Latin Texts of French Speaking Sinologists（讲法语的汉学家的拉丁语文献）

Michele Ferrero（麦克雷）

Before the official establishment of a chair of Chinese studies in 1814，for centuries French-speaking scholars，travellers and missionaries have written about China in Latin，because Latin was the common language of scholars and academics in Europe.My article aims at presenting some of these works in Latin of French or Belgian French-speaking sinologists from the Middle Ages to the XX century.

According to David Mungello，from 1552 to 1800，a total of 920 Jesuits went to the China missions；of these 314 were Portuguese，another 130 were French，and the others from other European nations.In particular the French speaking Jesuits（French and Belgians）were very active in the scientific and academic fields，while the Portuguese were often more concerned about direct evangelization.These explains also the numerous publication from French speaking missionaries sinologists，even though they wrote in Latin.

Historically there is a deep difference between the attitude of the missionaries sinologist between 1610 and 1720，and then later.From the beginning of 1700，conflicts of power and jurisdiction appear between Portugal who claimed authority over missionaries in China and the new European power，France.So，for example，the Bishop of Macau did not support in any way the mission of the Legate Tournon in 1707．But the French missionaries did not have much time to enjoy the support of their nation.By 1722 a new wave of persecutions began in China，then in 1773 the Jesuits were suppressed.With the French revolution（1789）and then the attempts of Napoleon to control the Catholic Church，the Latin-writing age of French missionaries in China came to an end.After the Opium War，with the establishment of the French Protectorate over the Catholic missions in China，there was again a visible flourishing of missionaries sinologists，but by then they were mostly no more writing in Latin，except for a few grammars or dictionaries.

My presentation is divided into three parts：Early Sinology，1700-1773（year of the suppression of the Jesuits as a religious order）；after 1800．

Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages the two most significant French authors who wrote in Latin were Vincent of Beauvais and William of Rubruck.

Vincent of Beauvais（1190-1264）was a French Dominican monk.He held the post of lector（“reader”，“teacher”）at the monastery of Royaumont on the Oise，not far from Paris，founded by Louis IXArcher，Thomas Andrew（1911）.“Vincent of Beauvais”.In Chisholm，Hugh.Encyclopdia Britannica 28（11th ed.）.Cambridge University Press.pp.90-91．.He did not write exclusively about China but in his Speculum Maius（The Great Mirror），the most famous encyclopedia of the Middle Ages，has a section about China called Historia tartarorum.

From the Latin language point of view it is worthy to mention the use of the word “Tartaria”.The East Asian nomadic tribe of the Tatars was known since old times.At the same time in ancient Greek mythology there was the word Tartaros（Τα＇ρταρο），the deep abyss where the Titans are imprisoned.In Plato's Gorgias Tartarus is the place where souls are judged after death.In later literature the word is generally used for a place of punishment for crimes.It used also once in the Greek Bible（II Pt 2，4）.For the reliable Encyclopedia Treccani the word “Tartarus”for the “Tatar”people was on purpose a mixture of the two meanings：people who live in a place far away，mysterious and dangerous，hot and deserted.

So Tartaria or Tartaria Magna was used from the Middle Ages until the twentieth century to designate the great tract of northern and central Asia stretching from the Caspian Sea and the Ural Mountains to the Pacific Ocean inhabited mostly by Mongol peoples.

William of Rubruck（1210-1270）was a Flemish Franciscan who had followed the King Louis IX during the Crusades.The king then sent him to evangelize the so-called “Tartars”，in China and he departed together with two companions.He left a long account of his journey and his meetings：Itinerarium fratris Willielmi de Rubruquis de ordine fratrum Minorum，Galli，Anno gratia 1253 ad partes Orientales（The journey of brother William de Rubruquis，French，of the order of the little brothersto the East parts of the world）.This account is a masterpiece of Medieval geographical literature.

