Sect. V.] Chinese Literature, 285 



giuige, in which he entered into a more full and 

 satisfactory explanation of its elementary charac- 

 ters than had been before attempted. This is tlie 

 first systematic work that has been published in 

 Europe on Chinese writing and reading, and 

 evinces great industry and apparent skill in the 

 author *. 



It is worthy of remark, that all the Investiga- 

 tions in oriental literature by which the last age 

 was distinguished, furnished new aiul very im- 

 portant arguments in favour of the truth of Reve- 

 lation. Early in the century which is the subject 

 of this retrospect, it was supposed, and some zeal- 

 ous adversaries of revealed religion diligently pro- 

 pagaf,^rd the idea, that inquiries into the chrono- 

 logy and other sciences of several eastern nations 

 strongly opposed, and were in a fair way wholly to 

 destroy, the credibility of the Mosaic history. As- 

 sertions of this kind were, in particular, made with 

 great confidence by certain sceptical philusopliers 

 of France, who were always ready to believe any 

 thing which might release them from the obliga- 

 tion" to believe in Christianity. Later and more 

 accurate investigations, however, have shown that 

 this opinion is totally erroneous, and that the 



* See An Explanation of the FJementari/ Characters of the Chi^ 

 nest Language, uith an Analyds of their Ancient Spnhois and Hiero^ 

 glyphics^kc, by Joseph Hagar, D.D. Though this work was not 

 actually published till the beginning of January, 1801 j yet as 

 both the acquisition of Dr. Hagar's Chinese learning and the 

 composition of this work belong to the eighteenth century, Uicy 

 have a place assigned them witliin that period. 



