( 407 ) 
who get them by Heart in their Youth, and employ 
them on a thoufand Occafions. Thefe of the firff 
Sort are ten in Number, and are called the Tea/r- 
Letters ; thefe of the fecond, twelve, and are named 
Hour^Letters, 
Thirdly^ That thefe two Sorts of Charaders are 
combined, by repeating the ten Tear-Letters fix times, 
and the twelve Hour-Letters but five times , for fijs 
times ten, and five times twelve equally make fixty : 
and from this Combination refult fixty Names forth© 
fixty Years that compofe the Cycle. 
Thefe three Points well comprehended fuffice for the 
Ufe and underftanding of the chronological Table : 
and the' Reader would do well to ftop here. 
It may be objeded by fome, that this Erudition is 
unpleafant, becaufe it enlightens not the Underftand- 
ing j the Names remain unintelligible, and the Reader’s 
Curio fity is not fatisfied. But will it be more fo, 
by adding what the Chinefe take out of their Tra- 
ditions? 
I pafs by the Abufe made of thefe twenty-two 
Letters by judiciary Aftrologers. It is a Subjed apart 
that would carry one too far : Wherefore I (hall keep 
within the Bounds of what the hold, and give 
for moft authentic. 
They pretend that thefe twenty -two Letters were • 
invented by a very ancient King, whom they name (5*) 
Hoang Tfy in order to determine the Beginning, Pro- 
grefs. End, and fucceflive Periods of a great Year ^ for 
they have one which includes a certain Number of 
Ages, though its total Duration be no where diftinflily 
marked. 
They 
lii X 
