The governor and other magistrates of Peking and the commanders of troops stationed at the capital shall strictly attend to the subject of these instructions, and severally address edicts to the soldiers and people in their respective jurisdictions, declaring that all persons henceforth frequenting the Europeans in order to learn their doctrines will be punished with the utmost rigour of the law, without exception or abatement, for having acted in defiance of the present prohibition.-As for the rest we confirm the sentence of the court.-Khin-tse.

The second Edict is a remarkable instance of that solicitude about the condition of prisons, which in Europe has been one of the latest fruits of civilization. In China, where no novelties are suffered, it must have been part of the ancient policy of the empire. It must be owned that this Edict breathes a spirit which no European government manifested towards prisoners before the memorable journeys of Howard.

IMPERIAL EDICT,

Issued on the 22d Day of the intercalary 6th Moon of the 10th Year of the Emperor Ria-King (August the 16th, 1805).

We have received the address of Na-yen-tching viceroy and Pe-ling sub-viceroy of the province of Canton, charging certain magistrates of districts with neglect and delay in the execution of justice, in consequence of which the prisons had become inadequate to contain all the offenders successively committed for trial; secondly, with connivance at the rapacity and extortion of their attendants; and lastly, with the illegal employment of female curators, by which several offences the lives of many of our subjects had been endangered or sacrificed: we are accordingly solicited to degrade and remove the said magistrates.

The magistrates of districts are undoubtedly forbidden by existing regulations to employ any subsidiary places of confinement; and in the event of the increased number of informations against delinquents in the principal districts, including the capital of the province of Canton, requiring such an expedient, it was the duty of the magistrates thereof to have represented

the exigency to the superior officers of government, in order that the adoption of the measure, if necessary, should receive the sanction of the laws.

It has now appeared upon investigation that three subsidiary prisons had nevertheless been employed in the district of Nan-hay, and that the attendants of the tribunal in the said district made use of fifty other places of occasional confinement. In the district of Pun-yu one subsidiary prison was found, called Tay-heu-so, and twelve places of occasional confinement. It was moreover discovered that the attendants had been criminally suffered to divide those places of confinement into cells, and to inclose them with a railing, whereby dark dungeons were formed with the view of practising fraud and extortion upon the unfortunate persons who might be confined therein; among whom many grew sick and died from the severity of the imprisonment.

Lastly, it has appeared that the female prisoners, previous to their being discharged or receiving sentence, were usually committed to the custody of female curators, by whom it frequently happened that the younger women were exposed to prostitution, the wages whereof become a source of profit to the curators.

The conduct of the magistrates who permitted these abuses is no less odious than extraordinary, and they seem utterly to have neglected the laws of the empire and the happiness of the people, with whom, by reason of their inferior jurisdiction, they were more intimately connected and bound to than other officers of government.

On these grounds the viceroy and sub-viceroy have solicited their degradation and removal; and accordingly we decree that Vang-shy, magistrate of the district of Nan-hay, and Siao-hing-vu, magistrate of the district of Pun-hu, be divested of their respective employments, and expiate their guilt by an immediate banishment to Elee in Tartary.

And as it is evident from the existence of these abuses, that the superintending officers of that province have been guilty of supineness and neglect of due examination in their respective departments, we direct that the Supreme Criminal Court do take cognisance of the censurable conduct of Oui-she-poo, the late viceroy, and of Sun-yu-ting and Hoo-tu-lee,

successively sub-viceroys of the province of Canton; and likewise of the conduct of the Anchasee (chief justice), the Leang-tao (his deputy), and the Quang-chevu-foo (governor of the city of Canton), who by virtue of their respective offices possessed a jurisdiction and controul over the said guilty magistrates.

We order that Na-yin-tching also proceed to ascertain by investigation at what period, and under the government of what magistrates, these abuses commenced, and speedily report the same for our consideration, showing the degree of misconduct with which such magistrates and their superintending officers are chargeable.

With regard to Na-yen-tching and Pe-ling, who had so lately succeeded to the government of the province, we highly applaud the vigour and ability they have shown in the administration of public affairs; and it is our pleasure that the Supreme Court take their merits into consideration. -Khin-tse (i. e. respect this).

!

IV.

ACCOUNT OF THE AKHLAUK-E-NASIREE, OR

MORALS OF NASIR,

A CELEBRATED PERSIAN SYSTEM OF ETHICS.

By Lieutenant EDWARD FRISSELL*, of the Bombay Establishment.

Read 25th August, 1806.

I HAVE the honour to present to the Society a sketch of the contents of the Akhlauk-e-Nasiree, or Morals of Nasir, with some translations from that work, as specimens of the author's principles and manner of reasoning.The Akhlauk-e-Nasiree is not confined to morals: it is, in reality, a system of ethics, œconomics, and politics, and is considered by the Persians and Mahomedans of India as one of the best treatises which they possess on those most important subjects. Of this work little I believe is generally known beyond its name. I am therefore induced to hope, that some acquaintance with it may be deemed an object sufficiently interesting to warrant my making to the Society so trifling an offering.

The writings of any of the Asiatics are not likely to lead to any direct improvements in real philosophy. But the examination of them is both curious and useful, as it tends to throw further light on the history of philosophy, which is one of the most interesting parts of human knowledge.

In the following translations I have not attempted by any alteration in arrangement, or, where it was possible to avoid it, by any change of expression, to render them more respectable as literary performances: it has been my object to adhere as closely as possible to the original, being con

* This excellent young man, who united talents for business with a respectable proficiency in Western as well as Eastern literature, and who was tenderly beloved by his friends for the mild integrity and modest dignity of his character, died of a pulmonary consumption at Calcutta a short time after the communication of the above Essay.

vinced that in every thing connected with Oriental literature the most perfect candour and most minute exactness should be strictly observed. The Akhlauk-e-Nasiree was written by Mahomed son of Hussun of Toos, who was generally called Nusseeroodeen. He was born A. D. 1201, and died in 1284.

The work was composed during his residence in Cohistan, and was dedicated to Naseeroodeen Abdool Ruheem, prince of that country; from which circumstance it has been called the Akhlauk-e-Nasiree.

Nusseeroodeen is said to have composed a treatise on Mahomedan law and he was certainly the author of different mathematical works. He was highly esteemed by Hulakoo Khan, the grandson of the celebrated Chungiz, and was finally established by that prince at Murakah in Ader baijan, where he prepared the Astronomical Tables which are still extant.

INTRODUCTION.

The subject of this work being one of the branches of Philosophy, it is necessary to explain the meaning of that term, and its divisions, that the sense in which it is used in this book may be understood.

In the language of men of learning, Philosophy means the knowledge of things as they are, and the performance of actions as they ought to be performed, to the extent that our powers will permit; in order that the human mind may reach that perfection to which it inclines.

This being the case, philosophy is divided into two parts-Knowledge and Practice. Knowledge is the apprehension of things, and the determination of their laws and properties, as they really exist, to the extent that human capacity will admit. Practice is the regulation of actions and the management of affairs, in order that what exists in potentiality may come forth into act; provided it lead from defectiveness to perfection, as far as the capability of man will admit: whoever attains to the possession of these two things is a complete philosopher and perfect man, and his rank is the highest of the human species. According to the divine word,

"He giveth philosophy to him whom he chooseth; and to him to whom philosophy is given, is given the greatest good.”