Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 658

THE

CHINESE REPOSITORY.

VOL. X.-DECEMBER, 1841.- No. 12.

ART. I. A New History of China, containing a description of the most considerable particulars of that empire. By GABRIEL MA- GAILLANS. London, 1688. pp. 352.

C

THE author of this work, introduced to the notice of the reader in our last number, traveled over all the principal parts of China, from the year 1640 to 1648, when he was carried to Peking, where he remained nine-and-twenty years, till his death in 1677. He wrote in obedience to an order of his superior, Francis Fierrando, visitor of China and Japan, and was evidently well informed regarding those things of which he gives an account. Magaillans' translator, in order to prepare the way for his new history, like some more modern writers, cats up and gives to the winds whatever had been before published respecting this country, so vast, so rich, so fertile, so ex- traordinary.' In its day, the book must have been indeed very vä- luable, and even at this time it affords some information not often -met with in other works. Ferdinand Mendez Pinto, where he does not speak of Portuguese affairs, 'is stuft with fables.' Gonzalez de Mendoza, sincere and true as to what he says of the travels of Mar- tin de Harrada and Jerome Marin, listened too much to the vaunting relations of the Chinese. Pedro Cubero Sebastian is equally bad. Trigaut, the Annual Letters, Semedo, Martini, Schall, Greston, Rougemont, Couplet, R. P. of Orleance, and some others, "seem the most worthy of credit and esteem;" but... and "but though these -authors are every one worthy to be esteemed and valued, certain it is -that we wanted still a very great number of considerable particulars;" and, "I make no question but this translation will be grateful to the more exact part of the learned world."

VOL. X. NO. XII.

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