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velope; and in the third he has done ral subjects of Mr. Fulton's investigawhat should make his country proud, tion. The great objection is that the and the world grateful.

The work which is the subject of our remarks, was read as a memoir before the Literary and Philosophical Society of New-York. It was undoubtedly designed for the press, and we have treated it as such. We understand that the profits of the publication are liberally given to that society by

the author.

book is too long. In such matters compression is every thing. Considering the avocations of the writer, part of the prolixity to which we object, is perhaps to be excused upon the ground suggested by Dean Swift-that he had no time to write shorter,-but surely there is a great deal which might have been beneficially retrenched. The merits of Mr. West and his pictures, whatever they may be, might more properly have been left to form a part of the biography of that gentleman, whenever it shall come to be again written.

Mr. Colden evidently does not hold the pen of a ready or practised writer. His style is sometimes deficient in elegance, and often in ease and grace. In a composition so formal, and so gene- We have thought proper to notice rally stately, we do not like such ex- these imperfections, though of minor pressions as "the little farm on which importance. Upon the whole, we think he settled his mother," page 9. "Ca- the writer has done justice to his subnalling," page 19,-and we particularly ject and honour to himself. disrelish the mock solemnity which results from prefixing the indefinite article to the name of an individual-"they mark the genius of a Fulton," page 13. But these are trifles. The work wants arrangement. The writer seems to have been confused between his attention to chronological order, and his desire to keep separate his accounts of the seve

The Appendix contains some information on the subjects to which Mr. Fulton had devoted his attention, though it is more diffuse than important.

It would be unjust to the publishers not to acknowledge that they have presented us, in this work, an elegant specimen of American typography. D.

ART. 3. Le Printemps, premier chant du Poëme Chinois, Des Saisons, traduit en vers Français, et mêlé d'allusions au Regne de Louis XVIII., Par Charles Léopold Mathieu, Membre de plusieurs Sociétés Savantes, nationales et étrangéres. A Nancy. CHEZ HENER. 8vo. pp. 28.

CONSIDERING the frequent inter

hitherto, are trifling both in quantity and

course of Europeans with the Chi- value. The labours of Dr. Marshman, nese, for centuries, it is somewhat ex- Mr. Morrison, &c. which have so much traordinary that so little should be facilitated the attainment of a language known of their literature. It is the that has heretofore presented difficulties more remarkable, as their pretensions in apprehension almost insurmountable, to learning are so great, and their may, perhaps,pave the way for more imbooks so numerous, for they have portant accumulations of Oriental lore. possessed the art of printing, after a But it is in their popular works of fanfashion of their own, from time imme- cy, in their plays, poetry, and novels, morial. Some of the writings of Con- that we must look for indications of the fucius have, indeed, been translated in- prevailing character and temperament to English, and versions have been of a people. Of these very few have made of a few other works of various fallen into the course of our reading. descriptions. But the acquisitions, This is the first specimen, such as it is,

that we remember to have seen of Chinese poetry.

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'This poem,' continues Mr. Mathieu, ' verses of which are inscribed as well Mr. Mathieu tells us that he chanced on fans as on paper-hangings, is entireupon this poem of the Seasons, or ly composed of simple expressions, rather of the Months,' on a suit of ta- and written in key or radical characters pestry, and takes occasion, very justly, of what we term the Chinese alphabet ; as well as opportunely, to compliment which is an evidence that it was prothe Chinese on their taste in displaying duced at a remote period, when Chiin the hangings of their rooms something nese writing was restricted to its prifor the mind as well as the eye to re- mitive signs, the roots of its present pose on. We hope the hint will not characters, and consequently before the be lost. If the Chinese are too proud invention of these complicated characto learn of us, let us not be ashamed to ters.' be instructed by them. From this source 'It is a long time,' he adds, 'since the translator obtained the entire Poem we have had an opportunity to obtain on the Spring. Mr. Mathieu informs us, also, in regard to a point on which any production of this singular and interesting people. It is a kind of disevery reader will be ready to put an covery, to have found out a means of interrogatory,—that the poem appears reading the inscriptions on their fans to be written in blank verse, except the and tapestry, the characters of which introduction, in which the lines rhyme at first blush, appear to have so little by their initial syllables. This is, relation with those we know. They however, a singularity even in the Chinese language, most of their verses the more curious, that they seem inopen, however, a field of observation; rhyming by their closes. In regard to tended to bring under the eye of the metre, the lines are irregularly of three, spectator the more esteemed extracts four, five, six, or nine feet. If we may of the poetry of the country, sometimes believe the translator, notwithstanding without reference to the designs of the the want of statedly recurring sounds and of modulated cadence, poetic inspi view of promoting instruction and mopaintings, but always with the laudable ration is easily discernible in the imrality.' petuosity of the style. He thus expressSuch is the account the translator es his veneration for this fragment of gives us of the original of the poem antiquity. which he has entitled Le Printemps.' On retrouve dans ce poëme le laconisme We have been the more sedulous in impétueux, ce beau désordre, que l'on pourrait appeler pindarique, qui caracté- gleaning these particulars relative to it, rise les poésies antiques, et dont les poë- since it is exceedingly difficult to dismes orphiques nous donneraient le pre- cover any traces of its former self in the mier type, si la poésie chinoise, dans une dress which he has given it. Unwilling langue que plusieurs indications me ferai- to lose any opportunity of discovering ent volontiers croire la langue primitive et antédiluvienne, ne nous en fournissait un, his loyalty, Mr. Mathieu has plentifully peut-être plus antique encore, dans ce pre- interlarded his performance with the mier chant du poëme chinois des saisons.* most fulsome and impertinent flattery

