4;S on the Chinese Izinguage, Sept. li. 



The chariot of Bacchus is represented in ancient 

 mythology as drawn by tigers ; and tigers are some- 

 times seen at the feet of the bacchanals. It is emble- 

 matic of the fury with which they are agitated. 



Hints respecting the Chinese language. 



It is not a little curious to trace the circumstances 

 that may affect the language of a particular people, 

 and produce a diversity in the modes of exprefsing 

 their ideas. 



The kingdom of China has subysted as a separate 

 state for a greater number of years than any other 

 that we know of on the globe. The customs of that 

 people, and the political institutions of their empire, 

 have changed lefs than those of any other nation. 

 These, therefore, must have had a more lasting, and 

 consequently a stronger influence over the minds of 

 the people than is to be expected any where else. 



From these considerations we are to expect that 

 the peculiarities of exprefsion, necefsarily arising from 

 the mode of writing adopted by them, will have a 

 greater influence over their mode of thinking and 

 oral exprefsion, than among nations that have known 

 ■the use of written characters for a fhorter time. 



Every person knows that the written language of 

 China, is. extremely different from that of Europe. 

 In China the use of alpliabetical letters is unknown. 

 Every word has a distinct character to denote it, and 

 of course it is a taflc of extreme ditTicultv to acquire 

 •a facility in the art of writing there. 



