Passions keep it bound and chain'd it comes to be obscur'd and troubled For this reason it is necessary that Men should apply themselves to Learning and Information by putting of Questions to the end the Rational Heart may be delivered from it's Bondage and Slavery that so it may be able to break the Chains and Fetters of the Passions and return to it's primitive Beauty light and understanding in the same manner as a Tarnish'd Mirrour being polish'd recovers it's former Luster The Second consists in Reforming the People For example I who am a King a Magistrate a Father of a Family c. If I have already purify'd my Rational Nature it is my duty to extend it to that degree that she may be able to communicate her self to other Men by causing them to abandon the Corruptions and defilements of Vice and evil Customs and I ought to deal so by my People as I do with Garments when they are spotted or besmear'd For if they are well wash'd and scour'd they become clean and handsome as they were before The third consists in attaining and stopping at the Soveraign Good. This Soveraign Good is the Soveraign Accord of things and of Reason When Great Men enlighten their Intelligent Nature and renew the Vertue of the People they do it not by hap-hazard or without design but all their end is to bring their Vertue to perfection to the end there might not be one single person among the People whose Vertue was not renewed or who was not renewed by Vertue When they are arriv'd at a degree so sublime and to such an extraordinary Excellency they may be assur'd they have attained the Soveraign Good like those who after a long and tiresom journey at length coming to their own homes may say they have attain'd the final end of their travelling These are the three most necessary and principal things in that Book and as it were the Mantle or outward Garment that Covers the Cloths or as the string that holds a row of Beads together These are the expressions of the Chinese Commentator Here by the way we may observe that possibly there can be nothing more proper then these words of Cum fu cius to explain the functions of a Minister of the Gospel who is oblig'd in the first place to perfect himself and next his Neighbour to the end we may arrive at the Soveraign Good which is God the Supream and utmost end of all things Nevertheless the Chineses being Pagans and carnally minded People have accommodated these three points to the Government of the Kingdom wherein like Politicians they place all their happiness and Ultimate End. In the second place we are to observe that the Ancient Chineses did understand there was a God. And therefore when I oppose their Learned Men in dispute I frequently make use of this Dilemma Either Cum fu cius did understand what he desin'd or he did not If he did understand what he defin'd he knew there was a God who is no Other than that Soveraign Good of which he speaks and which you also ought to know and adore as well as he If he did not understand that what he defin'd was God himself he was very Ignorant since as you your selves confess the Syllables Chi and Xen signifie that Soveraign Good which contains and comprehends all others which is an Attribute that cannot be given to any Creature what Advantages soever he may have but only to God alone Some there are who being touch'd with Heavenly Grace submit to the truth Others not knowing what to answer and unwilling to acknowledge that Cum fu cius was ignorant rather choose to abide in their Error and to follow their Pride and Passions and cry They 'll come again another time Notes upon the Fourth Chapter I shall add nothing farther to what our Author has said concerning the Chinese Language the Nature and Genius of which he has sufficiently set forth And as for those who desire to see more they may consult the sixth Chapter of the Relation of F. Semedo who fully confirms what here F. Magaillans avouches I must only observe this by the way that he gives us in this place an Idea of the Chinese Language far different from what he gave us formerly CHAP. V. Of the Wit of the Chineses and their Principal Books ONE of the Ancients has told us that Aâ—…ia was very fertile in great Wiâ—…s But he would have been more strongly confirmed in his Opinion had he had any knowledge of China For if they who best invent most suddenly and easily may be said to have more subtil and better Wits then others the Chineses ought to be preferr'd before other Nations since they were the first that invented Letters Paper Printing Ponder fine Porcelaine aâ—…d their own Characters Tho' they are ignorant of many Sciences for want of Communication with other People nevertheless they are accomplished in Moral Philosophy to which they solely bend their Studies for the most part Their Wits are so quick and