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"We find in this poem that energetic lacon- of the House of Bourbon, whilst, with ism, that charming wildness, which may be an equally deplorable want of taste, he termed Pindaric, which indicates antiquity, and of has tricked out his primitive, antediluwhich the poems of Orpheus might be regarded vian, radical, straight-mark'd, Chinese as the prototype, did not Chinese poesy, in a language which I have been led by many con- bard, in all the common-place of a siderations to look upon as the primitive and an- mincing, set-phrased, palavering, Pari

tediluvian tongue, furnish us, in this very production, a specimen of the same kind, possibly more ancient."

sian petit-maitre.

The poem appears to us, from what

we can gather in regard to it, to have nois avoir aussi des comparaisons dans been designed as a georgic. The fol- leur poésies. Cette remarque prove évilowing is given by Mr. Mathieu as the demment que cette figure est inspirée par la "Argument."

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nature elle-mème.

his

Exposition of the Subject. The Again, on introducing an episode of traces of winter still subsist; it is ne- own, yet of considerable interest cessary to break up the ice to aid the we confess, describing the renversement emancipation of nature. The ice is cut of a fisherman's cabin by an inundation, in pieces with sharp instruments. New he tells us, indeed, that the passage is frosts intervene to baffle hope. Let not in his author, and adds, in his own ardour be redoubled to counteract these justification,

66 en vers

last efforts of winter. The time has Il ne m'a pas paru dans tous les vers now come to construct new habitations, Chinois, que j'ai vus jusqu'ici, que le goût and to till the ground, that the seeds n'est pas de ce pays, j'ai cru qu'il etait Chinois adoptât l'épisode; mais si celui may germinate. The heat of the sun dans la nature du poëme, et qu'en vers increases, and reanimates industry and Français, il devait s'y trouver. nature. Now gardens are formed and How far this may be satisfactory to embellished. The melting of the snows others we know not,-for ourselves we on the mountains occasions floods which had far rather see a Chinese poem, in alarm the busbandmen. The waters at all its nudity, than bedizened last subside. The caravans assemble. Français." At any rate, we do not The soldiers are mustered-may they think Mr. Mathieu's poetic merit extehave no wars to wage. Commerce re- nuates the audacity of his innovations. vives, the vessels sail on their voyages. We shall limit ourselves in quoting from The children, who had been benumbed his version to a mere specimen, as we by the cold weather,resume their studies, do not wish to multiply French extracts, and return to the charge of the old men. and because we are still less inclined The middle-aged men undertake the to turn poetic strains into humble execution of those projects which they prose. In fact, if filtered through anhad matured in the winter. New families other translation, probably as little extend themselves. The youths en- would remain of the sentiment as of gage in exercises suitable to their years. the language of the original. The folThose who study mathematics apply lowing debut of the poem may possibly the principles they acquire to geography and astronomy. Finally, those who learn to write, apply geometry to the regular construction of their letters." Such is the plan of this poem, as far as we can disengage it from the episodes and allusions' with which the translator has so injudiciously encumbered it. We are indebted, however, to his candour and simplicity, for two further facts in regard to the style of the original. The dissolving of snow by the sun is likened by the poet to the fusion of metals by fire. Mr. Mathieu takes care, and it is not amiss, to let us know that this simile is found in

the text. He further observes, with great naïveté,

Il est vraiment curieux de voir les Chi

convey some idea of the brusquerie and
abruptness of the Chinese; and is a
favourable instance of the faithfulness
and even of the manner of Mr. Ma-
thieu.

