The Travels of Marco Polo Volume I Part 111

NOTE 5.--"Filial piety is the fundamental principle of the Chinese polity." (_Amiot_, V. 129.) "In cases of extreme unfilial conduct, parents sometimes accuse their children before the magistrate, and demand his official aid in controlling or punis.h.i.+ng them; but such instances are comparatively rare.... If the parent require his son to be publicly whipped by the command of the magistrate, the latter is obliged to order the infliction of the whipping.... If after punishment the son remain undutiful and disobedient, and his parents demand it at the hands of the magistrate, the latter must, with the consent of the maternal uncles of the son, cause him to be taken out to the high wall in front of the yamun, and have him there publicly whipped to death." (_Doolittle_, 102-103.)

NOTE 6.--[Mr. Rockhill writes to me that pocket-spitoons are still used in China.--H. C.]

[1] "In the wors.h.i.+p carried on here the Emperor acts as a high priest. HE only wors.h.i.+ps; and no subject, however high in rank, can join in the adoration." (_Lockhart_.) The actual temple dates from 1420-1430; but the _Inst.i.tution_ is very ancient, and I think there is evidence that such a structure existed under the Mongols, probably only _restored_ by the Ming. [It was built during the 18th year of the reign of the third Ming Emperor Yung Loh (1403-1425); it was entirely restored during the 18th year of K'ien Lung; it was struck by lightning and burnt down in 1889; it is being re-built.--H. C.]

[2] In 1871 I saw in Bond Street an exhibition of (so-called) "spirit"

drawings, i.e. drawings alleged to be executed by a "medium" under extraneous and invisible guidance. A number of these extraordinary productions (for extraordinary they were undoubtedly) professed to represent the "Spiritual Flowers" of such and such persons; and the explanation of this as presented in the catalogue was in substance exactly that given in the text. It is highly improbable that the artist had any cognizance of Schott's Essay, and the coincidence was a.s.suredly very striking.

END OF VOL I.