[VOL II] THE FOUNTAIN COURT IN COMSEEQUA’S HOUSE

THE FOUNTAIN COURT IN COMSEEQUA’S HOUSE,CANTON

Cover Image: The Fountain Court in Conseequa’s House, Canton / GuangZhou GuangDong China / Drawn by T. Allom Engraved by C.T.Dixon – ALAMY Image ID:2X55MX0

*Canseequa was a businessman from Hunan. After his death, this luxurious mansion was sold to pay off debts. / From a Drawing in the possession of Sir Geo. Staunton, Bart.

“Be gentle with woman, our heart of hearts,
Who loveth us even while life departs!
Oh! call her not fickle, nor false, nor vain!
Oh! touch not a heart so tender with pain!”

BARRY CORNWALL.

THERE is considerable difficulty in explaining the origin of customs in daily use in our own country, whose antiquity extends no further back than a few hundreds of years: there are even architectural structures in some parts of the United Kingdom (Scotland and Ireland) built not earlier than the tenth century, whose objects are totally unknown, although the same race of inhabitants has continued to dwell around them. We must not therefore express surprise at the inability of travellers to unfold the mystery in which the usages of China are involved. We have the most incontestable evidence of the delicacy with which females are treated in every rank of Chinese society – the tenderness exercised towards them by men, who are, in all other instances, of coarse and cruel habits; we see the costliness of female apparel, the choice quality of their food, and the sumptuousness of their apartments and villas; yet we are gravely told of “the idea of inferiority attached to the female character in China.” There must in this conclusion be some profound mistake: it is more probable that interpreters have misunderstood the originals, from their ignorance of national customs, than that a being despised and disqualified for graver duties, even destined by parents to an unnoticed and uncensured death, should be adopted as the bosom-friend, the admired, the very living idol, of the lords of the creation: that his best efforts, physical and mental, should be solely directed to procure, for this rejected and insignificant creature, every comfort and luxury that life is capable of demanding or partaking – and his affections confined to a single object taken from this condemned and worthless part of the creation. When, therefore, female insignificance in China is spoken of, it should be received with some distrust as to the correctness of our information.

The section of Conseequa’s palace near Canton, including the fountain-court, is less magnificent than others that have already been presented in these illustrations; still, beautiful, and fanciful, and graceful enough to exemplify most happily the prevalent style of horticultural architecture, and display the mode in which ladies of quality pass away their leisure hours in China. This shadowed and shaded part of the garden, with drooping branches, resist the sultry sunbeams, while the surface of the little lake diffuses a cool refreshing feeling to the visitors of its rocky shores. The pillars and fretwork that grace the buildings, are adorned with gilding and gaudy colours; the boat is the most fantastic structure that art can counterfeit, and the robes of these “ladies of the lake,” all silk, and embroidery, and gold. It is a principal object in domestic ornamental architecture, as well as in landscape gardening, to impart an idea of distance; and for this purpose remarkable objects are introduced at such intervals as contribute to this delusion in perspective. Long colonnades, and corridors or galleries, are favourite ideas within; bridges, and observatories, and rock-work, without. It forms no minor part of Chinese ladies’ daily occupations to make excursions over these tiny lakes, from terrace to pavilion, across their fairy bridges, from pavilion to pagoda; and this with all the interest of a serious journey.

We are assured by translators of Chinese books of mystery, that the softer is the less honoured sex; – that may be without any idea of degradation: that Yang, the highest of heaven, is of the masculine gender, while Yin, the earth, is feminine – which does not imply anything more than that heaven is superior to earth. Yet from this it has been argued that female inferiority is entirely divested of honour. Dr. Morrison’s translation from a native work, whose authenticity or value is uncertain, contributes to strengthen an impression for which there is no solid proof. It is as follows – “When a son is born, he sleeps on a bed, he is clothed with robes, he plays with gems- his cry is princely loud. But, when a daughter is born, she is clothed with a wrapper, she plays with a tile – she is incapable either of evil or good; it is hers only to think of preparing. wine and food, and not giving any occasion of grief to her parents.” The sentence, “she is incapable of evil or good,” may also be translated, “she is not able to endure fatigue or misery,” giving a totally different, and much more delicate meaning, to the whole passage, which is, in either case, a childish composition. There is an additional argument for supposing that the kindness shown to females in China is not associated, so unmeaningly, with the idea of their natural inferiority; at all events, if it be, that translators or travellers are still unable to prove their conjectures, – it is, that the origin of the custom of distorting the feet is beyond their explanatory powers; fable alone is appealed to for an exposition of this hateful custom. “It happened,” write Celestial antiquaries, many centuries ago, “that the Chinese women conspired against the government, and, with the courage of the Amazons of old, endeavoured to destroy the existing order of things. In this attempt they were defeated, and, to prevent a repetition of the offence, all female infants were henceforth compelled by law to wear wooden shoes, so that they might be incapable of marching to the field of battle.” Since no more satisfactory account of this painful practice, relating to female life and manners in China, can yet be ascertained, it seems but justice to the sex to suspend our opinions as to the degree of love, respect, and honour allotted to them by the customs, laws, and religions of China.