priests who once stood crying over a pour woman's gate. "What is the
matter?" inquired the woman. "Do you see those ducks?" the priests
replied; "our parents' souls are in them, and we are afraid lest you
should eat them for supper." The foolish woman out of pity gave the ducks
to the cunning priests, who promised to take great care of the precious
birds; but, in fact, they ate them for their own supper.

The Buddhist priests may be known by their heads close shaven, and their
black dress. The priests of Taou have their hair in a knot at the top of
their heads and they wear scarlet robes. There are no priests of
Confucius; and this is a good thing.

All the religions of China are bad, but of the three the religion of
Confucius is the least foolish.

There can be no doubt which of the three religions of China is the least
absurd.

The religion of Taou teaches men to act like mad-men.

The religion of Buddha teaches them to act like idiots.

The religion of Confucius teaches them to act like wise men, but without
souls.

THE EMPEROR.--There is no emperor in the world who has as many subjects
as the Emperor of China: he has six times as many as the Emperor of
Russia.

Neither is it possible for any man to be more honored than this emperor;