The form of government at present in Japan is pure despotism, to the exclusion of pontifical interference in the executive part. But as the Dairis, or spiritual mo narchs, reigned through a long period of hereditary suc cession, we can only account for the ascendency of the secular princes, by supposing that the former, resigning themselves to the more congenial and pleasing cares of religion, held the reins of government with a feeble hand.
This change was effected not without bloodshed and com motion. The veneration with which the Dairi arc still re garded resembles the honours paid to the gods themselves. His person is considered as too sacred to be exposed to the air and sun, and still less to the view of any human creature. lie never passes beyond the precincts of his court ; and if he is at any time under an absolute necessity of going out of his palace, he is generally borne on men's shoulders that he may not touch the earth. His hair, nails, and beard, are never suffered to be cut or cleaned, unless by stealth, and while he is asleep. He never eats twice from the same plate, and all the vessels once used in his meals, which ore purposely of an inferior kind of porcelain, are usually broken to pieces, that they may not be profaned by unhallowed hands His attendants are, with few exceptions, selected from his own kindred; and beyond the precincts of his court few persons know even his name till long after his death. Since the retrenchment of his power he derives his revenues from the town and district of Alined, from an allowance out of the Kubo's treasury, and from the large sums which he acquires by conferring titles of honour. This ecclesiastical court is likewise the principal scat of literature, and may be considered as the only university in the empire. The students are maintain ed and instructed at his expellee in the history of the coun try, mathematics, poetry, music, Ste. The Kubos, or secular emperors, now reign in hereditary succession. Each province of the empire is governed by a prince, who is responsible to the emperor for his administration. He enjoys the revenues of his government, keeps his court, and defrays all the civil expenses. Such an order of things appears to us only safe against turbulence and faction by powerful checks. Perhaps it is secured in Japan by mutual jealousy, and the impressions of unlimited sub mission to the emperor, a feature of character peculiarly Asiatic.
Thunberg informs us, that the laws of Japan are few, but rigidly enforced, without regard to persons. We have little acquaintance, however, with the Japanese code. We are told that most crimes are punished with death, and that none may incur this from ignorance, a brief code in large characters is posted up in every town and village, and regularly read in the temples. however, respects rather the crimes prohibited than the penalties annexed, which are said to be in some cases purposely kept t.n known, and this uncertainty they affirm to have a salutary effect in deterring offenders.
The Japanese have been celebrated for their proficiency in the arts and sciences. Perhaps the safest standard of comparison, in this respect, will be their neighbours the Chinese. They excel in manufactures of silk and cotton. Their swords are of curious workmanship. Their var nish is well known as inimitable, but for this they are chiefly indebted to the vegetable from which it is made. The Japanese cultivate music, painting, drawing, geogra phy, astronomy, and history. They are totally unac quainted with anatomy, and have no farther knowledge of natural philosophy and chemistry than a few notions gather ed from European physicians. Their surgery consists
almost entirely in burning pellets of moxa (or the leaves. of mugwort rubbed soft like cotton) upon the place which is supposed to be the seat of disease ; and thus forming an issue, which is kept open for some time. They also punc ture with a silver needle where pains are felt. Krusen stern mentions that one of the talks, (or interpreters of the Dutch language) knew that Teneriffe belonged to the Canary Islands, and St Catharines to Brazil, from which we may conclude that they are no despicable geographers for Asiatics. Their drawings, we suspect, may challenge competition with those of China, like them, bidding de fiance to perspective ; and so scrupulous arc they in copy ing from originals, that ugliness meets with no flattery from their portrait painters. Though we are not acquaint ed with the exact extent of their astronomical knowledge, we know that there is a set of people, called lssis, in habiting temples near Jeddo, who foretel eclipses of the sun and moon. Their predictions are inserted in calen dars, of which two sorts are published annually at Jcddo, one complete for the rich, and another abbreviated for the poor. Their art of printing is confined to the use of blocks, wide which they impress only one side of the pa per. Schools generally abound, and corporal punishment, it is said, is not introduced into their system of education. Their children are stimulated to emulation, and worthy achievements, by the recital of songs in praise of their deceased heroes. A few of the more studious acquire the Chinese language, and some of the physicians are able to understand the Dutch, and even the Latin. They have some knowledge of engraving ; and are tolerably versed in the practical part of surveying, so as to possess pretty accurate maps of their own country and its towns. Their artificers work very skilfully in iron and copper, and in a mixture of gold and copper, called sowas, which they have the art of staining black or blue by means of their ink. They excel in the fabrication of steel instruments, and their swords are of incomparable proof. They are ac quainted with the art of making glass, and grinding it for telescopes ; with the construction of watches, which they learned from their European visitors ; and with the manu facture of paper from the bark of the mulberry tree. Their silk and cotton stuffs are equal, and often superior to similar productions of other eastern countries ; and their laquering or varnishing in wood surpasses all the attempts which have ever been made in that department by any other people in the world. This varnish is made from the juice of the ibus vernix, which, upon its first exuding from the tree, is of a lightish colour, and of the consist ence of cream ; but the surface exposed to the air im mediately becomes black. It is of so transparent a na ture, that when it is laid unmixed upon boxes, and other articles of furniture, every vein of the wood may be clearly seen. But they make it of various colours, espe cially black or red, by mixing it with powdered substances of these colours. They apply it with a brush ; and with as smooth a surface as possible ; and when well dried in the sun it becomes harder than the board on which it is laid. It is then rubbed with a smooth stone and water, till completely polished, when it is covered with a mix ture of turpentine oil. This vatnish flies and cracks like glass when struck with a hard substance ; but is capable of being exposed to boiling water without leeching any damage.