'130 i'HiLOSOI'HlCAL TKAN--ACTIONS. IaNNO 1730. 



the ingenious Tartar has disposed in his table with such art, as renders the 

 relation of the years of the cycle to the years of the emperors very sensible; 

 whence spring great advantages, that are very visible to whoever attentively 

 considers the table, and penetrates into his arrangement. 



In the front of the table appears a line written in capital letters, which 

 extends horizontally from right to left : this line contains, according to the 

 order of their succession, the names of 2] dynasties, or imperial families, who 

 have reigned since 4 centuries before Jesus Christ, to this time. 



These names placed exactly on the lines, where are the beginnings of the 

 dynasties to which they belong, are as sure guides for easily finding them, and 

 under the direction of which we easily come to the knowledge of the emperors 

 of these imperial families, as well as the incidents of their reigns. 



This cycle is placed in the middle, in a perpendicular line or column, which 

 extends from the top to the bottom of the table, and is divided into 6o little 

 square areas, every one of which answers to a year of the cycle, and contains 

 the name of the year it answers. The angles, or empty spaces which surround 

 the name in each of these squares, were coloured black, that the whole may 

 the more readily strike the reader's eye, and be the more easily distinguished. 



On the right and left of the cycle thus placed are ranged 20 other columns, 

 divided into 6o squares each, in the same manner as the cycle; and consequently 

 equal to the cycle to which they are parallel. 



It is in the squares of these columns parallel to the cycle, that the years of 

 the emperors are disposed in their natural order, for above 2000 years. They 

 are disposed from top to bottom, from the right to the left, after the Chinese 

 custom. And it is essential to remark, that the arrangement is such, that each 

 of these imperial years referred to the column of the cycle by an horizontal 

 line which falls at right angles on this column, answers the year of the same 

 cycle, whose name it bears in history. 



The tirst year of Guei lie wang being placed at the 53d year of the cycle, 

 the 2d year of this prince will necessarily answer the 54th of the cycle, the 8th 

 of the same prince the (JOth and last of the same cycle; and consequently the 

 Qth of Guei lie wang, will be the first of the ensuing cycle; and so of the 

 others in a continued series of 21 centuries, down to the present time. 



As all the columns of the table are parallel to the cycle, so they are equal 

 to it, and contain 6o years, as that does. Hence flows an easy method to 

 know in a moment the interval of time elapsed between any two years of the 

 table: for it is but multiplying by 6o the number of entire columns between 

 the two years whose interval is sought, adding thereto what remains in the two 

 columns on the right and left, till you reach the two years in question. 



