For No. XVIII. 1732. ¦

Art. XXVIII.

Athematical, Aftronomical,

M Geographical, Chronologi

540

cal and Philofophical Obfervations, extracted from ancient Chinese Books, &c... 521 Art. XXIX. New Sermons on the History of the Pallion of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, and other Subjects relating thereto. By the late Reverend M. James Saurin, Minifter at the Hague, &c. Art. XXX, A Critical Hiftory of the fuperftitious Practices which have feduc'd the Vulgar, and puzzled the Learned. Together with the Method and Principles how to diftinguish Natural Effects, from fuch as are otherwife, &c. By F. Le Brun. Art. XXXI. The Ancient Hiftory of the Egyptians, Carthaginians, Affyrians, Babylonians, Medes, Perfians, Macedonians and Greeks, &c. By M. Rollin.

555

572

Art. XXXII. The prefent State of LEARNING.

LITTERARIA.

ARTICLE XXVIII. Obfervations Mathematiques, Aftronomi ques, Geographiques, Chronologiques, & Phyfiques, tirées des Anciens Livres Chinois, ou faites nouvellement aux Indes & a la Chine, par les Peres de la Compagnie de Jefus. Redigées & Publiées par le P. E. Souciet, de la même Com→ pagnie. à Paris 1729.

That is,

Mathematical, Aftronomical, Geographi cal, Chronological and Philofophical Obfervations, extracted from ancient Chinese Books, or lately made in the Indies, and in China, by the Fathers of the Society of Jefus, digested and pub lifhed by Fath. E. Souciet of the fame Society 3 vol. 4to. Paris 1729. and 1732.

Ο

G.

321

UR Editor having dedicated thisCollection to his most Christian Majefty, and, in so doing, perform'd his Devotions to the Memory of the late Monarch of France, who, it must be -owned, deserved much of the Learned of every Clafs; proceeds to his Preface, which he opens Preface No. XVIII. 1732. VOL. III.

Na

with

with this very juft Obfervation, That Experience affords us more light into the furprifing Scenes of Nature than Speculation. That what Experiments are in Philofophical Cafes, Obfervations are in Aftronomical. He then obferves, that the Beauty and Order of the Heavens, first attracted the Eyes of Men, and became the first Subjects of their Contemplation; whence Aftronomy claims to be the eldeft Sifter of the Sciences. He acquaints us, that the Chinese, like other ancient Nations, who have enjoy'd a ferene Sky, began early with Aftronomy; and that they were fo rigid upon those who were employed by the State to watch the Motions of the Heavens, that if they were convicted of any Negligence in the execution of their Office, Death only could atone for the Crime. He has this to fay for the Work in general, That the greater variety of Obfervations we have in different Parts and Places, and the more univerfal they are, the more muft they redound to use. That hence the Curious have earneftly wifhed, the Learned would butventure at fome diftance from their homes, and act the part of the induftrious Bee for the Benefit of the whole Community. That the late King of France being, by the fagacity of his own extenfive and comprehenfive Genius, abundantly convinced that the thing ought to be fo, caft his eye upon the Miffionaries, whom he, by all means poffible, enabled and encouraged to take on them the useful Task. That they accordingly acquitted them felves very handfomly of their new Charge, till the late Emperor of China interrupted the course of their Obfervations, by requiring them to ate tend him, as his Inftructors in the European Sciences. The fame hindrance they met I. with

1

with alfo from the ill-timed Curiosity of fome of the imperial Children. So that now they laid afide the Telescope and the Quadrant for the Chinese Pencil and Ink-ftone, therewith to delineate the European Arts in Chinese and Fartar Characters, for the folid Inftruction of those remote Members of, or rather Well-wishers to the Republic of Letters.

.

Thus a ftop was put to the defired Work, which gave our Editor very great Concern. In the mean time he was very importunate with the Miffionaries, who, from time to time, were fent abroad. He begg'd they would resume and continúe the Obfervations which had been begun: and in the Year 1721 he, with great joy, faw F. Gaubil, and F. Jacques depart for China. Gaubil, it feems, had an uncommon Genius for the Mathematics, and a very uncommon Faculty at acquiring of Languages; two Qualifications, which, to meet in one Perfon, is, so far as our experience reaches, no very ufual thing. He was, befides all this, young, and an utter Stranger to Fatigue or Trouble. Fath. Jacques, it feems, was not quite fo robuft, but he was a good Mathematician, and had a Head very happily turned for Experiments and Obfervations. Thefe two Gentlemen having often conferred with MaCaffini and M. Maraldi, departed with full Inftructions, and very fincere Intentions.

"?

Our Editor conceived great hopes of thefe two reverend Gentlemen, and his hopes were redoubled upon this Occafion. M. le Comte d'Ericeyra, whom he stiles Viceroy of the Indies, happen'd upon his return homewards to meet our two Miffionaries, outward bound, at the Place the French call the Isle of Bourbon; and meeting them there, he used, after Dinner, to Nn 2 take

take them out to walk with him, on the Seafide, where the Converfation was all Literary. The refult of all this was, That M. le Comte took them to be a Couple of very able Men, and told our Editor as much, when he faw him at Paris This fmall Occurrence gives Fath. Souciet a very lucky opportunity of being very polite towards the faid noble Comte; but whether the Foundation he builds upon, be Rock or Sand, we know not,

Our two Miffionaries very amply made good all they had promifed. Tho' they laboured under a want of Inftruments, they made their Obfervations wherever they came in their Paffage. Their Genius was equal to all things; nothing could ftand in the way of it. Having reach'd Pekin,they put theInftruments, they there found, into good order, and began to obferver very affiduoufly. Fath. Gaubil, at the fame time ap plied himself to the Study of the Chinese and Tartar Tongues, to the reading of the Books of each Nation, and to the Hiftory and Aftronomy of both; and Fath. Jacques fail'd not to fecond his laborious Brother.

Great things might have been fafely expected to come of all this; but befides all this, two German Jefuits, the one, Kegler, Prefident of the Tribunal of the Mathematics; and the other, Slavifeck, an excellent Aftronomer; communicated their Obfervations. And in the Year 1724, our Editor entreated Fath. Gaubil to trace back the Obfervations which had been made by the Jefuits before his Arrival in China, that this Collection might begin where Fath. Gouye left off, if poffible. He fent all he could recover, and thefe are the Obfervations collected together in the Book before us.

But,