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The diftribution of colours, and the philofophical arrangements of them in prifmatic order, produce a striking and a pleafing ef fect, and fhew that Mr. Weft has clofely ftudied optics, and perfectly understands the theory of light and colours. In short, to fum up all the other requifites necessary to form a good historical picture, viz. propriety of character, obfervance of coftumé, &c. &c. we may fairly pronounce this picture to be one of the best this country has produced.

No. 20. The Refurrection of Our Saviour-By B. Weft, R. A. "The angel ha❝ving removed the ftone from the door of "the fepulchre" is finely expreffed, as viewing the Divinity that iffues forth with a respect and veneration due to a fuperior being. The figure of Our Saviour is justly drawn, except the right leg, which feems to be fomewhat too large, and at first view gives to the figure a form too athletic. This defect, or rather this effect, might be eafily remedied. -The colouring of this picture poffeffes an extraordinary degree of clearnefs and brilliancy, and thews Mr. Weft to be greatly improved in this enchanting branch of the art.

The next in merit, in the hiftorical line, appear to be thofe of Mr. Opie and Mr. Northcote.

No. 96. The Affaffination of King James the First of Scotland, &c.

This picture is conceived with much fpirit and propriety of action, particularly the female figures.—However, it has been obferved, that the King rather expofes his body too much to the blow of the principal affaffin, whofe countenance does not feem to exhibit any traits of the character of a murderer.

The drawing of the beads is good, and in a large broad manner: the reft of the figure not fo correct, but feems to want that practice in defign, which we difcover in the heads. On the whole, this picture must be allowed a work of great merit, and does Mr. Opie very great credit.

The picture of Mr. Northcote which claims our first attention, is No. 188. The two young Princes murdered in the Tower. The ftory is admirably told; and at once Speaks the horrid deed. The drawing well put together, with firmness and precifion, particularly the men. -The clear obfcure fomewhat defective, from the great mass of light (in the lower part, where the Princes lie afleep) not being fulic ently connected with the upper patt. However, on the whole, the effect is ftriking. The colouring appears to have too much black in the fha. dows, which gives the picture, at first fight, a leaden hue: and this effect is encreafed by the red draperies being thrown too much toward the fides of the picture, which deprives it of that brilliancy which we have ever obferved in the works of thofe aruits

most eminent for colouring. Notwithstanding the defects abovementioned, this picture is a work of great merit, and which does honour to the prefent times. It is faid to have been purchafed by Mr. Alderman Boydell: No. 203. The Death of Prince Maximilian of Brunfwick. The diftrefs which this picture exhibits, is finely fupported through. out. The drawing is equally correct as that of the former picture. The characters of the heads of thofe who accompany the Prince, are very expreffive; evidently sensible of the danger of their own fituation, as well as that of their Prince.

Mr. Fufeli. This artist undoubtedly posfeffes a confiderable thare of genius, and of learning. He has also a great deal of imagination: 'tis pity it were not more under the guidance of judgment, and that he would paint more from nature.

It is a difficult task to estimate the merits of this artist's works, by any rule or criterion by which we judge of others. Pictures are, or ought to be, a representation of natural objects, delineated with taste and precision. Mr. Fufeli gives us the human figure from the recollection of its form, and not from the form itself; he feems to paint every thing from fancy, which renders his works almoft incomprehenfible, and leaves no criterion to judge of them, but the imagination. This we conceive to be an attempt of the painter to express what lies more within the reach of the poet; and cannot be admitted in painting, unless accompanied by such correctness and truth, as we obferve in Raphael and Texiers, who have painted subjects of a similar kind with the Shepherd's Dream. If Mr. Fufeli would pay a proper attention to the circumstances abovementioned, his pictures in the line of poetical painting, would rank very high indeed.

Signora Angelica Kauffman has three pieces in the prefent Exhibition, No. 86, 196, and 214. These pictures poffefs that character which ufually conftitutes her works; but they do not appear to be either fo beautifully conceived or fo tasty in their execution, as to drawing, characters, or colour, as thofe which the painted in England. They feem to be done from memory of her former works; and no new beauties have been added to her ftyle, by her late tour to Italy.

Mr. J. Turnbull. No. 132. The Return of Priam with the Body of Hector. This picture clearly fhews, that Mr. Turnball poffeffes many of the great requifites for a painter. When we examine the compofition, drawing, clear obfcure, colouring, &c. we may fairly pronounce it the first work of an artift that muft, when practice fhall bring his talents to maturity, make a diftinguished figure in the line of historical painting.

