CONFUCIUS.

The Morals of Confucius A Chinese Philosopher, Who flourished above Five hundred Years before the Coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Being one of the Choicest Pieces of Learning Remaining of that Nation. The Second Edition.

      London: Printed for F. Fayram..., 1724. Small 8vo, 152 x 93 mms., pp. [xvi], 136, contemporary sheepskin; small portion missing from lower part of last blank leaf, with partial loss of some contemporary annotations, covers detached, spine worn. A later owner has mounted a nameless bookplate (?Howard of Essingham; with motto "virtus mille scuta" above two heraldic lions), on the front paste-down end-paper, covering up contemporary annotations. The 20th century bookplate of the bookseller John Lawson is also present on the front paste-down end-paper. ESTC notes that this work is "translated and abridged from the Latin translation of Prospero Intorcetta, Philippe Couplet, and others, or from an intervening French translation attributed to Louis Cousin or Jean de La Brune." This copy, which is extensively annotated in a contemporary hand, makes a similar comment on the title-page, noting also that it is "Badly translated" and that it is just a selection from Confucius. In his or her account of the Jesuit origins of the work, the annotator traces its Jesuit origins: "The Jesuits seem to have try'd which c'd lye most in extolling the Chinese." The notes in the text are mostly confined to the first 60 pages, but the rear end-papers are covered with notes, and a folded leaf is loosely inserted between the rear free end-paper and the rear paste-down end-paper, with quotations from various contemporary or earlier authors. Loosely inserted in the same hand is a curious note, 95 x 111 mms., with the designation, "The Real Order of the Ranks of Men," beginning with those who practice Divinity in the top rank, followed by (in rank order), Law, Physick, Mathematicks, Trades, Military, and "The Lowest of all, Sports, Operas, Plays, Races, Boxing, Wrestling, Fencing, Bowls, Dice, Tennis, Cricket, Prisoners [just below Cricket], Riding, Dancing," etc. The annotations would seem to derive from a contemporary Sinologist and would be invaluable for assessing perceptions of Confucius by early 18th century scholars. The work was first published in 1691, followed by a second edition in 1706; this second "second edition" is a re-issue of the 1706 edition (printed for T. Horne), with a cancel title-page, ESTC T140229. scholarship sport prose literature scholarship