cauſe in which they were united, which they were bound to ſupport, and to which all others were to be made ſubſervient; that they were perſons who had all of them profeſſedly renounced the world, and who, having abſtracted themſelves accordingly from its various purſuits, had been in great meaſure incapacitated from acquiring that particular experience which is neceſſary towards appreciating the merits and characteriſtic features of other countries, by the moſt obvious and indiſpenſable of teſts, a compariſon with their own. It was alſo inevitable, that perſons thus ſituated ſhould be, generally ſpeaking, under the influence of a ſtrong pre-diſpoſition in favour of a people, for the ſake of whoſe converſion they had renounced their country, and devoted their lives, and of a government, from whom, at one period, they had received extraordinary kindneſs and indulgence, and upon the continuance of whoſe protection with ſucceſs of their future undertakings was foreſeen almoſt entirely to depend.
Although having, perſonally, acceſs to all the principal objects of curioſity, and chief ſources of information, and poſſeſſing ſufficiently the requiſite talents of deſcription, we too often find that a want of ſubſtantial impartiality and diſcriminating judgment in their writings, has tended to throw a falſe colouring on many of the objects which they delineate, and has ſometimes produced thoſe inconſiſtencies by which errors and miſrepreſentations of this deſcription are often found to contribute to their own detection.
In like manner, although an intimate knowledge of the language of China enabled the Miſſionaries to explore and illuſtrate the antiquities of the empire, by ther peruſal and tranſlation of the obſcure and diſputed tets of its moſt ancient poets, hiſtorians, and philoſophers, an extreme anxiety to place theſe productions in the moſt favourable and pleaſing light, has led them, in ſome inſtances, to engraft ſo much of the European character and ſtyle upon the Chineſe originals, that the authenticity of their verſions has, however unjuſtly, been in thoſe caſes more than ſuſpected.
