600 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO I769. 



'these difFererit softs of writing have augmented the number of them; yet the 

 last 3 have done no great harm ; because they have been directed by learned 

 men, consecrated by public authority, and bear more on the general form of the 

 ^characters, than on their orthography. Thus the literati do not complain, 

 further than their having caused the loss of the ancient characters, which it 

 would have been well to consult, to have had the true analysis of several of the 

 characters of this day, which they think ill written and disfigured. 



And thus, at length, having completed his historical detail, our author decides 

 concerning Mr. Needham, viz. that the characters of the bust of Turin, (though 

 4 or 5 of them, viz. N° 2, 3, 8, 9, 31, have a sensible resemblance to the like 

 number of characters in the Chinese dictionary), are not genuine Chinese 

 characters; having no connected sense, nor a proper resemblance to any of the 

 different forms of writing; indeed the whole inscription has nothing of Chinese 

 in the face of it. As a further proof, our author took the opinion of several 

 of the Chinese literati, whose province it is to study the ancient writings; who 

 all declared the same thing; and that they did not understand them, nor had 

 ever seen the like of them. It is owned however, that, according to the Chinese 

 interpretation of the 5 resembling characters, they are simple ideas, or symbols, 

 not characterized by the further circumstantiating strokes; and are, without 

 coherence, in the way of Nomenclator. 



But finally, to enable the society to judge for themselves; our learned cor- 

 respondent has sent a collection of very ancient inscriptions, above 100 in 

 number, which may be compared with the inscription of Turin ; as also, some 

 drawings of vases, and other antiquities. The particular matter of inquiry, viz. 

 the characters of the bust of Turin being thus disposed of, our author, who is 

 against renouncing Mr. Needham's general conjecture, without further exami- 

 nation, as it may notwithstanding conduct to many discoveries, applies himself, 

 5thly, to a further and more general investigation, by an actual collation of such 

 Egyptian hieroglyphics as do undoubtedly resemble ancient characters, yet remain- 

 ing among the Chinese: in order to which, he has given us drawings of 73 such 

 hieroglyphics, collected chiefly from Kircher, as he had no better materials, and 

 lias placed by them the corresponding Chinese characters, both ancient and 

 modern. He is sufficiently diffuse and curious, in two or three examples, to 

 point out the method and most interesting subjects of inquiry, viz. the leading 

 notions concerning the deity, and the religion of the primitive times; and he also 

 describes the properties of the symbolical animals, which are supposed to be 

 significant of the rational and moral qualities; but he enters a caution against 

 these, as being probably the invention of later times. He argues strenuously 

 for the early and uninterrupted theism of the Chinese; and concludes with an 

 apology for the condition of a missionary, the duties of whose profession, and 



