In the last number of the Journal of the China Branch of the Raya! Asiatic Society, published on the Qud of this month, appears the first of a series of papers which, when completed, will Form a valuable and interesting little Listory of the progress which has been made in the study of the Chinese lau" guage and literature in all parts of the world. he papers will be written by leading sinologues of different nations of the West, and each will give a brief history of the work which has been done by his coautrymon in promoting sinological studies and in increasing our ators of sinological knowledge, Ihe first paper, which is from the pen of Signor Nocentini, treats of " Sinology in Italy." Although Italy can claim) compara. tively few of the distinguished Chinese scholars of recent years as her children, the claim which Signor Nocentini puts forward for her of having been the "gradlo of Oriental philology in Bacope" will be readily admitted; and as in addition a son of Italy has a strong title to the distinction of having been the father of all sinologues, there is something peculiarly appropriate beginning the series with this paper. The man for whom the author claims this distinction is the famous Father Matteo Ricci, of Macerata, whose memory is still held in respect by the Chinese. Signor Nocentiui mentions that in a recently published native guide to Shanghai Father Mattoo is oredited, under the name Li Ma-ton, with having introduced clocks into this Empire. Father Mattoo Ricci arrived in China in 1583, but even aten earlier period than this there had been Italian missions to China, the first missionaries to (his empire of whom any record is to be found being a Dominican monk named Riooldo di Moutecroce and a Franciscan named Giovanni di Montecorvino, who came here at the end of the thirteenth or beginning of the fourteenth century. Moutecorvizo, who lived for some years and died in Peking, was in all probability the first European who became acquainted with the Chinese Language; but although there are reasons fur believing that be and his comrades sent home a descrip. tion of the country, there is no trace of it, nor docs there appear to be any ground for believing that they left any material on which to found a study of Chinese. Signor Nocentini does not therefore bestow on these pioneers of missionary work in China the title of sinologues. Father Ricci, however, not.only translated several European works into Chinese, but also left mate-nuls on which a study of Chinese might be founded, the work on which his claim tobe considered the firstsinologue is prin cipally founded being a transliteration of Chinese characters. "This system," the writer says, Laving been adopted, under Ricci's orders, by all the Catholic qnissions, came iutu general use, and is without doubt the origin of the plan upon which all dictionaries of the Chinese language have been compiled." In addition to this Father Ricci wrote an accouut.of the country and of the Catholic missions, which was translated from Italian into Latin by Father N. Trigault, and which has since been republished in many languages as the original work of Father Trigault. OF this work Signor Nocen says, Readers who possess any acquaintance with Chins will wish that all works on the same subject were written with equal exactness and perspicuily." OF the uamerous notices of China that were sent home by Italian missionaries in succeeding years the writer remarks that "they are not a sure guide in the study of Chinese customs, as they are intended rather to magnify the work of the missions and induce other fathers to come out, than to give accurate descriptions of the Chinese people but he states that in the public and private libraries in Italy are to be found, both printed and in manuscript, translations of Chinese books and other sinological works, all the productions of Italian missionaries, among them being a translation of the ' Li Chi' by Father Calleri, who has been usually included among French sinologues in consequence of his name having been mis-spelt " Callery."
Of Italian travellers in China who have written descriptions of the country Signor Nocentini admits that there are nove who are entitled to be termed sinologues; but nevertheless he deals abeome length with the work of one Francesco Carletti, born in 1574, who, though Signor Nocentini admits that his name is scarcely known out of Italy, wrote a really valuable and accurate description of China, When Curletti left the Far Enst he brought with bim to Goa a young Corean, whom he there converted to Chiristianity. This young man, Signor Nocentini tells us, was afterwards brought to Rome, where he lived under the name of Antonio Corea, Marco Polo's writings the author dismisses with a sentence, doubtless considering it unnecessary to describe a work so known to readers of all nationalities, Dealing with sinological work in Lltaly or by Italians in more recent days, the author states that "aubappily Italy, though she was the first to store up the materials, has been prevented by political events from keeping the foremost place in the promotion of oriental study. Up to the last quarter of a century the struggle for freedom has absorbed every mind, to the exe clusion of scientific research: but immediately the first step towards independence had been fairly accom. plished, viz., in 1864, a chair for the Chinese language was established in the Tnstituto degu Studi Superiori partici ¢ di perfezionamento of Florence, to which was appoiuled Professor A Severini, a pupil of the cele. brated sinologue St. Julien. From this [year only can be dated ihe" come mencement of the scientific study of Chinese in Italy." Of the work which' is done at the Florentine Institute and at the University at Mme to farther Oriental study, Signor Nocens tini speaks in high terms, though of the two he considers that Florence is destined to be the more important seat of this branch of study. Among contemporary Italians sinologues the author refers particularly to two ignor A, Andreozzi, who has pub. ished a book on Ancient Chinese Law, and is now preparing for the press a translation of the well-known Chinese novel 'Shui Hu Chuan' (Ki some chapters of which have already appeared under the title of LI Deute di Buddha and Father Angelo Zottoli, of Sicawei, who during his forty years' residence in China has produced a large number of valuable essays, both religious and educational, as well as his famous " Cureus Litera. ture Siniew." Father Zottoli is now engaged on a Dictionary of the Chinese written language. "It is much to be desired," Signor Nooentini cays in con clusion, "in the interests of Oriental science, that the Italian Government should gather together the rich material scattered over the country, and, riching it by farther purchases, found great Central Oriental Solool like those of Paris and Vieun From the work that has been accomplished daring the short quarter of century since her unification, we can confidently predict that Italy will spare no efforts to com-polo with other nations in thie branch of human knowledge." Wo need only add that we have much pleasure in con. gratulating Signor Nocentini upon hie moat scholarly and valuable essay.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.