Mortels, ranimez vous, le soleil va renaître;
La nature glacée, attend un nouvelle être.
Avec elle, à l'envi, commences vos travaux;
Accourez, saisissez vos haches, vos mar.

teaux.

Pour vos nombreux enfans, il faut des toits
propices,
C'est l'instant de bâtir d'utiles édifices.
Hatez-vous ! mais toujours suivez, à chaque
mois,

Du temps et des saisons les immuables
lois.

Que le hardi triangle aille, en sa marche

sûre,

De la terre et des mers vous donner la figure.

Qu'il forme des remparts, qu'il élève des tours,

Des palais de vos rois, qu'il trace les contours;

Et qu'au joug suspendu le soc fendant les plaines,

Prépare l'abondance et le prix de vos peines.

était venu là faire un traité d'alliance et de commerce avec les Américains. Cet In, de la Chine, est le chef de la hutième des cent premières familles chinoises au temps d'Yao, l'an 2296, 48 ans aprés le déluge d'Ogygés, auquel on peut rapporter la submersion de l'Atlantide. Il a pu en sortir quelque temps avant la submersion, et se So much for the poem. trouver encore quarante-huit ans aprés, au There are, temps d'Yao, selon le Pè-Kia-Sing, livre qui however, some fanciful speculations, on contient tous les noms des cent familles a point concerning our own country, chinoises, au temps de cet empereur, et contained in a note, that have a bold- qui conserve toujours ce même nom : quoi. ness which commends them to consi- que le nombre des noms propres qu'il conderation, and are supported by a cor- tient, soit augmenté jusqu'a 438. Ces carespondent confidence of assertion. If ractères numeriques sont employés, à la Chine, dans les livres les plus anciens, et they fail to convince, they will serve jamais les Chinois n'ont voulu se prêter à to amuse. In his prefatory remarks, les changer. J'ai, en ce moment, à ma speaking of the primitive characters in disposition un manuscrit chinois qui en which these verses are written, Mr. Ma- fait la preuve, concurremment avec le dicthieu says

tionnaire chinois de M. de Guignes, qui est le titre le plus moderne. Ce manuscrit est un traité de mathématiques appliquées. Il paraît être fait par quelque missionnaire pour introduire à la Chine les mathématiques européennes. Il contient des cal

A l'aspect de ces caractères, au style de ces vers, on serait tenté de croire cette poésie tirée de ces livres antiques et sacrés, écrits avec les fragmens de la ligne droite, entiere et brisée, qui ne sont sûre- culs, et sur-tout une espéce de table de loment pas de l'arithmétique binaire, comme garithmes, où l'on voit figurer le O, parmi l'a cru si bizarrement Leibnitz; puisque les autres signes de numeration chinois, Les caractères numériques chinois sont les qui sont aussi atlantiques. Il semble que caractères romains dont l'origine est at- l'auteur ait eu l'intention d'inspirer aux Lantique. Chinois l'envie de se servir de ce O, pour

On this he introduces the following note, which will be read with some avidity by our antiquarians.

faciliter la formation des nombres, en l'employant concurremment avec leurs signes ordinaires, à la manière des chiffres arabes. Le dictionnaire chinois, au contraire, ne Cette idée de Leibnitz de voir son cal- fait aucune mention du zéro dans la table cul binaire dans les anciennes écritures qu'il donne des signes numériques chinois. chinoises, ne peut être que la rêverie d'un Il indique toujours cette numération à la inventeur de calcul qui veut trouver son maniere romaine, ce qui prouve que los système par-tout. Le système de numé- Chinois, toujours fidèles à leur ancien usage ration chinois, les signes de cette numéra- n'ont pas voulu adopter seulement ce zéro; tion sont les mêmes que ceux de l'hiéro- par conséquent s'ils avaient eu originaireglyphe atlantique de Dighton, près Boston, ment une autre numération, ils l'auraient en Amerique, lequel paraît être de l'an du plutôt conservée que de la changer contre monde 1902, selon la traduction que j'ai une nouvelle aussi peu commode que la trouvé le moyen d'en faire, d'après l'art de romaine, pouvant choisir l'arabe de préfélire les hiéroglyphes, que j'ai découvert. rence. On ne dira pas qu'ils tiennent la Cette numération atlantique est la même leur des Romains. Ce peuple n'a jamais que celle des Romains, qui la tenaient des été à la Chine; et les livres chinois de Pélasges, peuples sortis originairement de Confucius, où se trouvent employés les l'Atlantide, où, selon Platon, qui donne le chiffres romains, ou plutôt atlantiques, sont nom de Pélagos à la partie de l'Ocean si- trop anciens, pour pouvoir supposer que tuée entre cettee île et l'Amérique, ils de- la numération dont ils se servent, y a été vaient par consequent habiter la côte occi- portée depuis la découverte de la Chine, dentale. Elle paraît avoir été portée à la même par saint Thomas. Confucius existChine par cet In, fils d'In-dios, roi de l'At- ait 550 ans avant notre ére, ou au moins, lantide, nommé dans l'hieroglyphe d'Amé. selon d'autres, 483 ans. Ces chiffres rorique, pour le chef de l'expédition, qui maines dont il s'est servi, ne peuvent donc

