THE ROMA •VITTORIO EMANUELE EDITOR'S PREFACE. HE fchoolmen had formerly a very exact way Tof computing, the abilities of their Saints of Authors. Efcobar, for instance, was faid to have learning as five, genius as four, and gravity as feven. Caramuel was greater than he. His learning was as eight, his genius as fix, and his gravity as thirteen. Were I to eftimate the merits of our Chinese Philofopher by the fame fcale, I would not hesitate to ftate his genius ftill higher, but as to his learning and gravity, these I think night fafely be marked as nine hundred and ninety-nine, within one degree of abfolute frigidity. Yet upon his first appearance here, many were angry not to find him as ignorant as a Tripoline ambaffador, or an envoy from Mujae. They were furprised to find a man born fo far from London, that school of prudence and wifdom, endued even with a moderate capacity. They expreffed the fame furprife at his knowledge that the Chinefe do at ours. "How comes it (faid they) that the Europeans, fo remote from China, think with fo much juftice and precifion? They have never read our books, they fcarcely know even our letters, and yet they talk and reafon juft as we do.' The truth is, the Chinese and we are pretty much alike, Different degrees of refinement, and not of diflance, mark the diftinctions among mankind. Savages of the |