[ 49 ° •] 
fuccefs to It 5 and divers, either from a particular In- 
formation, or for other reafons, oppofing it. Mr. 
Defguignes of Paris, F. R. S. Mr. Bartoli of Turin, 
antiquary^ to the King of Sardinia; the late Abbe 
Winkelman, antiquary' to the Pope, and Mr. Mon- 
tagu, F. R. S. were the principal of thofe who thought 
themfelves concerned to oppofe Mr. Needham; and 
what they have been plealed to communicate, either 
in print or manufcript, has been already laid before 
the Society-; and the laft gentleman, viz. Mr. Mon- 
tagu, has alfo Tent to England a call: of the buft of 
Turin, infcribed with certain characters, which gave 
occahon to Mr. Needham’s conjeCtures: which caft, 
by the bounty of his'Majefty our Patron, is now in 
the Britifh Mufeum. 
The fubjeCt in queflion feemed fufEciently inter- 
efling to feek an anfwer from the only competent 
judges, the literati of China ; and your Secretary, firfl: 
by the encouragement of Thotnas Hollis, Efq; F. R. S. 
and fubfequently by the afTiftance of Thomas Wil- 
cocks, Efq; F. S. A. and the particular favour of the- 
Directors of the Eaft-India Company, has at length 
obtained it. 
. In order to this, a letter v/as written, in conjunc- 
tion with Mr. Alban Butler, late of Pall-Mall, (who 
had fome intereft among the Jefuits at Pekin) Rating 
the matter in queflion, and defiring the favour of an 
anfwer; which anfwer is the letter that has been read, 
"to the Society. 
The particulars which were fiarted to the Jefuits at 
Pekin, and have been recited to the Society, were as 
follows, viz. I. Whether certain characters, to the 
number of 29, copied froin the bull at Turin, togc- 
tiicr 
