8 Mr. Davis's Memoir concerning the Chinese. 



as a system of syllabic spelling, to express the principal epithets or attributes 

 of the Indian god, as well as the more mysterious, or unintelligible portions 

 of his sacred books. These are now chaunted by the priests, or bonzes, 

 without being understood, even by themselves ; and may perhaps serve to 

 excite the greater veneration for the object of their worship, on the principle 

 of" omne ignotum pro magnifico." The appellation o-mee-to, which, during 

 my travels with Lord Amherst in the interior, I once saw inscribed around 

 every division of a seven-storied pagoda, is supposed by Sir W. Jones to 

 express amita, " immeasurable," the Sanscrit epithet of Buddha : and it is 

 probable that a person acquainted with both the languages would recognize 

 abundance of Sanscrit words in the books of the Chinese bonzes.* 



The San-kwu, or three nations into which the empire was divided, towards 

 the close of Han A.D. 200, were Wei in the north. Woo, whose capital 

 was at Nan-king, and Shb in tlie modern Sze-chuen. The period of the 

 three nations is a very favourite subject of the historical plays of the Chi- 

 nese, as well as of a well written and much prized historical romance, which 

 bears the same name, and of which Sir George Staunton possesses a curious 

 Latin translation.! The dress of that period, as represented on the stage, 

 and in pictures, forms a singular contrast witli the modern garb which has 

 been forced upon the Chinese by their Tartar conquerors. Listead of the 

 long queue or tail, proceeding from a single tuft at the back of the head, and 

 wiiich forms the usual handle for seizing offenders, the ancient Chinese are 

 depicted with fine heads of hair, folded beneath their caps, and with dresses of 

 a fashion differing altogether from the national costume of the present day. 



Few circumstances could more strongly prove the complete subjection of 

 the Chinese by the Manchew Tartars, than this one of the total change in 

 their national dress. Modes of government and political institutions may 

 be altered, in despotic countries, without the notice or even knowledge of 



* The literary world is under great obligations to Professor Bopp of Germany, for proving 

 beyond a doubt that the Sanscrit and the Greek are little more than dialects of the same 

 language. The similarity of a few scattered words might have been regarded as accidental 

 coincidence ; but it requires considerable hardihood of disbelief to set aside the resemblance 

 that runs through the whole conjugations of verbs, &c. cSrc. Even in the above-mentioned word 

 amita, it is impossible not to allow a great resemblance to to afitifiov, the (a) in both cases having 

 the negative force. 



t The translation has since been presented by Sir George to the Royal Asiatic Society, and 

 is now in their Library. 



