VOL. HX.]/v"] PHILOSOPHICAL TBANSACTIONS. 689 



the significations that we shall seek to cjelires, will never arrive at the idea pre- 

 sented by delices. fjfioad {irnEfJ lB9Tt 



If the comparison be lame, it is because it represents not clearly how far a 

 . Chinese character separates from its true signification, by the alteration of some 

 one of the strokes that compose it. The destruction of the books by fire has 

 rendered the evil without a remedy. When peace was restored to letters, they 

 spared neither care nor inquiry to recover the king, and other ancient books. 

 But few copies having escaped the flames, and those not in the best preservation, 

 they were deprived of the great advantage to be drawn from collations, to dis- 

 cover the primitive characters. Writing liad -changed ; tradition was almost 

 extinguished. It was necessjiry to be learned, even to decypher the manuscripts: 

 how should they be able to pursue the discussion so far as the various readings; 

 and unravel, among abbreviations almost unknown, the true symbols and like- 

 ness of which a character was woven. , The editors were jiot sparing of their 

 labour herein ; but each had his system, and his conjectures. Who would ven- 

 ture to say that the edition which has prevailed, has not many mistaken cha- 

 racters ? and let it be even the best, yet learned men, who have since laboured in 

 the analysis of the characters, are not agreed among themselves ; and they each 

 bring reasons capable of suspending the judgment of critics. This variety of 

 opinion has caused much variety in the orthography, if we may so call the man- 

 ner of writing a character with such or such a pou. The manner accordingly lias 

 been floating and uncertain, for many characters, till the great dictionary Kang- 

 hitse-tien, which has fixed it. 



The author winds up this curious detail with the following remark, which he 

 says is essential. All that has been said of the various readings and abbreviations 

 of the characters is independent of the 5 sorts of writing usually counted by 

 lettered men. The 1st is called Kou-ouen: this is the most ancient form of 

 writing; and there remains now hardly any more traces of it. The 2d, 

 Tchoang-tsee, also read Tchouen-tsee, has succeeded the Kou-ouen; and has 

 lasted even to the end of the dynasty of the Tcheou. It was this which was in 

 use fi^om the time of Confucius, and of which the abbreviations and various 

 readings have been most fatal. The 3d, Li-tsee, began under the reign of 

 Chi-hoang-ti, the founder of the dynasty of the Tsin, and the great enemy of 

 letters and of lettered men. The 4th, Hing-chou, is destined for impression, 

 as with us the Roman and Italic. The 5th sort, Tsao-tsee, was invented under 

 the Han, and would have destroyed every thing, if it had prevailed. It is a sort 

 of writing with the stroke of a pencil, with a very light and well-experienced 

 hand: but it disfigures the characters beyond expression. It has no course, but 

 for the prescriptions of physicians, prefaces of books, inscriptions of fancy, &c. 



To return to the various readings, and abbreviations: though it be true that 



4 T a 