1600-1700

Between 1600 and 1700 there was a larg group of French and Belgian sinologists writing in Latin.The early sinologists were almost all members of the Society of Jesus（Jesuits），a religious order of the Catholic Church founded in 1541 and entrusted with the missions to China by Pope Gregory XIII in 1585 with a document（a Papal Bull）entitled Ex pastorali officio.Since its beginning the Society included people from different nations，but Spanish，Italian and French were at the beginning the majority.The founder of the Order himself，Saint Ignatius of Loyola，was Spanish but had studied in the University of Paris.The same is true of the first missionary to East Asia：Francis Xavier.

Some of the most significant French-speaking early sinologists who wrote in Latin are the following.

Nicolas Trigault（金尼阁，1577-1628）was born in 1577 in Douai.Entered the Jesuits in 1594，and studied in Lille and Gand.His most famous work is the translation of Matteo Ricci's Journal：De Christiana expeditione apud Sinas suscepta ab Societate Jesu.Ex P.Matthaei Riccii eiusdem Societatis commentariis Libri V.In Quibus Sinensis Regni mores，leges，atque instituta，et novae illius Ecclesiae difficillima primordia accurate et summa fide describuntur （“About the Christian expedition undertaken in China by the Society of Jesus.From the five books of memoirs of Father Matteo Ricci member of the same society，in which are described with precision and reliability the customs，the laws，the institutions and the very difficult beginnings of the church recently established there”）Augustae Vind.，apud Christoph Mangium，1615．The text had various edition and was reprinted also in Colonia in 1667．

He also wrote Regni Chinensis descriptio.Ex Variis Authoribus（“Description of the Kingdom of China，from various authors”），Leiden，Ex Officina Elzeviriana，1639 and Litterae Societatis Jesu e regno Sinarum annorum MDCX et MDCXI，（“Letters of the Society of Jesus from the Kingdom of China in the year 1610 and 1611”），published in 1615．

Jean-François Gerbillon（张诚，1654-1707）was born in Verdun，on June 4 1654．At 16 entered the Jesuits.In 1685 was sent to China.In Latin he wrote two significant works.One is the Exceptorum ex literis a R.P.Johanne Francisco Gerbillonio 2．et 3．Septemb.ex urbe Nibchou Tartariae Orientalis ditionis Moschicoe prope Sinensis Imperii fines.（“Selection from the letters written by Father Jean Francois Gerbillon on 2 and 3 September from the city of Nibchou of Northern Tartaria under Moscow，near the borders of China”），where he talks about his experience as interpreter of China during the signing of the Treaty of Nerchinsk.The other is a grammar of Manchu’ language：Elementa linguae tartarico-mantchuricae（“Elements of the language tartaric-manchu”），in：Thevenot，Rel.de div.voy，Paris，1696．He died in Beijing in 1707．

Philippe Couplet（柏应理，1623-1693）was born in 1623 in Mechelem，today Belgium.

In 1656 he left for China，part of the group of Jesuits led by the Polish Michal Boym.In 1693，during a storm in the Arabian Sea，a trunk fell on Philippe Couplet's back，seriously injuring him.He died before reaching the port in Goa.He was 70．

In Latin he wrote a Tabula chronologica monarchiae sinicae juxta cyclos annorum LX ab anno a.C.2952 ad annum p.C.1683（“Chronological chart of Chinese kings according to cycles of 60 years from the year 2952 B.C.to 1683 A.D.”），Paris，1686；reprinted in Viennae in 1703．He also wrote a Catalogus Patrum Societatis Jesu（“List of the Fathers of the Society of Jesus”），Paris，1686；Imperii Sinarum et rerum in eo notabilium synopsis（“Summary of the Chinese kingdom and of notable things in it”）；Regni Chinensis descriptio，intercalato Bened.Goesii itinerario ex India in Sinarum regnum （“Description of the Chinese kingdom，with inserted the journey of Bento de Gois from India to China”），Lyons，1700．His most famous work however is Confucius，Sinarium Philosophus，sive Scientia Sinensis latina exposita studio et opera Prosperi Intorcetta，Christiani Herdtrich，Francisci Rougemont，Philippi Couplet，PP.Soc.Jesu，Paris，1778（“Confucius，Philosopher of China，the Chinese wisdom presented in Latin by the hard work of Prospero Intorcetta，Christiani Herdtrich，Francis Rougemont，Philippe Couplet，Fathers of the Society of Jesus”）.This is one of the most influential Western translation of the Confucian classics.

