L 490 j 
with great 'Probability , that it is not older than the 
burning the Books under Tjin-chi-hoang ( 0 ), or, as 
we have already feen, the Year before Chrijl 24 6. 
Should we place it however many Years later, or fay 
that it never ferved any real Ufe at all, we may per- - 
haps come much nearer the Truth. 
For the Chinefe Aftronomers, as the Fathers ob- 
ferve (p) y have fpent an infinite deal of Time and 
Pains, in fearching out this Chang-Tuenb and which 
has been carried up, they fay, by fome two , by 
others three Millions of Years beyond the Time it 
was above fixed at. But this {hews to a Demonftra- 
tion, that it is an Epoch purely fi&itious; that, if it 
was real, it could only be of an agronomical Nature ; 
and that they muft be fottijhly ftupid , that (hould from 
thence colled, that the Chinefe had any hiftorical 
Memoirs of fo ancient a Date. For the Fathers 
themfelves allow', that the Opinion which aferibes to 
the World a Duration of fome Millions of Years, is 
neither the general Opinion of the Chinefe> nor of 
any ancient (landing among them (q). 
From what has been here offer'd, I think it is pretty 
evident, that, how ingenious foever the Chinefe may 
be in Works of Art, their Talents do not lie towards 
Mathematics and Ajlronomy : For, was not this the 
Cafe, mull it not be furprifing, that having, as they 
fay, fo long a Series of Obfervations in the one Sci- 
ence, and of Profefiors in the other, they {hould ne- 
ver have been, able to get beyond the firfl: Elements 
of either? 
It 
(0) Obf. ubi fup. Tom. 2. p. 18. (/>) Ibid . p. 17. ) Ibid . p. 17* 
