Page:Ta Tsing Leu Lee; Being, The Fundamental Laws, and a Selections from the Supplementary Statutes, of the Penal Code of China.djvu/8

Rh expected to make any material addition, under the preent difficulties, to the tock of ueful and valuable information which Europe has already derived from the ame quarter.

The literary labours of the Miionaries, coniting of original decriptions and of tranlations, are, however, already numerous and extenive. Their works eem, at firt ight, to have been penned with uch diligence, and formed upon plans o comprehenive, as to promie atisfaction on every ubject connected with the Chinee empire, in which European curioity can be intereted. But, on a cloer examination, we find reaon to lament that their attention had not been more directed to the objects that were principally deirable, and we begin to upect that their ituation, or ome other circumtances, mut have had a tendency to diqualift them form repreenting thoe objects with all the accuracy and fidelity of diintereted and impartial obervers. At the ame time, it is impoible to conceive any et of perons more advantagrouly place for the purpoe of collecting and communicating the information that was mot required. Having devoted themelves to a reidence for life among the people of that empire, it was naturally one of their firt objects to acquire a knowledge of their manners, habits, and language. The active duties of their profeion necearily led them to cultivate the favour of the rich, to conciliate the affections of the poor, and to aociate generally with every clas of the inhabitants. As they appeared excluively in the character either of artits of jealouy to any rank, or to any party; they had generally a free communication with every department of the court and of the government, and at times were admitted to a familiar intercoure even with the overeign himelf.

It is, however, to be recollected, on the other hand, that, with the Miionaries, cience and literature were objects only of a econdary conideration, infinitely inferior in their etimation that acred caue