84 Oriental Literature. 



As early as the sixteenth century, a number of 

 French Jesuits penetrated into China, and by their 

 learning and address conciliated the favour of the 

 government. These missionaries were followed 

 by others, of various characters and talents, and, in 

 fact, a succession of them was maintained, amidst 

 many changes of reception and treatment, until 

 after the middle of the century under consideration. 

 The opportunities which they enjoyed for ex- 

 ploring the literature and science of that empire 

 were diligently improved. Much of the informa- 

 tion which they acquired was transmitted, at diffe- 

 rent periods, to Europe; and though the faithful- 

 ness of their narratives has sometimes been called 

 in question, the works compiled from their letters 

 and journals may be considered as, on the whole, 

 the richest sources of instruction in this department 

 of oriental inquiry . v 



Toward the close of the seventeenth century, M. 

 Couplet, one of the missionaries above mentioned, 

 translated such of the works of Confucius, the 

 celebrated Chinese philosopher, as have been pre- 

 served. This was considered as an important ser- 

 vice to literature, and gave him an honourable 

 place in the list of oriental scholars. Not long af- 

 terwards a very extensive and interesting publica- 

 tion made its appearance in France, under the 

 title of Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses des Missions 

 Estrangeres. The greater part of this work, which 

 was compiled from the papers of the missionaries, 

 and which extended to more than forty volumes, 

 was published at an early period of the eighteenth 

 century, and contains an ample fund of instruc- 

 tion concerning the literature and science of China. 



v The missionaries have been perhaps too freely charged with the wans 

 of fidelity in their accounts of China. Later inqairies have shown that 

 there is ground for this charge, at least in some instances. Still, however^ 

 these accounts are highly valuable, and abundantly worthy of perusal. 



