Page:The Chinese Classics - Legge - 2nd ed - 1893 - Vol 1.djvu/11

PREFACE ¨THE author arrived in the East as a Missionary towards the end of I839, and was stationed at Malacca for between three and four years. Before leaving England, he had enjoyed the benefit of a few months¨ instruction in Chinese from the late Professor Kidd at University College, London, and was able in the beginning of I840 to commence the study of the first of the Works in the present publi- catlion. It seemed to him then 一and the experience of one and twenty years gives its sanction to the correctness of the judgememt一 that he should not be able to consider himself qualified for the duties of his position, until he had thoroughly mastered the Classlcal Books of the Chinese, and had investigated for himself the whole field of thought through which the sages of China had ranged, and in which were to be found the foundations of the moral, social, and political life of the people. Under this conviction he addressed himself eagerly to the reading of the Confuclan Analects, and pro- ceeded from them to the other Works. Circumstances occurred in the Misslon at Malacca to throw various engagements upon him which_left him lttle time to spend at his books, and he conse- quently sought about for all the assistance which he could find from the labours of men who had gone before.

¨In this respect he was favourably situated, the charge of the Anglo-Chinese College having devolved upon him, so that he had free access to all the treasures in its Library.” He had translations and dictionarles in abundance, and they facillitated his progress. Yet