tempting to explain the meaning, if they ever had any, which we much doubt, of the kua or digrams or trigrams, or by whatever name we may be pleased to call them, ascribed to the first of their kings, Fo-shee. Something of the same kind has befallen a modern French author of the name of Abel Rémusat, as we perceive from his Essai sur la Langue et la Littérature Chinoise,' a book from which it is utterly impossible to derive the most distant notion either of their language or literature. It is, indeed, peculiarly unfortunate that the mysticism, if we may so call it, of the squares, circles, and polygons of the venerable Fo-shee's teapots should have formed, in the very threshold, the great stumbling-block of almost every one who has attempted to enter on the study of Chinese philology. Indeed we are quite persuaded that those lines never had the least relation to the language, but were mere devices for ornamental purposes; and we would recommend to those, who may hereafter be tempted to employ themselves in Chinese literature to rest satisfied with the explanation which one of Mr. Marshman's Chinese assistants gave to him concerning them that those who could understand them would always be able to detect thieves, and recover stolen goods.'

In England we have reason to believe the Chinese language and literature have already made much greater progress than on the continent. They now form a part of the acquirements of the students in the East India College at Hertford, where there is a regular Chinese professor. In the College of Fort William a very considerable advance has been made; and, though late, we are pleased to find that several of the young gentlemen in the Company's service at Canton, have, since the censure we were reluctantly com pelled to pass on them, turned their attention to this subject. The language of China had, in fact, long been considered so abstruse and difficult as to be wholly unattainable by foreigners; but this idea has been completely exploded by the extensive knowledge which several English gentlemen have acquired of it. Of these we believe Sir George Staunton may fairly claim the first place;-his knowledge of this singular language is not only demonstrated by every day's practical use of it there, in written and colloquial communications with the natives, but still more clearly by his translation of the Leu-lee, or fundamental laws and statutes of the empire, a work which, though it cannot be placed in comparison with Blackstone's Commentaries, may at least be considered of equal merit, as it certainly is of equal importance to the Chinese, with our Burn's Justice in England.

We have already had occasion to notice the labours of Mr. Stephen Weston in Chinese literature; and though we could not conscientiously say much in praise of his imperial poetry, or think

very highly of his 'Chinese Genesis,' now that he has begun at the right end, that is to say, at the beginning, we entertain, from bis well-known ingenuity and indefatigable pursuit after knowledge, a lively hope of his success in this line of study. The rudimental characters, or keys, of the language which he has just published, and the free and literal translations of the Chinese Moral Tale, we can venture to recommend as likely to be useful to the young student in Chinese literature; but we must be understood to make an exception of that part of his little work which he intimates to be a grammar of the language, as being not only calculated to perplex, but also to lead to the formation of very erroneous opinions.

We have reason to expect something shortly, and we think something good, on Chinese subjects, from an English traveller of the name of Manning, who has made considerable progress in the Chinese language. This gentleman had been for many years endeavouring, but in vain, to make his way from Canton into the interior of China; for the Chinese, with their vigilant and instinctive jealousy, kept so strict an eye upon him that he found the attempt to be utterly impracticable; he therefore proceeded by sea to Cochinchina, but with no better success; the people of that country being tinctured with the same species of political jealousy and caution as their neighbours. Determined, however, to persevere in his object, he proceeded to Calcutta, and thence to the northern frontier of Bengal; here he was fortunate enough to penetrate into Bootan, where he met with, and by some means or other succeeded in engaging himself to, the commander of the Chinese forces, as his body physician; accompanied him as far as Lassa in Thibet; and was just on the eve of departure from thence, and on the point of realizing his hopes by proceeding along the upper region of Tartary to the capital of China, when an order was received from Pekin to recall the general, and to send back, immediately, to Bengal, the European physician whom he had been guilty of entertaining about his person :-so difficult, not to say impossible is it, in the most remote corner of this extended empire, to' elude Chinese vigilance!

The Reverend Robert Morrison, Missionary at Canton, appears to have made good use of his time in his application to the study of the Chinese language. He has not only translated several original works into the English language, but has printed the New Testament in the Chinese characters; and we are informed that he has composed an introductory treatise to this extraordinary language, of which report speaks highly, and which, we trust, he will not withhold from the public. The East India Company, with their usual liberality, have not only allowed Mr. Morrison a salary

of 500l. a year as interpreter during the absence of Sir George Staunton, but have supplied him with a press, and other materials, to enable him to print and diffuse the holy Scriptures through the country, in the Chinese language. It is to be hoped that he may use the implements thus entrusted to his management with becoming discretion; though, when the extreme jealousy and the deep-rooted prejudices of this singular people against every person, and thing that is foreign, are taken into consideration, we cannot but confess our doubts of the policy of entrusting instruments of so delicate and dangerous a nature to the inexperienced hands of a gospel missionary.

