Charles Gutzlaff

The Life of Taou-kwang, Late Emperor of China; with Memoirs of the Court of Peking; Including a Sketch of the Principal Events in the History of the Chinese Empire During the Last Fifty Years Charles Gutzlaff

The Life Of Taou-Kwang, Late Emperor Of China - With Memoirs Of The Court Of Peking; Including A Sketch Of The Principal Events In The History Of The Chinese Empire During The Last Fifty Years - To be an Emperor of China, is perhaps the highest dignity to which a mortal can aspire. Leaving out all that superstition has added to the exalted rank the monarch hoIds, there remains still very much which would fill minds like those of Alexander and Napoleon, even at the acme of their glory, with envy. It is not necessary to talk about the Great Emperor as the prince of princes, the vicegerent of Heaven on earth, the very representative of all living beings, to give a sublime idea of his position the simple fad of being sovereign ruler over three hundred and sixty five millions of human beings, is, enough to raise the autocrat in worldly estimation...............