historicalgeogra00psal

;
the Ifie Formofa, 141
" fees with two Eyes, the Europeans but with
'' one, and the reft of the World with none
" at all.
The Japanneje Nobility, and the Bonz'ii are
great Ornaments and Encouragers of Learning ;
the Bonzii for themoft part are hard Students all
their Lives. They value themfelves for obfcure
Sayings, Riddles, and Paradoxes ^ metaphorical
and equivocal Expreflions being the chief Flowers
of their Rhetorick. They have many religious
Sefts amonglt them, but the Emperor will not
allow one Party to difpute with another-, therefore
they write many Books to juftifie the reafonablenefs
of their own Opinions, without raifing
any Objeftions againft the Principles of o^
thersj and thus they diflent without quarrelling,
and fill many Libraries without one polemical
Difcourfe or Book of Controverfies*
They apply themfelves heartily to the ftudy of
Philofophy, but I am very little acquainted with
their Notions, and therefore muft not pretend to
publiih them % but by what I have read and
heard, their Philofophy feems a confus'd Colleftion
of the Opinions of the Ancients, which the
Priefts have trump'd up to favour their Whims
and Superftitions : As for inftance, They believe
God to be of fo fublime a nature, that he cares
not for earthly things, and therefore they admit
Heroes to be Mediators becween God and Man 5
and this Notion perhaps they had from the Epicureans.
From the Fythagoreans no doubt they
had the Doftrine of Tranfmigration of Souls
and fo of others.
Akho' the Bonz'ii by their Office are fet apart
to miniiter in holy Things, yet Religion and Philofophy
is not their only Itudy, for many of
them fpend a gieac deal of time in Medicine,
Law,