400 CHINESE WRITINGS. 



LIB. vi. their impressions, they grave a boord or plank with the 

 figures they will print, then do they stampe as many leaves 

 of paper as they lift, of the same sort as they have made 

 their pictures, the which are graven in copper or wood. 

 But a man of iudgement may aske, how they could signifie 

 their conceptions by figures, which approached neere or re 

 semble the thing they would represent ? As to say, the 

 Sunne heats, or that he hath beheld the Sunne, or the day 

 is of the Sunne. Finally, how it were possible to denote 

 by the same figures the case, the conjunction, and the ar 

 ticles, which are in many tongues and writings ? I answer 

 therevnto, that they distinguish and signifie this varietie by 

 certaine points, strikes, and dispositions of the figure. But 

 it is difficult to vnderstand how they can write proper 

 names in their tongue, especially of strangers, being things 

 they have never seene, and not able to invent figures proper 

 vnto them. I have made triall thereof, being in Mexico 

 with certain Chinois, willing them to write this proposition in 

 their language, &quot;Joseph de Acosta has come from Peru&quot;, and 

 such like : wherevpon the Chinois was long pensive, but in 

 the end hee did write it, the which other Chinois did after 

 reade, although they did vary a little in the pronountiation 

 of the proper name. For they vse this devise to write a 

 proper name : they seeke out something in their tongue 

 that hath resemblance to that name, and set downe the 

 figure of this thing. And as it is difficult among so many 

 proper names to finde things to resemble them in the pro- 

 lation, so is it very difficult and troublesome to write such 

 names. Ypon this purpose, father Alonso Sanchez told vs 

 that when he was in China, being led into divers Tribunall 

 seates, from Manderin to Manderin, they were long in put 

 ting his name in writing in their cliapas, yet in the end 

 they did write it after their maner, and so ridiculously, that 

 they scarce came neere to the name : and this is the fashion 

 of letters and writings which the Chinois vsed. That of 



