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not nearly so for advanced
there have been many as they are at the end of two
us and.
years, very few progress in that time.
But I think it would be well if they
who had more
had other six months
for
study, before they are
called to undertake the responsible duties of
interpretation in
any
of
the Foreign Courts. I
would recommend that they should be
sent to Canton
for
that time, with the understanding that they will withdraw themselves entirely,
nearly so from the Society of their Countrymen, and spend the time in intercourse with the
Chinese. I do not see
in
any
insuperable difficulty in carrying out this suggestion, if the
gentlemen themselves freely agree to it, perceiving the advantages which it
would
give
to them. I mentioned
the idea to them, and said that if they were sons of mine, or otherwise subject to my authority, I should insist on carrying it out
But while they
are so occupied with the colloquial, I would not have them
lose any of the Knowledge of the written
Character which they
have acquired); and
I advised them to
go on to the reading of
the "works of Mencius" in
the
Chinese
Classics, and of the work called "The
History of the Three States, while they
made it
a
point
every
day
to do more or
less
in composing in Chinese with the written character adopting the principle of
"Nulla dies sine linea"
I have to
(sign) James Legge.
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