Art. XXVI.—1. Tchao-chi-kou-eul, ou l'Orphelin de la Chine, Drame en Prose et en Vers, suivi de Mélanges de Littérature Chinoise, traduits par S. Julien, Membre de l'Institut. Paris, 1834. 8vo. 2. Pe-shi-tsing-ki: Blanche et Bleue, ou les deux Couleuvres Fées; Roman Chinois, traduit par S. Julien. Paris, 1834. 8vo

Abstract

M. Stanislas Julien, the worthy successor of the lamented Abel Remusát, has commenced his career as professor of Chinese literature by publishing translations of some of the popular tales that best illustrate the habits of thought and action which prevail in the celestial empire. As ours is not exactly a critical journal, we shall not offer any opinion on the merits of these works; but in pursuance of our plan of diffusing information on oriental subjects, we shall offer to our readers such abstracts and specimens of the several tales as may serve to illustrate the character of the Chinese school of fiction, and, consequently, the state of the Chinese mind—for popular tales may justly be regarded as the personification of popular principles, Want of space rather than inclination prevents us from examining, at the same time, the professor's specimens of the Chinese drama; but as he proposes soon to translate some additional plays, we shall have another opportunity of directing attention to the subject. We shall at present confine ourselves to the romances, and we shall preserve the French orthography of proper names, as we are about to give only the outlines, not the translations of the tales.