François de Rougemont（鲁日满，1624-1676）.Born in Maastricht，Belgium，de Rougemont entered the Society of Jesus at Malines in 1641．Several months after his priestly ordination in November 1654，he applied to go to the missions.After arriving in Macao in July 1658，he then worked in Hangzhou（Zhejiang Province），Suzhou and Changshu（Jiangsu Province）.During the persecution of 1665 to 1671，de Rougemont was exiled to Guangzhou，where he participated in a conference dealing with missionary methods.Later he became the only priest in the area in charge of fourteen churches and twenty-one chapels.

Besides several catechisms in Chinese，de Rougemont wrote an important essay on the need for an indigenous clergy and an account of his exile in Canton.He died at Taicang，near Shanghai，and was buried in Changzhou（Jiangsu）.In Latin he composed a Historia tartarico sinica nova（1660-68）（“New history of Tartaria and China”），Lovanii，1673．

About de Rougemont and the relation between French speaking missionaries and those from other nations，there exists the important document of Estrix（see next）.

Aegidius Estrix Elogium F.de Rougemont（1690）， written 24 years after the death of Rougemont，connected with this other document：Innocentia Missionariorum Sinensium Belgarum，Germanorum，Gallorum ac in primis P.Ferdinand Verbiest，vindicata Romae anno 1690 contra geminam epistolam Patris NN.And P.N.Generalem datam Macai 2 Martii 1689（“A defense of the innocence of the Belgian，German and French missionaries in China and especially of Ferdinand Verbiest，against the double letter written by Father NN and PN to the Father General of the Society”）.This is a long response to a letter that says that only Italian and Portuguese do missionary works while Belgian and French and German do only scientific work.

Jean Baptiste du Halde（杜赫德，1764-1743）.Du Halde was a French Jesuit historian，specialized in China.He did not travel to China，but collected seventeen Jesuit missionaries' reports and provided encyclopedic survey of the history，culture and society of China and “Chinese Tartary”，that is，Manchuria.

Lefabre J.（or Jacques Le Favre，刘迪我，1613-1675）.In Latin he wrote De Sinensium ritibus politicis acta seu R.P.Jacobi Le Favre，Parisiensis，e Societate Jesu missionarii sinesis dissertatio theologico-historica de avita Sinarum pietate praesertim erga defunctos et eximia erga Confucium magistrum suum observantia，Lugduni et Parisiis，apud Nicolaum Pepie，1700（“About the political rites of the Chinese，or，essay theological historical of Father Jacques Le Favre，Parisian，missionary from the Society of Jesus，about the traditional piety of the Chinese in particular towards the deceased and the special respect towards the teacher Confucius”）.This text is part of the long debate on whether the honor given to Confucius was a religious act or a social politeness.Le Favre is in favor of this latter opinion.

Charles Gobien（or Le Gobien，哥比安，1653-1708）was a French Jesuit writer，founder of the Lettres édifiantes et curieuses，a collection of reports from Jesuit missionaries in China.It is a major source of information for the history of Catholic missions and life in China in those times.In Latin he wrote：Dissertatio apologetica de Sinensium ritibus（“Defensive dissertation about Chinese rites”），Leodii，1700．

Ferdinand Verbiest（南怀仁，1623-1688）.Born in the Flanders，a village called Pittem，near Tielt and Kortrijk，went to Louvain to study philosophy and mathematics.In 1641，when he was 18，entered the Jesuit order and arrived in the Portuguese city of Macao in 1659．In Latin wrote Liber organicus astronomiae europaeae apud Sinas restitutae sub imperatore Sino-Tartarico Camhi appellato （“Book of instruments of European astronomy used in China under the emperor called Kangxi”），Peking，1668．This text was then reprinted as Astronomia europaea sub imperatore tartaro sinico Cam Hy appellato ex umbra in lucem revocata a R.P.Ferdinando Verbiest Flandro-Belga e Societate Iesu，Dilingae，J.C.Bencard，1687．He also wrote a Elementa linguae tartaricae（“Elements of Tartarian language”），1676．Ferdinand Verbiest died in 1688．

Melchisédec Thévenot（1620-1692）.Librarian of the Royal Library of Paris from 1684 to 1692 published a collection of translations of relations about travels，Relations de Divers Voyages Curieux（Paris，1663），that includes many articles in Latin about China.