apprehensive that they understand with ease when they read the Books which the Fathers of our Society have written the most subtil and difficult Questions as well in Mathematicks and Philosophy as in Theology Perhaps there may be some who will not so readily believe what I assert but I can assure them there is nothing more certain in regard that I have known some Learned Christians and Infidels also who understood without any instruction as we could find by their discourses the Questions concerning God and the Trinity which they had read in the first Part of Saint Thomas Translated by Father Buglio What Kingdom is there whatever the number of the Universities be which it contains where there are above ten Thousand Licentiates as in China of which Six or Seven Thousand meet every three Years at Pe kim where after several Examinations there are admitted three Hundred sixty five to the Degree of Doctors I do not believe there is any Kingdom where there are so many Scholars as there are Batchellors of Art in China which are said to be above Fourscore and ten Thousand nor that there is any other Country where the knowledge of Letters is so universal and so common In regard that in all the Provinces more especially the Southern there is not any Man Poor or Rich Citizen or Husbandman that cannot both Write and Read. And in short I do not beleive there is any Region unless it be 〈◊〉 that has publish'd so many Books as the Chineses have done The Chronicles of the Chineses are almost as Ancient as the Deluge as beginning not above two Hundred Years after it and being continu'd to this present time by several Authors by which a Man may guess at the number of Volumes which their History contains They have several Books of Natural Philosophy where they Treat of Nature her Properties and Accidents 'T is true they intermix mistakes and impertinences with truth but t is
only rehears'd before the Emperor and his Ministers of State. Therein are describ'd without any dissimulation the manners of the People how the Empire is govern'd and the present state of Affairs Which seems to be the same thing with the Ancient Comedies of the Greeks that spar'd neither the Vices of Private Men nor the miscarriages of the publick Magistrates The third sort is call'd Pi que that is to say Comparison For that all which is therein contain'd is explain'd by Comâ—…arisons or Similitudes The fourth sort is call'd Him que that is to say to raise or exalt Because this sort of Poetry begins with something that is curious and lofty to prepare and raise Attention to that which follows The fifth sort is call'd Ye Xi That is to say Poesies rejected or separated â—…ecause that Cum fu cius having review'd this Volume of Poems rejected those which he either mislik'd or thought to be fabulous However they are still quoted and left as they are The fourth Volume was compos'd by Cum fu cius and contains the History of the Kingdom of Lù his native Country at present comprehended within the Province of Xan â—…um The Chineses put a high value upon this Book and are all in Ecstasie when they read it He wrote this History of two Hundred years Transactions after the manner of Annals where he exposes as in a Mirrour the Examples of Princes both Vertuous and Wicked referring the â—…ents to the Times and Seasons wherein they happen'd And therefore he gives to his Book the Title of Chun cieâ—… or Spring and Autumn The fifth Volume is call'd Ye kim and is esteem'd the most ancient of all the Rest because the Chineses affirm that Fo hi their first King was the Author of it And indeed this Book is worthy to be read and esteem'd in regard of the noble Sentences and Precepts of Morality which it contains I believe truly that the good Maxims which are scatter'd up and down in this Volume might be writt'n by King Fo hi but that the rest was added by others who were desirous to give Reputation to their Visions under the name of this famous Prince Nevertheless most certain it is that the Chineses have an extraordinary veneration for this Book and look upon it to be the most profound the most learned and mysterious of any in the World and that for the same reason they believe it to be almost Impossible for them to understand it and that strangers ought neither to see or touch it The Chineses have also another Volume of equal Authority with those before-mention'd which they call Sù xu that is to say the four Books by way of Excellency This is a Volume of Extracts or Abridgments being as it were the very Marrow and Quintessence of the former Five The Mandarins â—…ull out from thence the Sentences and Texts which they propose for Themes to the Learned that are to be Examin'd before they are admitted to the degrees of Batchellors Licentiates and Doctors and upon which those Persons Write