C 499 3 
ter a diftlndllve or differencing Pou, which predomi- 
nates, and under which the charader is placed. This 
differencing Pou is the part of the charader which 
hath mod influence in its fignification ; faying the 
exceptions, and oddities, from which the Chinefe is 
no more exempt than other tongues, A bare inlpec- 
tion into the dictionary Pchijig-tJee-t.ong^ will render 
thefe details intelligible. ^ ' 
The misfortune, and a very great misfortune, or 
the Chinefe charaaers is, thatthele abbreviations have 
been made by little and little, in different places, and 
without rule r fo that there are charafters which have 
been abridged, or more properly truncated, and dih 
figured a very great number of ways: and the molt 
part, fo much, as to be no longer knowable by the. 
hlmitive form. To give feme idea of this, the au- 
thor has caufcd to be copied the vananons of four 
charaaers (teethe plates 7, 8, 9. Tab. XXV f, XXV n„ 
XXVIII.); and one may judge by this iample,, 
how frightfully disfigured mud: be thofe charac- 
ters which are woven out of fevera! other cha- 
raaers. For the different charaaers which are 
thus united to make one only, are curved, lowered,, 
lengthened, drawn in, or contraaed, to the endtiat 
each line may be fo placed, as that all together may 
make the contraft of a fimple charaaer, and occupy 
no more fpace than it does. A like conftramt ought 
to disfigure many of the elementary charaaers which: 
are joined together to make one only. But wnen we 
add thereto the abbreviations and various readings, Jt 
is dear that they can no longer be know.able by their 
primitive charaaers. And this,, to oblcrve it at paf- 
fant, is one of the reafons which has rendered die- 
edition of the King under the ILm lo diliicult, and, 
S ff 2 
