[ 486 ] 
And it will be yet further hard to imagine that they 
knew how to find the Places of the Planets, when 
we are allured (at), that Tchangtfetfin, about ASD. 
550, was the firft Perfon that introduced Equations 
into their Computations of the Planets Motions; 
that Co chiou-king, about A.f). 1280, was the firft 
Chinefe that knew any thing of Spherical Trigono- 
metry (y) s and that, before the Arrival of the Je - 
fuitSy they were intire Strangers to the Inclinations 
of the Planes of the planetary Orbits (z). 
After what hath been faid, I think we need but 
little more to convince us of the fmall Acquaintance 
of the Chinefe with Aflronomy . They tell us how- 
ever themfelvcs (a), That, from the Time of Tfin - 
chi-hoang above-mention d, they had no expert Aflro- 
nomer , no Books of Aftaonomy> nor known Method 
of computing. All that remained were fbme con - 
fufed Traditions , Catalogues of Stars and Conftella - 
tions , and Fragments of Books. A mighty Encou- 
ragement all this, to expeft reforming the European 
Aftronomy or Chronology by the Chinefe ! What fort 
of Catalogues thefe were, hath been already obferved ; 
and we may, without Offence, I prefume, beg to 
be excufed from paying over much Deference to 
Chinefe Tradition > at leaft, till the Fathers have bet- 
ter determined what Degree of Affent it deferves. 
About A . 2 ). 164. feveral Jew Families, and 
other Subje&s of the Weftern Empire, came into 
China (b). At that time, as it is allowed by the 
Jefuits 
(x) Obfervat . &c. Tom. 2. p. 58, 59. (y) Ibid. p« 114* 
(z) Ibid . p. 84. (a) Obferv, utfup . Tom, 2, p. 3^ 
(b) Obferv . Utfup. Tom. 2. p. 119. 
