[ 497 ] 
in a manner equally fimple, clear, and natural ; and' 
the whole number of charadlers is thus increafed from 
300, to 80,000. And, the author fubjoins, “ One 
‘‘ muft read the fine paffages of the King^ to com- 
prehend what force, grace, energy, amenity, 
grandeur, and fimplicity, the Chinefe characters, 
have, where they are well afforted, and well com- 
neCted, 
I would willingly define the Chinefe characters 
to be the picffurefque algebra of the arts and fci- 
“ ences. In truth, a phrafe of good ftyle is as difem- 
baraffed of every thing that is intermediary, as the 
“ clofefl algebraic demonflration.” 
Unlefs one were to give the lye to the Chiriefe, and 
to the fmall number of the characters of antient times, 
which they have preferved ; it is not poffible to deny, 
that they did, in the moft remote antiquity, make 
ufe of lhapes, or likenefies of fenfible things, and of 
fymbols to form their characters, nearly in the tafte 
of the hieroglyphics of Egypt t and one need but caft 
the eye on fome of the characters which are copied in 
the pages 5, 6, and 7, (Tab. XXIV, XXV, XXVI.) 
of the plates following, to be convinced thereof. 
But had not the Chinefe, even from that time, 
the art of contracting thefC figures, and reducing them 
to fome ftrokes or lines, by analyfis and abbrevia- 
tion ? To judge thereof by fome of the antient 
characters, it appears, that the Chinefe did re- 
duce feveral to certain ftrokes ill enough affembled j 
probably for the conveniency of writing. ^ And 
whenfoever the time was wherein the abbreviations 
began, they were neceffary^ ift, becaufe without 
them, wrking would have been too difficult : 2dly,, 
btCiufe one muft have had volumes to convey a very 
•Voi.UX. SfC iiMU. 