1700-1800（in 1773 there was the suppression of the Jesuits）

These are the years of the so-called Rites Controversy.

François Noël（卫方济，1651-1729），born in 1651 at Hestrud，Belgium，died in 1729 in Lille，France.Arrived in Macao in 1707，but the emperor Kangxi had just clashed with the pontifical delegate Thomas Maillard de Tournon and has asked Noel and other Jesuits（Antonio Francesco Provana，José R.Arxó et Fan Shouyi）to go to Rome to express his opposition to Tournon's attitude.

In Latin Noel wrote Sinensis imperii libri classici sex，nimirum adultorum schola，immutabile medium，Liber sententiarum，Mencius，Filialis observantia，Parvulorum schola，e Sinico idiomate in Latinum traducti a p.Francisco Noël，Societatis Iesu missionario，Pragae， 1711（“The six Classical books of the Chinese empire，that are the Higher School，the Unchangeable Middle Way；the Book of Sentences，Mencius，the Filial Respect，the School of the children，translated from Chinese in Latin by Father Francis Noel，missionary of the Society of Jesus”），Philosophia sinica，tribus tractibus，cognitionem primi entis；ceremonias erga defunctos，ethicam juxta Sinarum mentem complectens；historica notitia rituum et ceremoniarum Sinicarum，Pragae，1711（“Chinese philosophy，in three parts：the knowledge of the first Being ［God］；the ceremonies towards the dead；including the ethical thinking according to the Chinese；a historical account of Chinese rites and ceremonies”），Observationes mathematicae et physicae in India et China factae ab anno 1684 usque ad annum 1708，Pragae，1710（“Mathematical and physical observations made in India and China from the year 1684 to the year 1708”）.

Joseph Henri Marie de Premare（马若瑟，1666-1736）was a Frenchman born in Cherbourg in 1666．In 1683 entered the Jesuits left for China in 1698．He was there for 40 years.His Chinese name was马若瑟（Ma Ruose）.His most important work is in Latin： Notitia linguae sinicae（1720），Malacca，1831（“An introduction to Chinese language”）；Vocabularium latino-sinicum，ad usum missionariorum societatis Jesu（manuscript）（“Latin Chinese dictionary to be used by the missionaries of Society of Jesus”）.Joseph Henri Marie de Premare died in Macao in 1736．His Chinese Grammar was praised by James Legge as “an insuperable work”.

Jean-Baptist Régis（雷孝思，1663-1738）translated the Yi-Jing but his work was only published in 1839 by Julius Mohl：Y-king，Antiquissimus Sinarum Liber Quem Ex Latina Interpretatione P.Regis Aliorumque Ex Soc.Jesu P.edidit Julius Mohl，1839（Y-king，a very ancient text of the Chinese that Julius Mohl edited from the Latin translation of P.Regis and others from the Society of Jesus）.

Étienne Fourmont（傅尔蒙，1683-1745）.Born at Herblay，near Argenteuil，he studied at the Collège Mazarin in Paris and afterwards in the Collège Montaigu where his attention was attracted to Oriental languages.In Latin he composed a Grammatica Sinica，Parisiis，1742．Meditationes Sinicae：In Quibus 1．Consideratur Linguae Philosophicae Atque Universalis Natura Qualis Esse，Aut Debeat，Aut Possit.：2．Lingua Sinarum Mandarinica Tum in Hieroglyphis Tum in Monosyllabis Suis ...Ostenditur：3．Datur Eorumdem Hieroglyphorum Ac Monosyllaborum Atque Inde Characterum Linguae Sinicae Omnium ...Lectio & Intellectio ...：4．Idque Omne，Progressu a Libris Mere Europaeis（De Sinica Tamen）Ad Libros Mere Sinicos，Facto（Lutetiae Parisiorum：Chez Musier le Père ...Jombert ...Briasson ...Bullot；ex typographia Bullot，1737）（“hinese meditations：in which are examined 1）what is，or should be，or can be，the nature of a philosophical and universal language 2）it is presented the Chinese Mandarin language，both in its hieroglyphics and its monosyllables 3）is offered an explanation and understanding of those hieroglyphics and monosyllables and then of all the characters of the Chinese language 4）about all the progress from only European books about China to books only Chinese”），Lingua Sinarum Mandarinicae Hieroglyphicae Grammatica Duplex，Latine Et Cum Characteribus Sinensium.Item Sinicorum Regiae Bibliothecae Librorum Catalogus（“A double grammar of Chinese language Mandarin hyeroglyphic，with Latin and Chinese characters”），Lutetia Parisorum，Typ.Josephi Bullot，1742．