It was reserved, however, for the missionary of Serampore to favour the European world with the first plain, simple, and intelligible introductory treatise of the Chinese language; of which treatise we have given in a former Number a very full and detailed account. Had Mr. Marshman adhered to elementary tracts, vocabularies and dictionaries, he would have conferred a lasting benefit on those who may have intercourse with the Chinese, or whose pursuits may lead to the cultivation of Chinese literature. No one can be better qualified to classify and analyze the Chinese characters than Mr. Marshman. He seems to possess the happy talent of deciphering or resolving them into their constituent parts with as much facility as a botanist will refer a plant to its proper class and order in the Linnæan system; but here we think his merit ends: like the botanist with his plants, he can classify his symbols without knowing much of their powers or virtues; and when he ceases to be the 'pioneer of literature,' he ceases to be respectable. The truth is, that like most of the missionaries, Mr. Marshman has the qualities of zeal and unwearied diligence; but he is deficient in taste and judgment. He could not possibly have made a worse choice of a subject than that which is contained in the formidable volume of 740 pages now before us, and which is but one half of the laborious drudgery he has undertaken to accomplish. The style of Confucius is not the style of the present day. The application of a Chinese symbol varies with the times, and with the rank and situation of the person who makes use of it; besides this, most of the characters have a literal and a figurative meaning; and sometimes the same character has opposite significations. Many of those which have the reputation of a very high antiquity are supposed to include within themselves certain great moral truths, others, beautiful and appropriate allusions, or the elegant expres sion of a sentiment, to be comprehended and felt only by the great and the learned; and most of them are used in a metaphorical sense. The emperor issues his edicts through the medium of these ancient characters, and generally in measured sentences. If he

should ask his ministers to tea, or give his consent to a petition, he must do it at least in a distich.

The disciples of Confucius, in preserving his moral maxims imitated his style. That a plain man like Mr. Marshman, in attempting to translate symbols of this description into the English language, without any knowledge of the peculiar tenets and habits of thinking which prevail among the Chinese, should altogether fail, and frequently write nonsense, is not in the least surprising; but we confess that we were not prepared for the extremely mean and meagre dress in which he has exhibited these homely truths of the great sage: they are absolutely disgusting from their nakedness; and we will venture to say, that the manual of a village schoolmistress or parish clerk never exhibited a set of maxims more trite and puerile than those to be found in every page from the first to the last of Mr. Marshman's tremendous quarto. Confucius might in his time, and in the eyes of the unenlightened people among whom he dwelt, have been considered as a holy man and a great philosopher; but, judging him by his writings, we are perfectly astonished his name should ever have survived his natural life, much less have been banded down to the present time with increased honours and veneration. His works ought never to appear in any language but that in which they were written. So long as bis dogmas remain enveloped in mystical symbols, we may suppose them, with the Chinese, to be profoundly wise, and divinely true; but when submitted to Mr. Marshman's translation, the charm is at once dispelled, and we find nothing remaining but the mere caput mortuum of some stale remark or homely truth.-The following are two of what Mr. Marshman calls the 'sayings' of this venerable sage,

'Chee (that is, Confucius) says, a cornered vessel without its corners, how is it a cornered vessel ? how is it indeed a cornered vessel ?"

·

Nim-yaou says, does Hoo-chee approve of the present ruler of Wye? Chee Koong (Confucius) replied, Humph! I must inquire?'

We have been led into these observations on the injudicious choice of a subject which Mr. Marshman has made for the exercise of his talents, principally because he seems to have undertaken the task from a persuasion that his book will 'convey an idea of Chinese literature, and facilitate the acquisition of that most curious and difficult language.' We, on the contrary, are quite persuaded that it is not in the least calculated to do either, while it must convey to the world a most wretched idea of the attainments of this celebrated sage. The whole scope of his maxims, or proverbs, or sayings,' is the inculcation of a dull passive morality. Patience, obedience, gravity, and taciturnity are the cardinal points on which the ethics of Confucius turn; and what Confucius was

the thorough-bred Chinese is at this day-a mere automaton, whose every motion is regulated and adjusted with the nicety of a piece of clock-work. The spring and elasticity of mind which, by operating on the animal machine, occasions all the diversity and irregularity that characterize its movements in our western hemisphere, will in vain be sought for in a Chinese. The powers of his mind are tamed down to the same state of inactivity with those of the body. In his public transactions he must suppress every passion, but may without censure give them full scope in private. He is always artful, and always heartless; virtuous in appearance, extremely vicious in reality; and at the moment that moral sentences flow from his lips, his heart is most probably intent on the secret commission of some dishonest act.

To convey to our readers some notion of the Lun-yee (conversations and maxims) which in his awkward phraseology, Mr. Marshman calls Lun-gnee, we shall extract a few of the sayings of the Chinese sage,' by which we do not expect that they will be either much amused or instructed. They will bear in mind however how much depends on the visible symbol in the original, and that it is Mr. Marshman who speaks and not Confucius.

The upright man will not be left destitute; he will have friends.' 'If in serving the ruler you advise him, he will disgrace you; if you advise a friend, he will avoid you.'

"Chee (Confucius) says, a sage I am unable to behold; could I obtain a sight of an honest man this would suffice.'

Chee conversed not about curious arts, nor brutal strength, nor insurrection, nor the deity.'

Qui mun-chce reflected thrice and then proceeded to action. Chee heard and said, reflect perpetually, this best answers the purpose.'

• Gnan-in and Qui-loo one day ministering to Chee, he said, why do not each of you mention his particular desire? Qui-loo says, I wish for a carriage and horses, robes light and beautiful, then lending to a friend, if he spoil them I would not be angry. Gnan-in says, my desire is neither to publish my virtues nor to boast of my labours. Quiloo says, I wish to hear Chee's desire. It is, that the aged be placed in a state of ease; that friends be faithful to each other, and orphans nourished.'

'Chee says, coarse rice for food, water to drink, and the bended arm for a pillow; happiness may be enjoyed even in these: without virtue, both riches and honour to me seem like the passing cloud.'

Chee being upon a river, says, in this manner does the river per petually flow. It stays not day or night.'

"Chee was in the Chki country for three months, hearing Lun's ́mu» sic, and knew not the taste of his meat. He said, I had no idea of

music arriving at this degree of perfection.'

The stable was on fire, Chee coming from the palace, says, are the men injured?" He did not inquire respecting the horses."