Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

literal Senfe as poffible, tranflates them into Latin, which Tranflation may be Englished thus. The Spring was fcarce come in when the Willow decked her yellow Rind with a green Mantle; ber Beauty makes the Peach-tree blush, who in despair throws off her Bloffoms, and fcatter's them on the Ground: the brightness of the most lively colours is not to be compared with the native and amiable Beauty of the Willow; fhe is the Harbinger of the Spring, and needs not the Silk-worm; but clothes ber Branches and Leaves with a delicate Silk, no Worms can fpin. In these Verfes, according to the Rules of the Chinefe Poetry, the first Verse and the fourth, the fifth and the eighth, the second and the third, the fixth and feventh, have the fame Termination.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

To the Chinese Grammar, our Author has added in this firft Volume feveral other Pieces; viz. 1. A Grammar of the Language which is fpoken by the Inhabitants of the Province of Chin cheu. The Language of this Province, with a fmall Variation in the Dialect, is what the common People (whofe Language is different from that of the Learned) ufe all over China. This Grammar has been printed from a Manufcript Copy lodged in the Library of Berlin, and by our Author tranflated into Latin, the Original being in Spanish, and probably compofed by a Francifcan Frier, fince in the Liturgy it contains mention is made of St. Francis. II. A Letter to our Author from the Danish Miffionaries in the City of Tranquebar, dated October 16, 1726; wherein they give him a fhort acconnt of the Language, and a Specimen of the Characters and Poetry of thofe Countries. III. Andrew Muller's Propofals for publishing a Key to the Chinese Language.

L 3

This

3

This Braggadocio (as we may call him) tells us, that he has found a moft eafy and expeditious Method of teaching the Chinese Language; that it came into his head, while he thought on nothing lefs, nay, without ever having thought on't at all; that whoever follows this Method, will find lefs difficulty in reading the Chinese Books, than thofe that are in any other Language whatfoever; that is, his Method makes the most difficult Language of the known World become the most easy. This miraculous Method he is ready to impart to the Public, not for lucre's fake, non ut lucrum faciam, but out of zeal for the publick good, provided any Prince, State, or Society will promise him an handfome Reward, and pay down the half of it before hand. Unless this condition be fulfilled, as Scire volunt omnes, mercedem folvere nemo, he is refolved to keep his Method to himfelf. He calls this Method Clavis, vel Arcanum, quo Sinicorum characterum lectio facile, &facilius, quam ullius alius fcripturæ, expediri, totaque legendi ratio exactiffime cognofci poteft. Martini, who had not this fecret, tells us, in the Preface to his Hiftory of China, that after ten years Study, he had obtained but a very fuperficial Knowledge of the Chinese Language, and that, confidering the fhortness of a Man's Life, and the difficulty of the Language, it is abfolutely impoffible for any Foreigner ever to be mafter of it. This Paffage Muller quotes, to enhance the value of his Clavis or Arcanum, but it will, perhaps, only ferve to make it appear the more chimerical. The laft Piece contained in this first Volume, is a Letter from Muller to Joannes Hevelius, in which we find nothing worth our notice.

[ocr errors]

THE

THE fecond Volume contains, I. A Chinefe and Latin Lexicon. II. A fhort Specimen of another Lexicon, wherein fuch Words as belong to any particular Species of things are all placed together; for instance, under the word Magiftrate you'll find the Chinese and Latin Names of all the Civil and Military Magiftrates, &c. But of this Lexicon, as we have faid juft now, our Author gives only a Specimen. III. The Life of the famous Chinese Philofopher Confucius, or, as he is called by the Chinefe, Cum fu cu, copied from the Goa Edition of his Works. Confucius, as we are told here, was born in the Kingdom of Lu (called now the Kingdom of Xan tum or Canton) in the xxift Year of the Reign of the Emperor Lim vam, who was the XXIIId Emperor of the third Race, called Chu. According to this Computation, he was born in the Year 551 before Chrift. His Mother, by name Chim, was of the noble Family Yen; and his Father Xo leambe of the Royal Family Ti ye, which began to reign (if we give any credit to the Chinele Annals) above four thoufand Years ago. From his very Infancy he gave Marks of a ripe Judgment; for he was never obferved to play with other Children of his Age; but fhew'd, in his whole Deportment, a manly Gravity. When he was but feven Years old, he would never taste any kind of Victuals, before he had offered it up to Heaven, according to the antient Cuftom of the Chinese. At the Age of fifteen, he applied himself entirely to the ftudy of the antient Chinese Authors, collecting out of them fuch Precepts and Inftructions, as might prove ufeful, both to himself and to others. When he was nineteen (fome fay twenty) he married a Lady

I 4

Lady of great Virtue, called Kien quon xi, by whom he had one Son, named Pe yu. Pe yu, who, was his only Child, died at the Age of Fifty, leaving behind him a Son, named Ču su, who applying himself to the Study of Philo-fophy, wrote very learned Comments on his Grandfather's Books, and was raised to the chief Employments of the Empire, The Defcendants of Cu fu have always made, and ftill continue to make a very great Figure in the Empire of China. Confucius himself was employed in the chief Governments and Magiftracies of the Empire, which he undertook, not out of Ambition, but purely with a defign to propagate his Doctrine among thofe, who were committed to his Care, and thereby ftir them up to the practice of Virtue. When in the Government of any Province, or Kingdom, he could not compafs this end, he used to refign his Employment, and retire elsewhere, in hopes of meeting with People better difpofed to receive his Doctrine, and improve by his Inftructions. To this purpofe, we are told, that being appointed Mandarine, or charged with the Adminiftration of public Affairs, in the Kingdom of Lu, his Doctrine joined with the exemplary Life he led, made fuch an impreffion on the Minds of the People, that in three Months time an entire Reformation of Manners was feen throughout the whole Kingdom. The flourishing Condition of that Kingdom gave great uneafinefs to the neighbouring, and rival Princes; namely, to the King of Ci, who being fenfible, that by Confucius's wife Regulations the Kingdom of Lu would, in a fhort time, become very formidable, prefented the King with fome young Women, extremely hand

fome,

fome, on purpose to divert him from hearkening to the wholefome Counfels of fo zealous a Minifter. This cunning Device had the defired effect; for the King accepted the treacherous Prefent, and was fo taken with the Beauty of the Women, that he laid afide all care of public Affairs, and gave himself entirely up to lewdnefs and debauchery, As Men are naturally more inclined to follow the bad, than the good examples of their Governours, the former Diforders were introduced a-new, and the whole Kingdom over-run with all manner of Vice. Confucius did all in his power to ftem the Torrent, and reclaim the King from fuch a fcandalous courfe of Life. But all was to no purpofe nay, the King looking upon the fevere Morals and exemplary Life of his Minister, as a check to his own Conduct, began to look upon him with an evil Eye, and at last even refused to give him Audience, Whereupon Confucius refigned his Employment, abandoned the Court, and retired out of the Kingdom; declaring, that as he had undertaken the Administration of public Affairs, with no other view, than to root out Vice, and introduce Virtue in its room; fo he defpifed that Office, and all the other Honours the King could confer upon him, if they were of no ufe towards the execution of that Defign, He maintained to his last Breath this ardent defire of feeing Virtue every where triumphant, and Vice driven out, notwithstanding the many difcouragements and difficulties he met with. Nay, the vaft Empire of China proved too narrow for his extenfive Zeal; for we are told, that he often entertained thoughts of putting to Sea, in hopes of discovering new Countries, and gaining new Profelytes to his Doctrine.

« ZurückWeiter »