that we remember to have seen of Chi'This poem,' continues Mr. Mathieu, nese poetry. 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 the translator obtained the entire Poem It is a long time,' he adds, 'since on the Spring. Mr. Mathieu informs we have had an opportunity to obtain us, also, in regard to a point on which any production of this singular and inevery reader will be ready to put an teresting people. It is a kind of disinterrogatory.—that the poem appears reading the inscriptions on their fans covery, to have found out a means of 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 impetuosity of the style. He thus expressrality.' es his veneration for this fragment of antiquity. Such is the account the translator gives us of the original of the poem On retrouve dans ce poëme le laconisme which he has entitled 'Le Printemps.' impétueux, ce beau désordre, que l'on We have been the more sedulous in 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 feraient volontiers croire la langue primitive et his loyalty, Mr. Mathieu has plentifully to lose any opportunity of discovering antédiluvienne, ne nous en fournissait un, 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 *"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, be 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 antediluvian tongue, furnish us, in this very producmincing, set-phrased, palavering, Parition, 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." nature elle-mème. "Exposition of the Subject. The Again, on introducing an episode of traces of winter still subsist; it is nehis 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, Chinois, que j'ai vus jusqu'ici, que le goût en vers last efforts of winter. The time has Il ne m'a pas paru dans tous les vers Il est vraiment curieux de voir les Chi Mortels, ranimez vous, le soleil va renaftre; teaux. Pour vos nombreux enfans, il faut des toits mois, Du temps et des saisons les immuables Que le hardi triangle aille, en sa marche sûre, De la terre et des mers vous donner la 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 trouver encore quarante-huit ans aprés, au So much for the poem. There are, temps d'Yao, selon le Pè Kia-Sing, livre qui however, some fanciful speculations, on contient tous les noms des cent families 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. Less 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 A l'aspect de ces caractères, an style de est un traité de mathématiques appliquées. ces vers, on serait tenté de croire eette Il paraît être fait par quelque missionnaire poésie tirée de ces livres antiques et sa- pour introduire à la Chine les mathémacrés, écrits avec les fragmens de la ligne tiques européennes. I contient des cal<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 ✪, 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 atJantique. On this he introduces the following note, which will be read with some avidity by our antiquarians. l'auteur ait eu l'intention d'inspirer aux Chinois l'envie de se servir de ce ✪, pour 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 Îl indique toujours cette numération à la inventeur de calcul qui veut trouver son maniere romaine, ce qui prouve que les 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 originaire. glyphe atlantique de Dighton, près Bosten, ment une autre numération, ils l'auraient en Amerique, lequel paraît être de l'an du plutòt 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 prefe Tire les hieroglyphes, 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 située entre cettee île et l'Amérique, ils devaient par consequent habiter la côte occidentale. Elle paraît avoir été portée à la Chine par cet In, fils d'In-dios, roi de l'Atlantide, nommé dans l'hieroglyphe d'Amé rique, pour le chef de l'expédition, qui trop anciens, pour pouvoir supposer que la numération dont ils se servent, y a été portée depuis la découverte de la Chine, même par saint Thomas. Confucius existait 550 ans avant notre ére, ou au moins, selon d'autres, 483 ans. Ces chiffres romaines dont il s'est servi, ne peuvent donc deux monumens viennent du même peuple; 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 com→ l'histoire, y avoir été avant notre ére. Sans merce and amity' with the Americans. la traduction de l'hieroglyphe atlantique 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, 2236, being 48 years after the utter atlantique de l'héroglyphe, dans le même submersion of the island of Atlantis in temps, prouvent bien, au contraire, que ces the Ogygian deluge. This island of 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 rassembles 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, this great emporium of the arts and où Pile Atlantide pouvait exister comme sciences was swallowed up about 1800 'hieroglyphe le prouve; Les Atlantes, au milieu de l'Océan, comme aujourd'hui les years before the Christian era!! Such Anglais, comme eux, frequentaient alors is the amount of this wonderful story les quatre parties du monde, y faisaient of the events in which Mr. Mathieu des etablissemens. Ils y portaient leur langue et leur numération, qui s'y sont speaks as familiarly as of the occurmay safely conservées jusqu'aux découvertes moder- rences of yesterday. We 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 ile fameuse. Voilà comme les scènes du monde se sont succédées dans des âges diffe. rens, et que les hommes, dont la vie est éphémère, ont toujours cru que celle qui se passait sous leurs yeux, ou à la portee ne leur mémoire, était la premiére. Ce sont les moucherons d'un jour, qui bourdonnent et voltigent sous l'ombre du cedre antique, en disputant sur la durée de cet arbre eternel, et le soir ils ne sont déja plus. 