418 
- Confucius, ealled by the Chinese 
Koung-tsee, or Koung-fu-tsee, was one 
of the greatest moralists and states- 
men, and, what is more, one of the 
most’ eminently virtuous characters 
that any age or country has produced. 
Reading his life, and comparing it 
with his writings, if scems hardly 
possible that human wisdom could 
manifest itself more than in his doc- 
trine and conduct, or that a greater 
harmony could be established between 
them. The actions of this admirable 
philosopher, the influence of his mora- 
lity on the levislation and destinies of 
a great empire, the honours which his 
fainily to this day enjoy, and the reli- 
gious:rites which he instituted, are not 
unknown to our European literati. It 
is only in the light of author, or 
restorer of the “ King,” or classical 
books, that this paper professes to 
consider him. ‘The materials from 
which it is collected are seattered 
through more than twenty quarto 
volumes, containing the “‘ Memoirs of 
the Jesuits,” and the “ Description of 
China,” by Father Duhalde. As many 
have not access to these works, an 
abstract of their contents, reduced to 
some order, which was not attended 
to by the missionaries, will be found 
deserving of notice. 
First part, what are styled “the 
Great King.” These consist, properly 
speaking, of the Chinese canonical 
books, five in number, and called the 
Yyking, the Chouking, the Chiking, 
the Liki, and the Yoking.* 
The ** Yking,” or Book of Changes, 
the first and perhaps the most ancient 
of all the literary monuments, passes 
as being originally the production of 
Fou-hi, founder of the Chinese em- 
pire, and the Hermes of the east. It 
is composed of straight lines, variously 
placed, and first seen, according to 
their accounts, on the back. of a Dra- 
conic horse, and of a miraculous tor- 
toise. ‘The most learned mandarins 
can with difliculty make it out. Con- 
fucius intended giving an explanation 
of it, but was prevented by death: he 
was dissatisfied, it seems, with all the 
interpretations of the ancient commen- 
taries. -This we learn from the Me- 
moir of Sir William Jones on the 
* The author of this Memoir seems to 
have omitted the “'f'chun-Thsicou,” or 
Spring and Autumn, an historical tract of 
Confneius; bet, as the “ Yoking” is lost, 
the canonical books are still five in 
number. 
Canonical and Moral Books of the Chinese. 
(Dec. I, 
second classical book of the Chinese. 
Each Chinese dynasty has had its 
Yking ; that which Confucius treated 
of is the only one that has been pre- 
served. Some missionarics have con- 
ceived that the history of the creation, 
and the fall of the first man, might be 
discovered init, with a prophecy, also, 
relating to the coming of Jesus Christ. 
This we find in the ninth volume of 
“Memoirs concerning the History, 
Sciences, Arts, Manners, and Cus- 
toms, of the Chinese,” by the Pekin 
missionaries. In point of fact, how- 
ever, the characters of this book are 
wholly unintelligible, and what is 
taught of it in the school is merely 
conjectural. 
This is not the case with the “‘Chou- 
king,” a valuable record of history, 
politics, and morals, of which there 
are several learned interpretations, 
both in French and Latin. Its authen- 
ticity has been frequently called in 
question ; and, if credit may be given 
to a Chinese anthor, ‘I'chin-Tsee, 
quoted hy Cibot, in his ‘‘ Memoir on 
the Antiquity of the Chinese,” the 
learned of a single dynasty, that of 
Han, wrote more than 30,000. charac- 
ters, to explain the two first words of 
this book; its reputation,, however, 
appears to be at preseat well establish- 
ed, and its sense or meaning to be 
permanently fixed. 
It was divided by Confucius, as an- 
cient historiographers report, into six 
parts, or one hundred chapters, which 
contain the oldest annals respecting 
China, and more particularly the sage 
maxims put in practice by the ancient 
emperors, philosophers, and grandees; 
so that it constitutes a treatise of 
government, rather than of history. 
We find in it a code of instruction for 
princes and men in office, deliberations 
on the highest matters of state, with 
cautions and remonstrances address- 
ed to sovereigns. Nine virtues are 
therein required of them, and eighteen 
letters or characters suffice to repre- 
sent them in the original. These nine 
virtues are--a personal grandeur or 
greatness, equally free from haughti- 
ness and insensibility ; a noble indif- 
ference, compatible with action and 
exertion; an agreeable sweetness of 
temper, not tarnished with indolence 
or rusticity ; an acuteness of intellect, 
not above application and labour; an 
urbanity and politeness, blended with 
resolution and courage; probity and 
integrity, but ready, on ihe spur of 
necessity, to have recourse to policy ; 
an 