OBSERVATIONS on the MANNERS, CUSTOMS, DRESS, AGRICULTURE, &c. of the JAPANESE.

[By C. P. THUNBERG, formerly PHYSICIAN to the Dutch Factory in Japan *.] (Continued from Page 238,)

HE obfervant traveller proceeds to men

the houfes of the Japanese. Each room has two or more windows, which begin near the cieling and reach down within a couple of feet of the floor. They confift of light fafhes, which can be put in and taken out at pleasure, and flide behind each other in two grooves made for this purpofe in the beams above ar d below. They are divided into rectangular panes, which are fometimes forty in number; on the outfide they are covered with fine white paper, which is feldom or never oiled, and which admits a good deal of light, though it prevents all profpect without. The roof pro jects far beyond the house, and is fometimes lengthened out with a fmall feparate roof, which covers a gallery built without the house and before the windows. From this fmaller, pafs inwards and downwards fquare bits of wood, on which mats intended for blinds made of reeds are hung; thefe mats can be roll'd up or extended at will; they forve partly to prevent paffengers from looking into the house, but chiefly to skreen the paper windows from rain. The windows are never glazed; nor did I ever obferve mother of pearl, or glacies marie ufed for this purpose.

The floor is always covered with mats, made of a fine fort of grafs (a juncus) and stuffed with rice-ftraw to the thickness of three or four inches. They are always of the fame fize, viz, a fathom in length, and half one in breadth. They are adorned along the fides with a thin blue or black band. It was only in the emperor's palace at Japan that I saw mats larger than the common fize. In the meaner houfes there is a part of the room at the further end Dot cover'd with mats; it ferves inftead of an antichamber for a place to take the fhoes off. Within, the floor is raised and covered with mats. This is the inhabited part of the house: it may be divided into several apart. ments by boards. The walls within, and the cieling, are covered with beautiful thick paper, on which various flowers are imprinted, either of green, yellow, white, or variegated colours, and fometimes with filver and gold intermixed. The paste they ufe to faften it on is made of rice, and, as the fmoke during the winter foils this tapestry very much, it is renewed every third or fourth year.

The part of the house fronting the street ferves tradesmen and mechanics for their fhop, and the back part only is inhabited. In the room which ferves for a kitchen there is no

EUROF. MAG.

other hearth than a hole in the middle, fur.

er than the furface of the mats furrounding them.

The houfe is blackened with smoke, for there is no chimney except a hole in the roof, and accidents from fire often happen from the vacuity of the mats.

Every houfe has a fmall court, which is often adorned with portions of earth thrown up, and various trees, fhrubs, and flower-pots. Every house has also a room for bathing, commonly on one fide of the court. In Jeddo, and fome other cities, every house has a storehoufe built of stone and fecure from fire, in which they can fave their property.

Fire places and stoves are unknown in the whole.country, though the cold is fo fevere that fires must be made in the apartments from October till March. The fire is made in pots of copper with broad projecting edges, the cavity is fill'd with clay or athes, and in this is laid well-burn'd charcoal. This grate is fet in the middle or at one fide of the room. They either kindle the fire feveral times a day, or keep it up conftantly, according to the ufe which is made of the room. Such fires are however fubject to many inconve niences; the charcoal fometimes fmokes and the room is difcoloured, and the eyes fuffer fe verely.

The Japanese houses have not, either in the cities or the country, the convenience or beauty of the European. The rooms are not fo cheerful, nor in the winter fo warm, nor fo fecure from fire, nor fo durable. The femi tranfparent paper windows in particular give them both within and without a mean appearance.

The public buildings are more spacious, but in the fame ftile. The roof, which is adorned with a number of towers of a peculiar appearance, constitutes their chief orna

ment.

The cities are fome of them very large. They are fometimes furrounded with a wall and fofle, especially thofe where any chief holds his court. The capital Jeddo is faid to be in circumference twenty-one hours walk, or about twenty one French leagues. I had an opportunity to furvey from an eminence this fpacious city, which equals if it does not exceed Pekin in fize. The streets are both ftraight and wide; they are divided by gates at certain diftances, as in all the other cities; at each gate there is a very high staircase, from

From the ENGLISH REVIEW for April, 1786.
Sf

the

the top of which fires, which happen very often, may be easily discovered.

Villages are diftinguished from cities by hav ing only one street, which is of an incredible length, generally exceeding a mile and half, and often fo long, that it requires feveral hours to traverse them. They lie fometimes fo close to one another, that nothing but a bridge or a brook, and a different name, feparates them.