Alexander de la Charme（孙璋，1728-1767）.He translated 诗经（Shi Jin）into French.In Latin he wrote Confucii Chi-king sive liber carminum.Ex latina P.Lacharmi interpretatione（“The Chi-king or book of songs of Confucius.From the Latin translation of father La Charme），edidit J.Mohl，Stuttgartiae et Tubingae，Sumptibus JG Cottae”），1830．

Jean-François Fouquet（傅圣泽，12 March 1665-1741），was a Burgundy French Jesuit，bishop and scientist who was active in the Jesuit China missions for 22 years.Returned to Europe in 1722．In Latin he wrote Tabula chronologica historiae sinicae， Romae，1729（a chronological chart of Chinese history）.

Joacquim Bouvet（白晋，1656-1732），born in 1656 in Le Mans，in France and died in Beijing in 1732．His texts on Figurism were never published by his contemporaries because considered to be unorthodox.His main work in Latin is Icon Regia Monarchae Sinarum nunc regnantis ex gallico versa，1699（“Description of the monarchy of China currently reigning，translated from French”）.It is interesting to notice the need of translating from French to a more widely used — at the time — language，Latin，in order to reach a larger audience.

Louis le Comte（李明，1655-1728），was a French Jesuit who participated in the 1687 French Jesuit mission to China under Jean de Fontaney.He arrived in China on 7 February 1688．He returned to France in 1691 as Procurator of the Jesuits.His Nouveau mémoire sur l'état présent de la Chine，which was published in Paris in 1696，caused great debate within the Chinese Rites Controversy.

Charles Maigrot（颜珰，Paris 1652-Rome 1730）.History does not consider him a sinologist，since he did not really try to understand the traditions and the points of view of the Chinese.Yet he wrote extensively about China.This French bishop was at the centre，with the Legate Tournon，of the clash with the emperor Kangxi about the Chinese Rites Controversy.Maigrot was born in Paris in 1676．In 1680 joined the Paris Foreign Missions Society and was sent to China.In 1700 became bishop and was called to assist the Papal legate Tournon.Was then expelled from China in 1707 and died in 1730．

In Latin he wrote mostly letters and reports about the Rites Controversy.

Many of the documents concerning the controversy are contained in：Giovanni Jacopo Fatinelli（ed.）Historia Cultus Sinensium，Seu Varia Scripta De Cultibus Sinarum，inter Vicarios Apostolicos Gallos aliosque Missionarios，et Patres Societatis Jesu controversis：Oblata Innocentio XII.Pontifici Maximo Et Sacrae Congregationi Eminentissimorum Cardinalium dirimendae huic Causae praepositorum：Adiuncta Appendice Scriptorum Patrum Societatis Jesu de eadem Controversia，Coloniae 1700．

The most important is the Acta causae rituum seu ceremoniarum Sinensium complectentia：1．Mandatum seu edictum D Caroli Maigrot Vicarii Apostolici Fokiensis in regno Sinarum nunc Episcopi Cononensis.2．Quaesita ex eodem mandato，seu edicto excerpta，Sac.Congregationi Sanctae Romanae，et universalis Inquisitionis proposita.3．Responsa data iisdem quaesitis  praefata congregatione.4．Decretum a sanctissimo D.N.D Clemente Divina Providentia papa XI in eadem Congregatione die 20 Novembris 1704 editum，quo dicta responsa confirmantur et approbantur