12 April 1804 (THE) CITIZEN of the WORLD (OR a Letters from refiding in LONDON tohis friends in the EAST, By Oliver Golds with? VOL: 1. Vide Let XXVI. "Iam suprised at the inactivity of our Magistra Printed for WTM Otridge. and Son, JohnWalker, 1800. THE EDITOR's PREFACE. THE HE schoolmen had formerly a very exact way of computing the abilities of their faints or authors. Efcobar, for inftance, 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, might 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 ambassador, or an envoy from Mujac. 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 furprise at his knowledge, that the Chinefe do at ours. "How comes it (faid they,) that the Europeans, fo remote from China |