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 sys tem of numeration is similar to that of the Romans, who derived it froin the Pelasgi, a people originally from the island of Atlantis! The same system was communicated to the Chinese by that very In, son of Indios, king of AtJantis, who is named in the inscription of Dighton, as chief of the expedition, VOL. 1. NO. IV. As the inscription on the rock at Dighton, seems to be the pivot on which this ingenious theory hinges, it may be well to append such authentic informa tion as we have, in regard to it. This information is furnished in a paper communicated by the Honourable James Winthrop, of Cambridge, to the A. A. S. from which we have made the following 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 below 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 fronts northwesterly. At the lowest tides the water retires from the foot of it, but 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. This side is ten feet six inches long, and four feet two inches wide. The other sides are shorter, and drawn to a point towards the shore, and are rough, as if large pieces had been bro 2 L ken off. The rock is of the dull reddish co- the rock, tracing the character, and paintlour, common to the stones in that neigh- ing it black, beginning to work when the bourhood. Tradition says, that in the last water had fallen so as not to be above our century it stood as much as four rods from knees, and finished the operation when the the river, but the inhabitants by digging water was about as deep upon the flood. round it, upon the foolish expectation of The next day the same company went to finding money, gave a passage to the tide. the rock, provided with a large sheet of It is agreed on all hands, that the inscrip- paper of the whole size of the inscription, tion is hieroglyphical; but for want of an and after retracing the character with exact copy of it, no satisfactory explana- paint, to cure any viscidity which the first tion has been given. A very imperfect paint might have contracted from the excopy was published, early in this century, treme heat of the weather, we applied the in the Philosophical Transactions of the paper to the face of the rock, two of us Royal Society of London, and about twen- managing the ends of the sheet, and the ty years ago a much more accurate one others, with towels, which we dipt into the was taken by Professor Sewall, which is river, pressing the paper upon the rock. deposited in the Museum of the University As soon as the paper was dry enough to be in Cambridge." removed, we laid it upon the shore, and completed the character with ink. Afterwards I brought it home, and hanging it up to the light, traced the inscription with ink upon the other side of the paper, it having been reversed by the manner of copying it from the rock. In the course of August, 1788, Mr. Winthrop took a copy of it. He was assisted by the Rev. Mr. West and Col. Edward Pope, both of New-Bedford, and the Rev. Mr. Smith and Judge Baylies, of Dighton. The method of taking the transcript is very particularly described, and as it proves the perfection of the copy, may be of service on similar occasions. We will give it in Mr. Winthrop's own words. "We spent one day in cleaning the face of "The inscription comes within eight inches of the bottom of the rock and runs off at the top and ends, which makes it highly probable that it has suffered considerably since it was first wrought. The character is generally about half an inch wide, and very shailow, appearing as if it were made by some pointed instrument." E ART. 4. Essays on Hypochondriacal and other Nervous Affections. By John Reid, M. D. Member of the Royal College of Physicians, London, and late Physician of the Finsbury Dispensary. 8vo. 209 pp. M. CAREY & SON. Philadelphia. SOCIETY can furnish few characters plore the secret springs of action. more worthy of love and veneration, Pharmacy,' says Doctor Reid, is but than that of an accomplished physician. a small part of physic; medical cannot If he be adequately endowed and tho- be separated from moral science withroughly furnished for his good work,' out reciprocal and essential mutilation.* he becomes not only the soother of pain In conformity with this opinion is that and the healer of disease, but one of the of our illustrious countryman, Doctor most efficient auxiliars of morality and public order. In order that he may become so accomplished, however, he must not confine his attention to the study merely of inorganic and irrational nature, and the laws of the animal economy; he should, also, as the means of his most extensive usefulness and the crown of his glory, analyze the human heart-ascertain the constituent principles of the moral agent-and ex Rush, that if physicians would become better metaphysicians, and metaphysicians better physicians, it would essentially facilitate the inquiries, and throw light on the pursuits of both. Nor would physicians and metaphysicians only, find advantage in uniting the studies of natural and moral science. The ministers of religion and the instructors of youth-all, whose care it is to prepare members for society and citizens |