sa^ Oriental Literature. [Chap. XIV. 



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 ^e\v attempts, how- 

 ever, were made in the period under reviev/, and 

 not altogether without success, to communicate 

 to the public some information on this subject. 

 In the beginning of the century, and nearly about 

 the same time, Theophilus Sigifred Bayer *, before 

 mentioned, and ]\I. Fourmont, a learned oriental- 

 ist of France, published their researches in the 

 Chinese language. The former was one of the 

 greatest proficients in the literature of China that 

 the age produced ; the latter also attained high 

 eminence in tlie same walk of learning, and pub- 

 lished a grammar of the Chinese language, which 

 has received much praise. A few years, after- 

 wards I\I. deGuignes published the result of his 

 inquiries respecting this language, and gave some 

 specimens of its characters and words f . He was 

 folloM'ed by M. Pauw, a learned Prussian, who 

 presented to the world what he called Fliilosoplii* 

 cat Researches concerning the Chinese, which, 

 though they indicate the strongest prejudices, yet 

 contain some useful information. 



* Theophilus Sigifred Bayer was bom in Germany in 1()94. 

 lie acquired great knowledge of the eastern languages, and parti- 

 cularly the Chinese. In 1726 he was invited to Petersburgh, and 

 made professor of Greek and Roman antiquities.. He died in 

 J 738. His ^lusiium iSinicu?}}, 2 vols, 8vo, 1/30^ is a curious and 

 learned work. 



t See Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Lisiriptions and Belka 

 'Uttrcsy especially vols^ xxx, xxxvi, and xxxviji. 



