220 MifcelUned Ctirtofa. Vol. III. 



fary to have as many diftind radical Chara* 

 fters as there are Words therein to be found, 

 which accounts do feem to infmuate that this 

 Charader is the moft difficult, and the molt 

 perplexed piece of Learning in the World, 

 and depends wholly upon the ftrength of the 

 Memory, in retaining the form and fignifica- 

 tion of a perplexed fcraul. But whether 

 they who gave us thefe Accounts did do 

 it knowingly, is much to be doubted, my own 

 Obfervations, atleaft, make me think other- 

 wife. 



I have not yet been able to procure fuffi- 

 cient helps to inform my felf of the whole 

 Art of Writing and Reading the Chinefe Cha- 

 rader, and I fear the Relations I have hi- 

 therto met with concerning it, were written 

 by fuch as did not well underftand it, how- 

 ever from fuch helps as I had, what^I CQ]left- 

 ed or do conjeclure, I fliall here relate. The 

 beft help I had, was the perufal of fome Books 

 Printed in Ch'ma^ with the pronunciation and 

 fignification of the Charader in Latin Let- 

 ters. By thefe Books then I obferved, firft, 

 that every one of their Charadlers, whether 

 confiftingof more or fewer ftrokes or marks, 

 were comprifed within a certain fquare fpace, 

 Which is proportioned according to the big- 

 nefs of the fize or manner of Writing, they 

 defign there to make ufe of, not that the 

 whole Square is filled with every Charader, 

 but that no part of that Charafter does ex- 

 ceed the limits of that Square, fo that tho' 

 the Charafter have but one ftroak, it takes 

 as much room in the line as another that hath 

 20 or ^30 feyeral Marks, fo that their Cha- 



radtera 



