Oftkefafiion 0f Letters y avdBo&kes 3 ibe Ckinois vfiJ. 

 CHAP. 5. 



Here are many which thinke, and it is the raoft 

 common opinion , that the writings which the 

 Chinois vfed } are letters, as thofc we vfe in Europe, and 

 that by them wee may write wordes and difcourfes, 

 ^and that they only differ from our letters and writings, 

 in the diverfitie of cara&crs, as the Greek es differ from 

 the Latines, and the Hebrews from the Chaldces. But 

 jtisnotfo, for they have no Alphabet, neither write 

 they any letters,bu tall their writing is nothing elfe but 

 painting and ciphering : and their letters fignifie no 

 panes of diftin<5tion&, as-ours do, but are figures and re- 

 .prefentations of things , as of the Sutinc , of fire , of a 

 ,man,of the fca,and of other things.The which appears 

 plainely, for that their w r ritings and Chapas, are vnder- 

 .ftood of them all , although the languages .the Cbinm 

 jpcakc,are many and very different , in like fort as our 

 numbers of ciphers are equally vnderftoocde in the 

 Spanifl^French, and Arabian^ongues : for this figure 

 S. wherefoever it be,fignifies eight^althogh the French 

 call this number of one (brt,and the Spaniards of am>- 

 ther.So as things being of themfclves innumerable, the 

 letters likewiieor figures which the Chmm vfe to, fig,, 

 nifie them by, are in a maner infinite: fo as he that fliaH 

 readc or write at China,, (as the Mandarins doe, ) muft 

 iknow and keepe in memory at the Icaft fourcfcore and 

 five thoufand charafters or letters, and thofe which are 

 perfect herein,know above fixfcorc thoufand. Arrange 

 and prodigious thing; yea, incredible, if it were- not 

 teftified by men worthy of crcdite,ns the fathers of our 

 c-^cnpnny, who. arc there continually, learning then 



language 