and Comment for their Reputation It is divided into four Parts The first treats of the Laws and the Doctrine of Men famous for their Knowledge and their Vertue The second discourses of the Golden Mean. The third contains a great number of Moral Sentences well express'd solid and profitable to all the Members of the State. These three Parts were writt'n by Cum fu cius the first Doctor of the Chineses and were publish'd by his Disciples The fourth Part which is as big as all the other three was writ by the Philosopher Men su who was born about a Hundred Years after Cum fu cius and is honour'd by the Chineses as a Doctor of the second Order This is a Work wherein there appears a wonderful deal of Wit subtilty and Eloquence The discourses are pertinent the Sentences grave and moral and the Stile lively bold and perswasive All the Missionaries of our Society in these Parts very industriously study the Letters and the Language of the four Parts of this Book And from thence and out of the former five it is that so many Treatises and Commentaries of various Authors as well ancient as modern of which the number is almost Infinite and give us occasion to commend and admire the Wit the Industry and Eloquence of that Nation are deriv'd as from so many Springs and Fountains Notes upon the Fifth Chapter A. P. 96. THE Subject or Ground of this Book is no more than a Table of sixty four Figures every one consisting of six Lines which are all of a Piece as thus others of two Parts as thus The Chineses attribute the Writing of this Table to their first King Fo hi but no body can divine what was the design or meaning of the Author However it is certain that about twelve Hundred Years before Christ Prince Ven Uam Father of the Emperor Vu Uam Founder of the third Royal Family and his second Son Cheu cum undertook to interpret this Enigmatical Table and that five Hundred Years afterwards the Philosopher Cum fu cius made Commentaries upon the Interpretations of those two Princes But whatever those three Authors have written upon this Subject amounts to no more then only from the agreeement and vicissitude of the Elements and other natural things to draw Politick and Moral Maxims and Conclusions and Precepts also as well for the Princes as their Subjects But that which renders this Table pernicious is this that the Idolaters call'd Tao su the Bonzes and Fortune-Tellers make a bad use of it to confirm their Superstitious Predictions forging out of that variety and many other things which they intermix therewith an infinite Number of Confederacies and vain and Impertinent allusions by vertue of which they boast themselves able to foretel whatever shall befal a Man whether Fortunate or Unfortunate Epitomes of the first Commentators of this Table of Fo hi may be seen more at large in the Prefaces of Cum fu cius which are newly Printed together with several others particulars concerning the Principal Books of the Chineses of which our Author speaks in this Chapter CHAP. VI. Of the Civility and Politeness of the Chineses and of some of their Feasts SEveral Books might be writt'n of the Civility Complements and Ceremonies of the Chineses They have a Book which gives an Accompt of above three Thousand and it is a wonderful thing to see how ready and punctual they are in those Particulars At their Marriages and Funerals in their Visits and Feasts the Master of the House tho' a Person of greater Honour and Dignity then any of his Guests always gives the chief place of Preheminence to the Eldest The eldest give place to those that come farthest off but all to Foreigners When any Embassador arrives from the very day that his Embassie is accepted of to the time of his departure the Emperor furnishes him with all manner of Provisions Horses Litters and Barks
by reason of its Antiquity and I believe that neither the Portugueses nor Castillians have in all their Voyages made a more considerable Discovery The Annals of the Chaldeans and Egyptians might perhaps have stood in Competition with those of China and perhaps those of the Tyrians also and some other Oriental Nations of which Josephus makes mention But they are lost a long time ago as well as the Histories of Berosus the Chaldean and Manathon the Egyptian of which we have no more then only some few fragments of little or no use The Greeks and Romans have left us nothing of certainty before Herodotus for that reason call'd the Father of Historians Who nevertheless did not write till about Four Hundred and Fifty Years before Christ. And if we go back to the Original of the Olympiads they did not begin till about Seven Hundred Seventy Seven Years before Christ. But the Cycles of the Chineses and their Cronologies begin Two Thousand Six Hundred Four score and Seventeen Years before Christ under the