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. It happened once, that
one of these artists painted an ear of corn, with a bird perched upon it,
and his performance was very much admired. This piece, stood exposed to
public view as usual, and one day a crooked fellow going past, found fault
with the picture, and was immediately conducted to the prince or governor,
who sent for the painter that he might hear his piece criticized. Being
asked what fault he had to find, he answered, that every one knew that a
bird never settles on an ear of corn, but it must bend under the weight;
whereas this painter had represented the ear of corn bolt upright, though
loaded with a bird. The objection was held just, and the painter was
dismissed without reward. By such means, they excite their workmen to aim
at perfection, and to be exceedingly nice and circumspect in what they
undertake, and to apply their whole genius to any thing that has to go
through their hands.
There dwelt at Basra one Ebn Wahab, of the tribe of Koreish, descended from
Hebar, the son of Al Asud, who quitted Basra when it was sacked, and came
to Siraff, where he saw a ship preparing to sail for China[3]. The humour
took him to embark in this ship for China, and he had the curiosity to
visit the emperor's court. Leaving Canfu, he went to Cumdan, after a
journey of two months, and remained a long while at the court, where he
presented several petitions to the emperor, setting forth, that he was of
the family of the prophet of the Arabs. After a considerable interval, the
emperor ordered him to be lodged in a house appointed for the purpose, and
to be supplied with every thing he might need. The emperor then wrote to
the governor of Canfu, to inquire carefully among the Arabian merchants
respecting this man's pretensions; and receiving a full confirmation of his
extraction, received him to an audience, and made him rich presents, with
which he returned to Irak.
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