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Poo Nang Che tsăng sin.
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With such endearing remembrances, it is scarcely possible that the Chinese ever could despise their grandsires or their immortal works. And, reasoning consistently that the experience of many centuries will stamp maxims with greater veracity, than the suggestions of the new-fangled freak of a moment howsoever specious, they naturally stand by all that, the ancients have said, and will not go a step far- ther, and whether right or wrong, they staunchly maintain their writ Lings and multiply, numberless editions. The Board of Rites even refused to change the system of geography, though the missionaries gave ocular, proofs that there existed a great number of other coun- tries, besides those entered on the list bequeathed by the ancients.
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What would Rome have been, if Cæsar, had, understood the art of xylography, and had printed his commentaries, with a good sized newspaper, to convince the world, that he was solely living and act ing for the benefit of the commonwealth There would have been no end of books, if the versatile Greeks could have availed them- selves of this art, and, transmitted their thoughts, at their hearts' de- sire, to the most remote ages. Such however was the good fortune of the Chinese. When the original writers had carefully consigned their sentiments to slips of bamboo, their ingenious countrymen pro- cured paper, and ink, and printing with blocks, struck off innumerable copies. Thus it happened that, during the middle ages, books were reprodured with immense facility, and nothing of ancient lore was lost to the world. We have therefore treatises upon every subject, within the compass of human comprehension, and when our western nations glory in some new invention, let them remember, that some obscure Chinese author, had perhaps a crude idea of the same matter many centuries ago, and has written long essays upon the subject. We really despair of adducing anything, of which the Chinese have not some notion, expressed either in curious prose or long winding rhymes, We have seen treatises on hollow shot, rockets, and bombs, as they were used in the ninth century; we have met, with essays on metallic currency, and the banking system; we have even seen notices about the power of steam, and its practical application to useful purposes; and a great many other things, which are at first sight really sur- prizing. But they are mere infant notions, incipient thoughts, which if properly followed up would lead to great results. Nor are they brought to light by the present generation, but are the conceptions of writers who lived centuries ago; but it is enough to have all these things in books, and to prove, that China once possessed profound and inventive thinkers.
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