Reign of Hoam ti And two Thousand nine Hundred Fifty two Years according to the sentiments of those that stick to the second Opinion and acknowledge Fo hi for the first Emperor of China And tho' we should rest satisfi'd with the third Opinion which makes Yao the first Emperor of China their Chronology would begin two Thousand three Hundred Fifty seven Years before Christ that is to say fifteen Hundred sixty nine years before the first Olympiad And indeed I know no reason why any man should refuse to give Credit to this Chronology in regard it is well pursu'd and well circumstanc'd that it is less fabulous than the first times of the Greek and Roman History and for that there are set down therein several Eclipses and other Astronomical Observations which perfectly agree with the Computations of our most learned Astronomers in these latter Ages as I have seen in some Manuscripts written upon this Subject To which we may add that almost all the Parts of the Chinese History have been written by Authors that liv'd at the same time As for Example the Acts of King Yao are written by the Secretaries of Xun his Successor The History of Xun and his Successor Yu was compil'd by Authors then living and is contain'd together with that of King Yao in the two first Parts of the most Ancient and venerable Book among the Chineses call'd Xu Kin. It is divided into six Parts of which the four last contain one part of the History of the Second and Third Imperial Family Nor is there any doubt to be made either of the Antiquity or truth of the two first Parts of the Book Xu kin seeing that Confucius who liv'd Five Hundred and Fifty Years before Christ so often makes mention of it and has collected with great industry several authentick Pieces that contain several particulars of the Lives and Government of the first Kings Another Philosopher call'd Lao Kiun Confucius ' s Contemporary as also another Author more Ancient then He by two Hundred Years whose name was Tai su lum often quote these Ancient Histories Confucius also wrote himself a History of several Wars of China for the space of two Hundred Forty and one Years which he begin at the Forty ninth Year of the Emperor Pim â—…am the Thirteenth Prince of the Third Family call'd Cheâ—… that is to say 722 Years before the Birth of Christ since which time there have been a great Number of Historians in every Age which the Chineses still preserve and out of which they have compil'd General Histories of which there is one of several Chinese Volumes in the Kings Library To this we may add that the certainty of this Chronology is confirm'd by many circumstances conformable to the Holy Scripture which are not to be found in any other History as for Example the long life of their first Kings like to that of the Patriarchs in the time of Abraham Thus they tell us that Fo hi Reigned a Hundred and Fifty Years Xin nun his Successor a Hundred and Forty Hoam ti liv'd a Hundred and eleven Years Xao hao that succeeded him a Reigned a Hundred Ti co a Hundred and Five Yao a Hundred and Eighteen Xun his successor a Hundred and Ten Yu a Hundred Years after whom there was nothing extraordinary in the Age of the Emperors We find also that Fo-hi began to Reign in the Province of Xensi the most Westerly part of all China which shews that either he or his Father came from the West where Noah and his Children remained after the Deluge That his Kingdom was but of a narrow extent and the number of his Subjects but small so that he might seem to be rather the potent Father of a Family like Abraham then a King or an Emperor That he and his Subjects liv'd upon Herbs and wild Fruits drank the Blood of Beasts and cloathed themselves with their skins That his Successor Xin nun avented the Art of Tillage and many other such like Circumstances The greatest part of these Passages are to be found in the History of China by Martini in the Chronology and Prefaces of F. Couplet Printed at Paris with tee works of Confucius and in several parts of our Author chiefly in the Fifth and Sixth Chapters It may be objected that this Chronology does not agree with the Vulgar Translation of the Bible But besides that God has not vouchsaf'd us the Holy Scripture to make us Learned but Vertuous and so there may have happen'd some omission or mistake in the Dates it may be answer'd that the question about the Continuance of the World after the Deludge is not yet decided that their Chronology agrees with the Translation of the Septuagint which is authentick and receiv'd by the Church as well as the Vulgar But this is not a place to enlarge upon this Subject they who desire to know more may consult the Book which Father Pezeron a Barnardine has newly Printed upon this Subject Nor can it be said that the Fathers have by agreement juggl'd