Correfponding to the fimplicity of the architecture is the fcantinefs of the houfhold furniture, which however is fuch as not a little te contribute to convenience, and even to the ornament of the houfe. They have no clofets, bureaus, chefts, fofas, beds, tables, chairs, clock, looking-glafs, &c. Most of these articles are neither ufed nor known. The foft mats, which cover the floor, ferve for chairs, and beds. At meal-time a little table, a foot fquare, and ten inches high, is fet before each perfon. Upon holidays a foft mattrafs ftuffed with cotton is laid upon the mats. Cupboards, chests, bureaus, and boxes are kept in a feparate room. Most of the Eaft Indian nations fit cross legged, but the Chinese and Japanese fet their feet under their body, and fo make their heels ferve for a chair.

With refpect to the variety of eatables which are found in the Japanese ifles and the furrounding fea, partly the produce of nature, and partly reared or prepared by art, the country of which I am speaking exceeds perhaps all others hitherto difcovered. The Japanese ufe not only whatever is itself wholefome or nourishing, but almost every article of the animal and vegetable kingdoms, even poisonous things, which are so prepared as to be fit for use. All the dishes are cut into fmall pieces, well drefs'd and stuffed, and mixed with proper fauce. Hence, every thing being prepared, no one at the table has the trouble of cutting large flices and diftributing them among the other guests. At the time of eating each perfon fets himself down on the foft n at in the ufual manner. Before each perfon is placed a little fquare table, on which are fet the things that are before-hand destined in the kitchen for each guest, on the cleaneft veffel of porcelain or japanned wood. Thefe veffels have tolerably large bafons, and are always provided with a cover. The first difh is fifh and fifh foup. The foup is drank out of cups, but the bits of meat are taken up with two lackered fkewers, which they hold between the fingers of the right hand, and use so dextrously, that they can take up the fmalleft grain of rice with them, and they ferve inftead of knife and fork. As foon as one thing is fiuifhed, the dish is removed and another fet in its place. The Jaft thing is brought in a blue porcelain cup, which is provided. The fervant who carries

in the meat falls upon his knees when he fets it down, and also when he removes it. When a number eat in company, they make each other profound bows before they begin. Women do not eat with the men, but by themfelves. Between every remove they drink facki, or oil of rice, which is pour'd out of a tea-kettle into a faucer of varnish'd wood, At this time they eat fometimes a quarter of a hard boiled egg, and with this they empty fe veral faucers. They commonly eat three times a day, about eight in the morning, two in the afternoon, and again at eight. Some eat without any regular order, just as they are hungry, fo that the meat must stand ready all day, Rice, which is of a very white colour and ex, cellent tafte, fupplies the Japanese with bread; it is dreffed with the other meat. Mife foup, boiled with fish and onions, is univerfally eat en, and commonly at each meal. Mife is ke lintfeed; it is the fmall beans of the deliber foia.

Tea and oil of facki are the only liquors of the Japanese, a much smaller number than the thirsty Europeans can produce They never ufe wine or fpirits, and will fcarcely tafte them when they are offered by the Dutch. The tafte of coffee is unknown but to a few interpreters, and brandy is not among them a ne ceffary of life. They have not yet allowed themfelves to be corrupted by the Europeans who vifit them. Rather than take from others what may be useful or convenient, they have preferved in its purity an ancient mode of living, left they thould unawares introduce practices that may in time become hurtful.

Sacki is a kind of oil which they prepare from rice. It is tolerably clear and not unlike wine, but has a peculiar tafte, which can scarcely be counted very agreeable. When the liquor is very fresh it is whitish; but when it is put into a fmall wooden veffel it becomes very brown. This drink is kept in all the inns, as wine in the taverns of Europe. It conftitutes their entertainment at festivals and times of rejoicing, and it is ufed as wine by perfons of diftinction at their meals. The Japanese never drink it cold, but, heating it in common tea kettles, pour it out into fhallew cups of varnifhed wood, and take it very warm. They very foon become intoxicated; but this paffes off in a few minutes, leaving behind a fevere head-ach. Sacki is imported to Bata via, where it is drank before meals to what the appetite; the white fort, on account of 5 lefs difagreeable tafte, is preferred. Tea ufed over all the country to allay thirit. Hence a kettle with boiling water and pulve rized tea is kept over the fire in every houfe, and more efpecially in every inn. The brown decoction is diluted and cooled with cold wa ter.