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y avoir été portés que par un peuple anté- which had arrived there for the purrieur; or, aucun people n'est rapporté par pose of concluding a treaty of coml'histoire, y avoir été avant notre ére. Sans la traduction de l'hieroglyphe atlantique merce and amity' with the Americans. de Dighton, en Amérique, ce fait serait in- This In became the founder of a disexplicable. L'identité de numération de tinguished family in China, and was cet hieroglyphe et de celle de la Chine, living in the time of Yao, in the year l'identité de nom, d'In, Chinois, et de l'In, 2296, being 48 years after the utter atlantique de l'hieroglyphe, dans le même submersion of the island of Atlantis in temps, prouvent bien, au contraire, que ces the Ogygian deluge. This island of deux monumens viennent du même peuple; que ces deux In sont de la même famille, Atlantis was, in its day, what Great comme je le prouverai d'ailleurs par nom- Britain is in ours; carried on a brisk bres d'autres faits que j'ai rassemblés dans trade with the four quarters of the globe, un ouvrage que je publierai bientôt. L'on and established colonies and factories verra qu'à l'époque de l'hieroglyphe atlanto facilitate exchanges. Unfortunately tique d'Amérique, en l'an 1902 du monde, où l'île Atlantide pouvait exister comme this great emporium of the arts and i'hieroglyphe le prouve; Les Atlantes, au sciences was swallowed up about 1800 milieu de l'Océan, comme aujourd'hui les years before the Christian era!! Such Anglais, comme eux, fréquentaient alors is the amount of this wonderful story les quatre parties du monde, y faisaient of the events in which Mr. Mathieu des établissemens. Ils y portaient leur

langue et leur numération, qui s'y sont speaks as familiarly as of the occurconservées jusqu'aux découvertes moder- rences of yesterday. We may safely nes, aprés l'interruption de communication recommend it to the reader to believe avec ces contrées, qu'occasionna, pendant as much of it as he can. si long-temps, la submersion de cette île fameuse. Voilà comme les scènes du mon

de se sont succédées dans des âges diffe.

As the inscription on the rock at Dighton, seems to be the pivot on which this ingenious theory hinges, it may be rens, et que les hommes, dont la vie est éphémère, ont toujours cru que celle qui well to append such authentic informase passait sous leurs yeux, ou à la portee tion as we have, in regard to it. This inne leur mémoire, était la premiére. Ce formation is furnished in a paper comsont les moucherons d'un jour, qui bour- municated by the Honourable James donnent et voltigent sous l'ombre du cédre Winthrop, of Cambridge, to the A. A. S. antique, en disputant sur la durée de cet arbre éternel, et le soir ils ne sont déja from which we have made the followplus. ing extract:

Account of an Inscribed Rock, at Dighton, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, communicated to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Nov. 10, 1788. By James Winthrop, Esq

"In Taunton river, about six miles be

For the benefit of those who may need an interpretation, we will give the substance of the above in a few words. Mr. Mathieu, in controverting an opinion of Leibnitz, states, that the Chinese system of numeration and the signs employed in it, are the same as those found in the Atlantic hieroglyphical inscription at Dighton in Massachusetts, which appears to have been written in the year of the world 1902! This system of numeration is similar to that of the Romans, who derived it from the Pelasgi, a people originally from the island of Atlantis ! The same system This side is ten feet was communicated to the Chinese by that very In, son of Indios, king of At- wide. The other sides are shorter, and six inches long, and four feet two inches lantis, who is named in the inscription drawn to a point towards the shore and of Dighton, as chief of the expedition, are rough, as if large pieces had been bro 2 L

VOL. I NO. IV,

low the town of Taunton, and within the limits of Dighton, is a rock containing an hieroglyphical inscription, which has long engaged the attention of the curious. The rock is on the eastern side of the river, upon the beach, and the inscribed side the water retires from the foot of it, but fronts northwesterly. At the lowest tides at high water it is commonly covered. The longest side contains the inscription, looking towards the channel of the river, and is the natural face of the rock, not smoothed by art.

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