Page:Ningpo to Shanghai.djvu/82

68   Opium smoking is also condemned, upon which some people are so mad. In the present day, says our poet, many a noble son of Han has stabbed himself with the opium dagger. Wine has also ruined households, and rulers have perish d through their fondness for drink.

Some very excellent remarks follow, shewing the necessity of paying attention to the minutiœ of actions; for, says our author, if you do not regard small matters, you will at length spoil great virtues.

This ode concludes by an appeal to the people, on the ground of the writer's having ascended to heaven; on which account he says, his words are entitled to credence.

The second poetical piece is entitled "an ode of correctness," which is principally a play upon the word correct, that term, either in its positive or negative form occurring 60 times. This poem contains various allusions to Chinese history, illustrative of the possession of correct principle, or the want of it. It may be interesting to a native reader, but it contains nothing worthy of notice by foreigners.

Then follow two prose productions, the first entitled, "An essay on the origin of virtue for the awakening of the age." It contains many truths liberal in their principle and new to the Chinese; the sentences are somewhat tautological, to an extent that would not be tolerated in English composition, but the sentiments are congenial to every right feeling.

The writer begins by denouncing narrowness of mind, as exhibited in local likes and dislikes, and after ringing the changes on this subject throught a page or two, he proceeds to tell us that the ancient sages of China made no difference between one country and another, but viewed all alike. Having sufficiently illustrated these points, he tell us that God is the universal Father, that China and foreign nations are all equally under his rule and that all men are brethren. After quoting a passage from Confucius, illustrative of a happy state of society, said to have prevailed in his days, the writer laments that "now, such a state of society is hardly to be looked for; nevertheless when disorder is at its utmost height, order is sometimes elicited, and the unfeeling world is occassionally rendered loving."