Smoaking

Smoaking of tobacco was not an ancient practice in Japan, it was probably introduced by the Portuguese. The Japanese have no other name for this plant; both fexes (moke. The quantity confumed is all reared in the country, and is the common fort. It is divided into filaments almost as fine as hair. The pipes are small, fcarce more than fix inches long; they are of varnished bamboos, with head and mouth-piece of copper: the head is fo fmall, that fcarce the third of a

can be put in, which is done with the finger. A pipe is finished at a few draughts; it is then emptied of the ashes, and fill'd again. The fmoke is blown out thro' both the noftrils and mouth. Perfons of distinction use the following apparatus: An oblong box, nine inches long, fix broad, and three fingers high, is fet before every gueft. In this are laid pipes and tobacco; and three cups are fet at the fame time, all of which are used in smoaking. One of these cups, which are generally of thick porcelain, is filled with ashes, on which a live coal is placed to light the pipe: the fecond ferves to receive the afhes, which are struck out of the pipe when it is finished; it is ufual to extinguish them by spitting on them: the third cup is used as a spitting-box. When vifits are made, this apparatus is the first thing which is prefented. A box of this kind is fometimes provided with a cover, which is fastened on with a ribband, and carried by a fervant, when they go to places where they do not expect to be treated with tobacco. The common people generally carry both pipes and tobacco with them when they go out. The pipe is put into a case, which is stuck in the girdle on the right fide. The purfes for hold. ing tobacco are scarce a hand in length or breadth; they are provided with a flap, which is faftened with an ivory hook. Thefe purfes are fufpended at the girdle by a filken string, and a cornelian, or a piece of agate. They are generally made of a peculiar fort of filk, with interwoven flowers of gold and filver.

The sciences are very far from having ar rived at the fame height in Japan as in Europe. The history of the country is, notwithstanding, more authentic, perhaps, than that of any other country; and it is studied, without diftinction, by all. Agriculture, which is confidered as the art most neceffary, and most conducive to the support and prosperity of the kingdom, is no where in the world brought to fuch perfection as here, where neither civil nor foreign war, nor emigration, diminishes population; and where a thought is never entertained, ei ther of getting poffeffion of other countries, or to import the ufelefs, and often hurtful productions of foreign lands; but where the ut moft care is taken that no turf lies uncultivated, and no produce of the earth unemployed.

Aftronomy is pursued and respected; but the natives are unable, without the aid of Chinese, and sometimes of Dutch almanacks, to form a true calendar, or calculate an eclipfe of the fun or moon within minutes and feconds. Medicine has never arrived, nor is it likely to arrive at any degree of perfection. Anatomy is totally unknown; the knowledge of diseases imperfect, intricate, and often fabulous. Botany and the knowledge of medicines conftitute the whole of their skill. They use only fimples; and these generally in diuretic and diaphoretic decoctions. They are unacquainted with compound medicines. Their physi cians always, indeed, feel the pulfe; but they are very tedious, not quitting for a quarter of an hour; besides, they examine first one, and then the other arm, as if the blood was not driven by the fame heart to both pulfes. Befides those diseases which they have in com→ mon with other countries or peculiar to themfelves, the venereal disease is very frequent, which they have only as yet understood how to alleviate by decoctions, thought to purify the blood. Salivation, which their phyficians have heard mentioned by the Dutch furgeons, appears to them extremely formidable, both to conduct and to undergo; but they received with gratitude and joy the method of cure by aqua mercurialis, which I had the fatisfaction first to instruct them in. Different interpreters used this method as early as the year 1775 or 1776, and perfectly restored, under my direction, many, both in Nogasaki and out of it. Jurifprudence is not an extensive study in Japan. No country has thinner law.books, or fewer judges. Explanations of the laws, ` and advocates, are things altogether unknown; but no where, perhaps, are the laws more cer→ tainly put in force, without refpect to perfons, without partiality or violence. They are very strict, and law-fuits very short. The Jas panese know little more of phyfics or chy mistry, than what they have learned of late years of the Europeans.

Manufactures are much practifed through the whole country. In fome cafes they are inferior, in others they are fuperior, to the bestwrought articles of European industry. They work very well in copper and iron. Their filks and cottons equal, and sometimes exceed, those wrought in India. Their varnished wood-ware, especially the old, exceed every thing of the kind which other countries have produced.

