Page:Philosophical Transactions - Volume 004.djvu/86

 which the said River passeth, and of all the Cataracts of it; and then of the Climate, and Temperature, Mountains, Fertility, Herbs, Trees, Animals Wild and Tame, and the inclinations of the inhabitants; besides, of the Read Sea, and the reason of its Appellation: Touching which particulars we must not here enlarge, but remit the Reader to the Book it self; or (since Copies of it are difficult to be had) to the Relations lately English'd by Sir Peter Wych, and printed for Mr Iohn Martyn; wherein the a maine passages, which concerne the Natural productions and other Curious Observables of that vast Country, are described.


 * III. An  Endeavouring a Probability, That the   of   is the Primitive Language; by Iohn Webb Esquire. Printed for Nath. Brook in London, 1669. in 8o.

This surprising Essay attempts to make it out from Authorities, Judged by the Writer thereof unquestionable, That the Chinese have been a people, ever since the Flood of Noah and before the Confusion of Tongues (at which they were not present in his opinion;) That their Language hath continually in all times, from their first beginning of being a Nation, been preserv'd in written Books; That the Characters, wherein those Books be written, are the self same, which from all Antiquity were extracted from their Original Hieroglyphicks; That in those Characters their Language hath ever since consisted, and, according to them, is at this present day spoken purely; and that by the same Characters their Language is generally understood through the whole Chinese world: From all which, considered together, the Author concludes, that the Mother or Natural-Language of China remaines in its Antient purity without any alteration.

How credible the Allegations here deliver'd, and how cogent the Discourses and Inferences, grounded thereon, are, we must leave to the Iudgement of the sagacious Reader; and shall only further take notice of the singular diligence of this Author in collecting occasionally and abbreviating many of the most Rh