up this Chronology For we find they have spoken truth in the Rest of their Relations that they make no scruple to correct one another when they are mistaken as you may see by our Author in several places That the Jacobins Augustinians and Franciscans who have had several quarrels with the Iesuites in reference to their Mission agree with them in this particular and never accuse them to have err'd in their Chronology And lastly that the Hollanders who have sent several Embassies into China and who have several Thousands of Chineses at Batavia never reprov'd the Iesuits for any mistake upon this occasion On the other side they put a great value upon Martini's Works which are printe in Holland as also China illustrated by F. Kirker CHAP. IV. Of the Letters and Language of China ALtho' the Egyptians vaunt themselves to have been the first that ever made use of Letters and
and upon several other subjects Father Manuel Dias the younger translated all the Gospels with the Commentaries and Explanations of the Fathers which makes a Work no less Large then Pious and Learned Father Francis Furtado publish'd a Treatise of Rhetorick and Logick with certain other Books de Coelo and de Mundo as also of the Soul of Man. The Fathers Iohn Terencio Iohn Roo and Iohn Adam have written a great number of other Books upon our Holy Law and upon all the parts of the Mathematicks Father Lewis Buglio who was always my chiefest Consolation and inseparable Companion in all my Travels Afflictions and Imprisonments for Thirty Years together translated the first part of St. Thomas which the more Learned Chineses esteem and admire to that degree that I heard one of them who had read the Treatise of God declare his thoughts in these words Certainly this Book is a Mirror wherein to let us see our own Ignorance The same Father Buglio wrote several other Pieces upon several other subjects among the rest that Eloquent and Learned Apology in answer to a Book which Yam quam siem that wicked Infidel publish'd both in this Court and over the whole Empire against the Christian Religion and the Preachers of it and which he Entitl'd Pu te y Because I could no longer Whereupon the Father that he might conform himself to the Stile and Language of the Country Entitl'd his Answer I have Answer'd because I could no longer forbear Both Titles are very significant in the Chinese Language But the Fathers was more highly esteem'd because it carries two significations The First I refute because I could no longer forbear the Second I have refuted a Book Entitl'd Because I could no longer forbear And which was more to be wonder'd at the Father compos'd the greatest part of these Books in the Boats upon the Roads and in the Inns under the Power of Rebels and Barbarians in Prison with Three Chains upon his Legs Three about his Neck and Six upon his Hands and in a word in the midst of continual Persecutions I could say much more in praise of that person truly Pious and oâ—… great Reputation did I not fear that the shâ—…e which I had in his Sufferings and the strict Friendship that was between Us would render me suspected of too much partiality Father Ferdinand Verâ—…st â—…t the same time wrote a Learned Answer to 〈◊〉 or rather a Satyr full of Mistakes aâ—…d Dolâ—…â—…norance which the same Yam quam siem wrote against the European Mathematicks Father Anthony Gouvea compos'd a Catechism Father Iohn Monteiro wrote two Books the one of the Law of God and the other of True Adoration Father Francis Sambiesi wrote Four Treatises Of the Immortality of the Soul Of Morals Of Painting and Sounds all very short and highly esteem'd I my self wrote a Treatise of the Resurrection of Christ and another of the Universal Resurrection Nicholas Trigaut Lazaro Cataneo Gaspar Ferreira and Alvaro Semedo all Fathers of the Society have compos'd Dictionaries very large and very exact and Gaspar Ferreira has written above Twenty Treatises upon several Subjects Father Soeiro made an Abridgment of the Christian Law and Father Nicholas Longobardo who Dy'd but a few Years ago in this Court Fourscore and Sixteen Years old has written several Godly Treatises besides a Treatise of Earth-Quakes highly esteem'd by the Learned of this Empire In short there have been a great number of other Books written concerning the Christian Religion and of all Sciences and Subjects which amount in all to above Five Hundred Tomes Printed besides Manuscripts There is Printed in China a Catalogue of all the Fathers that ever Travell'd into the Country to Preach the Gospel wherein are also the Names set of all the Books which they have written From whence I conclude that so many Books could never have been translated and written in a Foreign Language and in so short a time had not the Language been very easie So that it follows