China and the West

[Anonym]. Recueil d'observations curieuses [ID D19808].
Basil Guy : The author is discussing the state system of examinations in ancient China. He offers his readers precis information on the way in which the Chinese government supervised and graded the civil servants once they had completed their studies and been given a position corresponding to their merits, as indicated by the results of a comprehensive examination : "C'est la coutume à la Chine que la Cour envoie tous les trois an un examinateur dans chaque province. Son emploi est d'examiner avec un très grand soin les compositions que chaque gradué est obligé de lui présenter. Il punit ceux dont la composition est médiocre, ou il les casse tout à fait si elle est au-dessous de la médiogrité." Then after examining the principal conditions of the system governming the mandarins' status, the author considers the differences between those who have just been appointed and those who attempt to keep their charge, following which there is a very detailed explanation of the ways in which these last are either demoted or promoted. "On voit alors plusieurs mandarins loués et proposés comme des officiers excellents, d'un mérite rare, auxquels on ne peut reprocher aucune faute." Every mandarin thus recognized is entitled to vaunt his success in public, in official documents, etc. And if he is set back by the results of his examination, he must likewise make this fact known. Meanwhile, if a mandarin were highly praised after one examination and less highly after the succeeding one, instead of breaking him completely, he would merely be set back a pont or two - all of which would of course be brought to public notice. As he continues his detailed exposé, the author's tone becomes increasingly apologetic, to the point where, instead of seeing the possibility of flagrant violations of all these compact laws when a mandarin is chastised for not punisihing crimes committed within his jurisdiction, he can only find praise for the system, characterizing it as 'admirable'. Excellent in theory, generally despicable in practice, such must be our modern appraisal of the system, no matter how deeply rooted, no matter how essential to the function of Chinese government under the Empire. But such were the conditions governing the spread of a complete picture of Chinese life that it was only natural for the eighteenth century to wax enthusiastic over a system which promised much, eben though but dimly perceived.