139 



THE CHINESE. 



Of tlie Chinese language, a very satisfactory account 

 has been given, by our late accomplished and intelligent 

 travellers, Sir George Staunton, and Mr. Barrow. The con- 

 struction of this language, Mr. Barrow* tells us, is ex- 

 tremely simple: it admits of no inflection of termination, 

 either in the verb, or in the noun; each word being the 

 same invariable monosyllable, in number, gender, case, or 

 tense. The cases they distinguish, by general abstract 

 signs, as we do in English; which, alone, as already seen, 

 plainly shcAvs this could not be the original language of 

 mankind; men never beginning by abstractions. Compari- 

 son is also made by adventitious particles; and the super- 

 lative is marked, in the same awkward manner as in 

 Hebrew, by a repetition of the positive: the tenses of 

 verbs, of which there are only three, are also distinguished 

 by abstract particles. Sir George, indeed, thinks, that this 

 language furnishes a practical proof, that the laborious 

 structure, and intricate machinery, of the Greek and Ara- 

 bic tongues, are by no means necessary, either to a com- 

 plete communication on all the business of life, or even 

 to the grace of elocution, or the harmony of verse. 



s 2 I am 



* P. 26*. 