Agriculture is in the highest repute. Notwithstanding the wildness of the mountains, the foil, even of the mountains themfelves, as well as the hills, is cultivated up to the very top. They need not their premiums and encouragement; fince in that country, the farmer is confidered as the most useful citizen; Sta

nor

nor is he oppreffed by thofe numerous burdens which, in other countries, prevent, and at all times will prevent, the improvement of his art. He is fubject to none of those various fervices which in many countries of Europe confume fo much of his time and labour. His whole obligation confifts in the neceflity of cultivating his land. If a farmer does not, every year, employ a certain part of his land, he lofes it, and another, who is able, may take it. Thus he may employ his whole study and time in the care of his land, aflifted in it by his wife and children. There are no meadows in the whole country, but the whole land is either ploughed or planted; and, no space being loft in extensive meadows, for the fupport of cattle, nor in large and ufelefs plantations of tobacco, nor in rearing grain of fecondary ufe, the whole country is covered with habitations and people, and is able to main tain, in plenty, its innumerable inhabitants. In no part is manure collected with greater industry; fo that nothing, which can be employed for this purpofe, is loft. The cattle are fed at home all the year, that every thing which falls from them may remain in the yard; and horfes upon the road are followed by old men and children, for the fake of their dung; nay, even urine itself, which fo feldom is used to fertilize the fields of Europe, is carefully collected in earthen pitchers, which are buried in the ground, not only in the villages, but here and there by the fide of the high road. The manure, thus fcrupulously collected, is ufed in a manner very different from that of any other country. The Japanese does not carry out his dunghill, either in winter or in fummer, into his fallows, to be dried by a burning fun, and to lose strength by the evaporation of the volatile falt and oils, but he fubmits to the difagreeable task of mixing various forts of dung, and the refufe of the kitchen, with urine and water, till it forms an uniform thin paste, which he carries out in two large buc kets to his field, and waters the plant, now grown to the height of a few inches, by means of a ladle, taking care that the moisture fhall penetrate to the root. By this method of manuring, and by affiduous weeding, the fields are kept to perfectly free of weeds, that the moft tharp-fighted will scarce be able to dif cover, in a journey of feveral days, a strange plant among the crops. The pains taken by the farmer to till even the parch'd fides of the mountains, exceeds belief. Though the fpot should not be above a yard square, he will raise a stone-wall in the declivity, fill it with in with earth, and manure and fow rice, or plant fome vegetable.

and agreeable root. Several forts of beans and peas are planted in great quantities; as, alfo muftard, from the feeds of which they express oil for lamps; its yellow flowers con. Atitute the ornament of whole fields.

Their computation of time takes its rife from MIN-0, or 660 years before Chrift. The year is divided according to the changes of the moon; fo that fome years confift of twelve, others of thirteen months; and the beginning of the year falls out in February or March. They have no weeks confifting of seven days, or of fix working days and a holiday; but the first and fifteenth day of the mouth ferve for, a holiday. On these days no work is done, On new-year's day they go round to with one another a new year, with their whole fami lies, clad in white and blue chequered, their holiday drefs; and they reft almost the whole of the first month. The day is divided only into twelve hours; and in this divifion they are directed the whole year by the rifing and fetting of the fun. They reckon fix o'clock at the rifing, and fix likewife at the fetting of the fun, Midday and midnight are always at nine. Time is not measured by clocks, or hour glaffes, but with burning matches, whichare twifted together like ropes, and divided by knots. When the match is burnt to a knot, which indicates a certain portion of time elapfed, notice is given, during the day, by ftriking the bells of the temples; and in the night, by the watchmen striking two boards against one another. A child is always reckoned a year old at the end of the year of his birth, whether this happen at the beginning or the clofe. A few days after the beginning of the year, is performed the borrid ceremony of trampling on images reprefenting the crofs, and the Virgin Mary with her child. The images are of melted copper, and are faid to be fcarce a foot in height. This ceremony is intended to imprefs every individual with hatred to the Chriftian doctrine, and the Portuguese, who attempted to introduce it there; and alfo to difcover whether there is any remnant of it left among the Japanese. It is performed in the places where the Christians chicfly refided. In Nogafaki it lafts four days; then the images are conveyed to the circumjacent places, and afterwards are laid afide against the next year. Every perfon, except the Japanese governor and his attendants, even the imalleft child, must be present; but it is not true, as fome have pretended, that the Dutch are alío obliged to trample on the image.

Overfeers are appointed in every place, which affemble the people in companies, in certain houfes, call over the name of every one in his turn, and take care that every thing goes on properly. The children not yet able to walk, have their feet placed upon it; older perfons pafs over it from one fide of the room to the other. [ To be continued. 7

A thousand fuch beds adorn almost every hill, and give them an appearance which fur prifes the spectator. Rice is the principal grain. Buck-wheat, 1 ye, barley, and wheat, are dom ufed. The batata is the moft abundant

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