( 4o8 ) 
' They fay the great Year is facceffively at at 
3', and at Pi^ng, 
Now it is no eafy Matter to determine the Extent of 
thefe different Parts of the great Period (for there is 
room to conjedure that they are unequal) how Jong, 
forExamplCj lafts that which commences at (6) A iay 
that at (7) and fo of the reft ^ nay, it is perhaps 
impoffible, for want of certain Principles, the Know- 
ledge of which is entirely loft. 
When the Year was at which feems to fignify 
when it began, this Point of rime, according to Tra- 
dition, is called (8) Ofong^ when it was at jj/, this is 
called (9) T^cheou Mong ^ when at ( 10) Phig^ the 
Name given to it was (ii) jeoufehao. 
Every one of the other nineteen Letters has in this 
manner aWord for its Device, but as it is plain, that all 
thefe Words are very ftrange to European Ears, and 
that thofe which remain are as obfeureand barbarous 
2isKia 7 ^, T mao^Keng chin^ it is beft to omit men- 
tioning them. 
Neverthelefs one fliould not ealily believe that thefe 
Words are void of all Meaning, or that the Letters, 
whofe Names they are, are Figures made at Hazard, 
or arbitrarily imagined. The Inventor of thefe Names 
muft have propofed himfelf fome End. 
It is already known in general, and is demonftrated 
elfewhere, that the Charafters preferved by the Cht- 
nefe^ but much more ancient than them, are true Hie- 
roglyphics. 
It is like wife known, and ftrongly demonftrated, that 
the Dodrine veiled under the Appearance of thefe Hie- 
roglyphics, is very myfterious and fublime : and it is 
3 unrea* 
