“It would be unfair,” he says, “not to point out that when a large body of Occidentals, imperfectly acquainted with the Chinese language, etiquette, modes of thought, and intellectual presuppositions, begins on a large and universal scale the preaching of an uncompromising system of morals and doctrines like Christianity, there must be much which, unconsciously to themselves, rouses Chinese prejudices.”

The following maxim comes from Confucius:—­

“If you visit a foreign State, ask what the prohibitions are; if you go into a strange neighbourhood, enquire what the manners and customs are.”  Certainly it is altogether desirable that a foreigner going to China, whether in an official capacity, or as merchant, missionary, or traveller, should have some acquaintance with the ordinary rules and ceremonial of Chinese social life.  Such knowledge will often go far to smooth away Chinese prejudices against the barbarian, and on occasions might conceivably aid in averting a catastrophe.

It is true that Lao Tzu said, “Ceremonies are but the veneer of loyalty and good faith.”  His words, however, have not prevailed against the teaching of Confucius, who was an ardent believer in the value of ceremonial.  One of the latter’s disciples wished, as a humanitarian, to abolish the sacrifice of a sheep upon the first day of every month; but Confucius rebuked him, saying, “My son, you love the sheep; I love the ceremony.”

When, during his last visit to England, Li Hung-chang made remarks about Mr. Chamberlain’s eyeglass, he was considered by many to be wanting in common politeness.  But from the Chinese point of view it was Mr. Chamberlain who was offending—­quite unwittingly, of course—­against an important canon of good taste.  It is a distinct breach of Chinese etiquette to wear spectacles while speaking to an equal.  The Chinese invariably remove their glasses when conversing; for what reason I have never been able to discover.  One thing is quite certain:  they do not like being looked at through a medium of glass or crystal, and it costs the foreigner nothing to fall in with their harmless prejudice.

Chinese street etiquette is also quite different from our own, a fact usually ignored by blustering foreigners, who march through a Chinese town as if the place belonged to them, and not infrequently complain that coolies and others will not “get out of their way.”  Now there is a graduated scale of Chinese street rights in this particular respect, to which, as being recognised by the Chinese themselves, it would be advisable for foreigners to pay some attention.  In England it has been successfully maintained that the roadway belongs to all equally, foot-passengers, equestrians, and carriage-passengers alike.  Not so in China; the ordinary foot-passenger is bound to “get out of the way” of the lowest coolie who is carrying a load; that same coolie must make way, even at great inconvenience to himself, for a sedan-chair; an empty chair yields the way to a chair with somebody inside; a chair, inasmuch as being more manageable, gets out of the way of a horse; and horse, chair, coolie, and foot-passenger, all clear the road for a wedding or other procession, or for the retinue of a mandarin.