S60 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO l66g, 



A refutation, by Dr. Wallis, of Mr. Hobbes's pretended quadrature of the 

 circle, cubation of the sphere, and duplication of the cube. 



II. Historia Geral de Ethiopia a Alta, Em Conimbra A. 1660. in fol. 

 Passing by the account and relations, given in this book, concerning the 



kingdoms and provinces, comprehended under the Abyssinian empire, and its 

 customs, government, militia, cities, revenues, emperors, religion, discoveries 

 and pretended conversions there made by the Portuguese, together with the 

 contradictions and disappointments, which those of religious orders have met 

 with in that empire ; we shall only take notice here of the heads it contains of 

 a philosophical nature : concerning which there is to be found a good descrip- 

 tion of the true head and course of the river Nile, together with a plain map 

 thereof ; as also of the lake Dembea, through which that river passes, and of 

 all the cataracts of it ; and then of the climate and temperature, mountains, 

 fertility, herbs, trees, animals wild and tame, and the dispositions of the in- 

 habitants ; besides of the Red Sea, and the reason of its appellation. 



III. An Historical Essay ; stating a probability, that the Language of China 

 is the Primitive Language ; by John Webb, Esquire. Printed for Nath. Brook, 

 in London, 1669, in 8vo. 



This surprising essay attempts to prove from authorities, that the Chinese 

 have been a people ever since the flood of Noah, and before the confusion of 

 tongues. That their language has continually in all times been preserved in 

 written books ; that the characters, wherein those books are written, are the 

 same which from all antiquity were extracted from their original hieroglyphics; 

 that in those characters their language has ever since consisted, and according 

 to them is at this day spoken purely : and that by the same characters their 

 language is generally understood through the whole Chinese world : from all 

 which, considered together, the author concludes, that the mother or natural 

 language of China remains in its ancient purity without any alteration ; that the 

 Chinese have subsisted 4000 years without any commixture with other nations ; 

 that commerce and conquest have had no influence to change the laws, cus-r 

 toms, or language of that people ; that the historical computation of the 

 Chinese begins from 2207 years before Christ, which falls out with the 40th 

 year before the confusion of tongues ; that no nation in the world is compar- 

 able to them for certainty in chronology, &c. 



And as to their ingenuities and arts, he notes, that the loadstone and com- 

 pass have been in use among them above 1 100 years, and paper and ink making, 

 above 180 years, both before Christ ; that they prepare ink of the smoke of 

 oil ; that they have been long acquainted with the invention of gunpowder 

 and fireworks_, as also with the manufacture and dyeing of silk ; that their pot- 



