One Of Our Chief Merchants, A Man Of Perfect
Credibility, Waited Upon An Eunuch Who Had Been Sent To Canfu, To Purchase
Some Goods From The Country Of The Arabs.
The eunuch had upon his breast a
short and beautiful silk vest, which was under another silk vest, and
Seemed to have two other vests over that again; and perceiving that the
Arab eyed him very steadfastly, he asked him the cause; and being told that
he admired the beauty of the little vest under his other garments, the
eunuch laughed, and holding out his sleeve to him, desired him to count how
many vests he had above that which he so much admired. He did so, and found
five, one over the other, and the little rich vest undermost. These
garments are all wove of raw silk, which has never been washed or fulled;
and those worn by the princes or governors are still richer, and more
exquisitely, wrought.
The Chinese surpass all nations in all arts, and particularly in painting,
and they perform such perfect work, as others can but faintly imitate. When
an artificer has finished a piece, he carries it to the prince's palace to
demand the reward which he thinks he deserves, for the beauty of his
performance; and the custom is for the prince to order the work to be left
at the gate of the palace for a whole year, and if in that time no person
finds a just fault in the piece, the artificer is rewarded, and admitted
into the body of artists; but if any fault is discovered, the piece is
rejected, and the workman sent off without reward.
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