p. 33

Next day, all the gentlemen dined at the palace of the Emperor’s ninth
son, in consequence of an invitation from his chief eunuch, who is a
great friend to the Russia house. As the invitation was not from the
Prince, the ambassador would not accept of it. Our entertainment was
very

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magnificent, and accompanied with music, dancing, and a kind of comedy,
which lasted most part of the day. The comedians were of both sexes; if
the women’s parts were not performed by boys dressed like actresses. As
the paly was in the Chinese language, I could understand nothing of it,
except from the gesture and action of the performers. It seemed to be a
parcel of detached dissimilar interludes, without any principal end, or
unity of design. I shall, therefore, only mention one scene, which
appeared to me the most extraordinary. There entered on the stage seven
warriors, all in armour, with different weapons in their hands, and
terrible vizards on their faces. After they had taken a few turns about
the stage, and surveyed each other’s armour, they at last fell a
quarrelling; and in the encounter, one of the heroes was slain. Then an
angel descended from the clouds, in a flash of lightning, with a
monstrous sword in his hand, and soon parted the combatants, by driving
them all

p. 35

off the stage; which done, he ascended in the same manner he came down,
in a cloud of fire and smoke. The scene was succeeded by several comical
farces, which to me seemed very diverting, though in a language I did
not understand. The last character that appeared on the stage was a
European gentleman, completely dressed, having all his cloaths bedaubed
with gold and silver lace. He pulled off his hat, and made a profound
reverence to all that passed him. I shall leave it to anyone to image,
what a n aukward figure a Chinese must make in this ridiculous habit.
This scene was interrupted, and the performers dismissed, by the master
of the feast, from a suspicion that his guests might take offence. The
play being finished, we were entertained with jugglers, who exhibited a
variety of legerdemain tricks with great dexterity.