This is, perhaps, as clear an instance as can be found, of the mode in which an unlettered people would endeavour to convey the expression of their wishes to their friends at a distance, and forms a striking contrast to the elegant though complicated process of our own method of writing.
In the written language of the Chinese, a great proof of its having originated in this picture-writing, may yet be seen by a little attention to the forms of their characters, and is, perhaps, the only language now generally in practice, in which these early symbols are discernible, though some have attempted to explain the Hebrew language in the same way, by maintaining that the letters composing the Alphabet were at first characters or drawings of things. In the modern Chinese, however, much of the early rude formation of the characters has been altered, arising, probably, in some degree, from a greater improvement in taste inducing the nation to alter these rough to more elegant forms, and partly from the facility of writing requiring the scribe, in some cases, to strike off, and in others to connect, various parts of the original figure. Thus, the present Chinese character for ‘a man,’ is [Illustration] which was originally drawn [Illustration] or [Illustration] or [Illustration]; here it is plain that, by lopping off some of the limbs of this rude representative of the human species, we leave something like the form of the present character, though it would appear, that a long succession of ages must have polished the rough material to the improved shape which it now possesses. Again, the character to denote ‘the ear,’ was formerly drawn [Illustration] which is now softened into the present form, thus [Illustration]. ‘A range of hills,’ or ‘mound,’ at first drawn [Illustration] has now become [Illustration]. ‘The sun,’ [Illustration] is now [Illustration]. The reader’s ingenuity may be exercised and amused, and he will be enabled to see how far the preceding remarks are well-grounded, if we present him with a few of the original drawings, placed side by side with the characters into which they have been gradually altered, and which are now in general use.
The numbers one, two, three, and four, remain the same, being the simplest form which can be devised, to maintain the connexion of the drawing with the idea conceived. [Illustration] One, [Illustration] Two, [Illustration] Three, [Illustration] Four.