il6 MifcellmeA Curiofa. Vol. Ill 



By a Chinefe Manufeript, out of which I 

 tranfcribed the Lord's Prayer in the Year 

 1666 (when it was loft) I found that the Pro- 

 nuntiations had no affinity with the ftroaks 

 of the Character. Whence I conceived it 

 was either a numeral CharaAer confifting of 

 I^umbers, or elfe a real Character, but not 

 a literal, unlefs it v/ere a literal Charafter of 

 fome other Language than that by which it 

 was pronounced, whofe pronunciation is loft: 

 though the fignificancy be retained, as if 

 one Ihould read what is written in Hebrew 

 KiDH'^li^i^na into the Z^^/^ or Lan- 

 guage, In Princifio Craavit inftead of Brajit 

 ha^ or Berefuh Bara according to the Mafo^ 

 rethd. 



Since that time I procured from Cife/^^, a 

 Dictionary of the Court Language, (as. I 

 found it written upon by the Perfon that 

 fentit me from thence) but this whole Book 

 (which I found was Printed) confiftcd only of 

 the Chinefe Characters without any Interpre- 

 tation, or Pronunciation ^ however by the 

 help of the. Pic1:ures of that, and a Chinefe 

 Almanack, L quickly fouud out their Chara- 

 ders for Kumbers, and their way of Nume- 

 ratioUr together wi|h the Figure and Ufe of 

 their Ak^cm or counting Board, fpr perform- 

 ing the Operations of which \ 

 iind pretty near to agree with that of the. 

 antient Jimms (a DeIcription^nd:;Pi(^ur^ 

 of which is given by Vrfmus^ Pig^orivr-^iidl 

 Velferus) favQ only, that, inftead of Pinnsi 

 and fliding Grqyes of the iloman^ thQ Chinefe 

 ^hacm hath Strings or Wires and Beads, to 



Hide upon them 1 4^1^ tliat^ ioftead of four 

 - ^ ^ ' / 7 Pins 



