428 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1730, 



ill their histories: nay, they have not begun them till the 23d year of Guei 

 lie wang, somewhat later than Nien hi yao, who begins with the first of this 

 prince's reign. It is on the example and authority of these two illustrious phi- 

 losophers, that Nien hi yao has relied in suppressing what precedes. 



By fixing this epoqueatGuei lie wang, fabulous times, and a thousand errors 

 and absurdities current in Europe, concerning three imperial (absolutely ima- 

 ginary) families, and reigns anterior to, but no less chimerical tiian these fa- 

 milies, are retrenched. These errors will soon vanish of their own accord; so 

 that the subject of so much laborious, but useless lucubration and study, will 

 at length cease: a worthy motive for congratulating the learned world. 



This is not all; we are still particularly obliged to the ingenious Tartar, 

 for having found means to place in his table the cycle of 6o years, called Kia 

 Tse, so much esteemed by the Chinese, that it is as the soul, link and founda- 

 tion of their whole chronology: a point which requires explanation. 



As we mark the incidents of ancient history by the years of the olympiads, 

 so the Chinese mark what has happened in their country by the years of this 

 revolution. According to the Chinese, the prince under whom the great 

 wall was finished, began his reign the 52d year of a cycle, which is found to be 

 the 4th in this chronological table, reckoning from the cycle of the general 

 epoque inclusively. This general epoque is the first year of Guei lei wang. 



Every year of the Chinese cycle is marked by two letters, which make up 

 its proper character, and distinguish it from the other 59. Thus the first year 

 is called (1) Kia Tse, and gives its name to the whole cycle. Thus the 52d 

 year of the 4th cycle, in which the prince, who finished the great wall, began 

 his reign, is called (2) y mao. This prince, after bloody wars, became monarch 

 of China ; and then abandoning himself to such impious pride, as the philoso- 

 phers reproached him with, caused himself to be called (3) Chi hoang Ti, as 

 much as to say, the first master, the first emperor reigning of himself; for 

 this is the real signification of these characters well analysed ; and those glo- 

 rious titles belong to God alone in the ancient monuments. This unheard 

 of usurpation happened in the 26th year of his reign, which is the 17th of 

 the 5th cycle, and is there called (4) Keng Chin. 



It is thus that all the years of the emperors, for above 2000 years, have 

 names in history common to them with the corresponding years of the cycle: 

 and these names, common to both, are a sort of link, which unites the years 

 of the emperors to the cycle, and so prevents confusion. Hence we see how 

 the cycle among the Chinese is the knot and basis of all their Chronology. 



But it is not possible to give these names any translation. Kia Tse will still 

 be Kia Tse in all languages; y mao will still bey mao; Keng chin, Keng chin, 