that the Chinese Language is more easie to learn then any other and that it is withal very Elegant very Copious and very Expressive since it wants for no terms to explain and unfold the Subtilties and Mysteries of Theology Philosophy and the rest of the Sciences I will conclude this Chapter with the first Paragraph of the first Article of the Commentary which I made upon the Works of Cum fu cius with which our Fathers always begin when they first set themselves to study the Chinese Letters and Language to the end that by this short Sample the Beauty of the Language and the Wit of the People may be the better display'd They read the Letters beginning from the top down to the bottom and from the right to the left but that I might the better conform to the Customs of Europe I have plac'd the first Column upon the left-hand To explain them you must put them together according to the Order of the Cyphers The Marks or Zero which are to be seen at the bottom of some Letters are the Points and Accents of the Chineses The Order of the Letters and the Explanation of the Text are taken from two Chinese Commentators of which the one who liv'd about Three Hundred Years ago was call'd ChuÌ„ hi and the other who was a Colao was nam'd ChaÌ„m Kiù Chim who Dy'd in the Year 1610 at what time Matthew Riccio arriv'd at this Court of whom I have already spoken in this Chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4 Great men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 consists in the second place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 teach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 to renew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 the People 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 the Rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4 consists in the 3d place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5 consists in the first place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5 to stop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6 to enlighten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6 at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7 reasonable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7 the Soveraign 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 8 Good The Commentary and Explanation of the Text. THE Method for Great Men to Learn consistâ—… in three things The first is to unfold the Rational Nature The Second is to reform Mankind And the Third to stop at the Soveraign Good. As to the First the Rational Nature is the Heart of Man for the Chineses make no distinct on between the Understanding and the Will but attribute to the Heart what ever we attribute to those Faculties The Heart is a substance pure and intelligent without any Darkness or Obscurity and where Man has always ready all requisite Reasonings to answer to all difficulties that present themselves But because that at the very moment of our Birth this Intelligent and Rational Nature is cag'd up and enclos'd within the Prison of the Body and for that our inordinate
twelve Excellencies of China in regard it contain'd a far greater Number as they that read the whole will easily find Besides that the Division which he had made was not proportionable to the Matter there being some of those Excellencies which did not take up a Page or two and others that filled up above thirty or forty So that I thought it more proper to divide the Relation into one and twenty Chapters and to give them Titles answerable to the Matters therein contain'd In other things I have not swerv'd at all from the Method and Sense of my Author neither have I made the least Alteration only that I might conform to the Style and Genius of our Language I have not ty'd my self so Strictly and Literally to his Expressions and by what I have said you may be confident that this Relation has never appear'd in any other Language nor was ever Printed before and by consequence that it is altogether New. I also observ'd in Reading That there were several things which did not seem to me to be sufficiently explain'd for the understanding of such as have not a perfect Knowledge of China and that the Description of Pe kim and the Emperors Palace might seem obscure to many People I have therefore endeavour'd to remedy the first of these two Inconveniences by Notes in Italick which I have plac'd at the end of the Chapters because I would not crowd the Margins nor interrupt the Text but preserve the Original in its Purity and Credit and leave the Reader at liberty to make use of them or let them alone For remedy of the Second Inconvenience I have made a Draught of the City of Pe kim and the Palace collecting together with great Care what the Author had spoken dispersedly in several parts of his