commaundeth that whatsoeuer children be borne a creeple in any part of his members, or by sicknes be taken lame, or by any other misfortune, that incon- tinent their fathers or mother's doo giue the judge to vnderstande thereof that he may prouide for all things, necessarie, according vato the ordinance and will of the king and his counsell, the which is, the: man child or woman child, being brought before him, and seene the default or lacke that it hath, if it be so that with the same it may exercise any occupation, they giue and limit a time vnto the parents, for to teach the child that occupation ordayned by the judge, and it is such, as with their larénes they may vse without any impediment, the which is accomplished without faile: but if it so be that his lame- nes is such, that it is impossible to learne or exercise any occupation,

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