Oriental Literature. 83 



This was followed by the Anciennes Relations des 

 hides, etdela Chine, of M. Renaudot, which 

 made an important addition to the stock of in- 

 formation before possessed on the subjects of which 

 it treats. To these succeeded the great work of 

 Father Du Halde, entitled a General Description 

 of China; and a work, under nearly the same title, 

 by the Abbe Grosier, both of which are consi- 

 dered as publications of the first class, and as con- 

 taining much instructive matter relating to the 

 learning, arts, and general condition of the won- 

 derful country which they describe. 



The singular intricacy of the Chinese language, 

 the difficulty of acquiring a tolerable knowledge 

 even of its elementary principles, and the restraints 

 which have long been imposed upon all intercourse 

 between the learned men of Europe and of China, 

 have prevented an acquaintance with that language 

 from becoming more frequent in the literary world. 

 Hence, while the philosophy, astronomy, history, 

 and other sciences of China have been deeply in- 

 vestigated, and some knowledge of them exten- 

 sively diffused, during the last age, the characters 

 and structure of the language of that country have 

 been but little explored. A few attempts, how- 

 ever, were made, in the period under review, 

 and not altogether without success, to communi- 

 cate to the public some information on this subject. 

 In the beginning of the century, and nearly about 

 the same time, Theophilus Sigifred Bayer, be- 

 fore mentioned, and M. Fourmont, a learned 

 orientalist of France, published their researches in 

 the Chinese language. The former was one of the 

 I greatest proficients in the literature of China that 

 the age produced; the latter also attained high 

 eminence in the same w r alk of learning, and pub- 

 lished a grammar of the Chinese language, which 

 has received much praise. A few years after- 