Relation Mounsieur Peyronett an Ingenier of good repute drew out the Draught at my Request fair upon Paper to which I added the Explanations of every thing with Letters which relate to others that are Engrav'd upon the Plane And further to satisfie entirely the Curiosity of the Reader and to give more Reputation to the Book I have added the Life of Father Magaillans who was the Author which I was the rather inclin'd to do because it seems to me to be but very short and modestly written It was writ by Father Lewis Buglio a Cicilian and Father Magaillan's inseparable Companion from the Year 1640 to the Year 1677 that is to say for near the space of thirty seven Years together Father Buglio dy'd in the Year 1682 in great Reputation for his Vertue and Learning so that the Care which he has tak'n to Write the Life of our Author is a double Approbation of his Work. I must here take notice by the way that I have not observ'd the Portuguese Orthography in spelling the Name of our Author for the Portugueses write it after this manner Magalhanes But in regard few People in France can so pronounce it I alter'd it into Magaillans which the French pronounce not much different from the Portuguese pronunciation of Magalhanes This Father was of the same Family of the famous Ferdinand de Magaillans who was called by the Corruption of Languages Magellan and was the first that discover'd the Magellanick Straits in the extreme parts of the Southern America I have also made use of the Word Mandarin or Mandarim which the Portuguese make use of to signifie the Officers and Magistrates of the Kingdoms of Siam Cochinchina Tum kim and China as well for that all the other Relations make use of the Word as also for that it is a Word well known in France ever since the coming thither of the Mandarins of Siam The Word is deriv'd from Mandar to command and comprehends all sorts of Officers and Magistrates This remark obliges me to add another upon the Pronunciation of the Chinese Words and Letters for the better understanding how to pronounce them in imitation of the Chineses Their Words are all Monosyllables or else of one Syllable without exception and so they are to be pronounced all at once and without any distinction of Syllables of what number of Consonants and Vowels soever they are compos'd For Examples Kiam which is the name of the greatest River in China must be pronounc'd all at a time and not as if it were two Syllables Ki-am In like manner the Words Liuen Hiuen do not make two Syllables Li-ven nor three Li-u-en but only one Syllable which is to be expressed by pronouncing them all as one Syllable yet so as to express the Sounds of all the Letters Not but that the Chineses have Words compos'd of several Syllables but these Syllables are always separated and from different Words as Tai yuen the Names of the capital City of Xan si Cham hien chum the name of a Tyrant mention'd in the Relation Thus we write in France St. Malo Havre de Grace by separate Words and not in one Word as Villeneuf Montroyal Nevertheless there is this Difference that St. Malo is form'd of two Words and three Syllables and Havre de grace of three Words and five Syllables whereas the Chinese Names have never more Syllables than Words thus Tai yuen is composed of two Words and two Sillables and Cham hien chum of three Words and three Syllables only As for their Letters though there are as many Chinese Letters as there are Chinese Words yet they may be express'd by means of our European Letters adding necessary Accents to distinguish them in speaking as is explain'd in this Relation which being premis'd you shall see after what manner the Chineses pronounce A They have a sound in their Language which answers to our A as in the Word Nan kim B They have no Sound that answers B but in the room of it they make use of P thus instead of Cambalu they say Ham pa lu C Before A O or U must be pronounced as our Ca Co Cu but before E and I it must be pronounced Tze Tzi and not Ce Ci. Ch Must be pronounced as Tcha Tche Tchi Tcho Tchu D is not pronounc'd in the Chinese Language but only T which is nearest to it E and F are pronounc'd as in France G before A O U must be pronounc'd Nga Ngo Ngu as if there were an N before the G. But before E and I as we pronounce Ge Gi H must be pronounc'd with a strong Aspiration of the Throat like the Welch Ll. I K and L as we do M at the end of a Word must be pronounced open and softly without making any Stop by closing the Lips otherwise they pronounce it as we do N at the End of a Word is to be pronounc'd hard putting a stress upon it as in the Latin Word Lumen otherwise as we do P as in France Q in the same Manner unless when a U follows and then it is pronounc'd as in the Latin Word Quam R is never pronounc'd by the Chineses S As we do T