Quotes:Amiot, Joseph-Maria

Zirkoff, Boris

Amiot (also Amyot), Joseph-Maria. French missionary to China, b. at Toulon, Feb. 8. 1718; d. at Peking, Oct. 8 or 9, 1793. Joined Soc. of Jesus, 1737. Sent to China as missionary, 1740, and remained at Peking for 43 years. Won confidence of Emperor Kien Long; learned Tartar and Chinese; proficient in music, physics, literature, history, mathematics; made special study of Chinese music, and gathered a great deal of information concerning Chinese life. Most of his writings are contained in a Collection known as *Mémoires concernant l’histoire, les sciences, les arts, les moeurs, les usages, etc. des Chinois, par les Missionnaires de Pékin [J. Amiot, C. Bourgeois, Cibot, Ko, Poirot, A. Gaubil]. Edited by C. Batteux, L. G. Oudart Feudrix de Bréquigny, J. de Guignes, and A. I. Silvestre de Sacy. 16 vols. Paris, 1776-1814, 4to. An earlier ed. is mentioned as of 1776-89, in 15 vols. Paris: Nyon aîné.—-Amiot also compiled a Dictionnaire Tatare-Mantcheou-Français, edited by Langlès, Paris, 1789. 3 vols.; and a Grammaire Tatare-Mantcheou (in Vol. Ill of the above-mentioned Mémoires, etc.); he also wrote a very fine Abrégé historique des principaux traits de la vie de Confucius, Paris, 1789.

Source: Boris de Zirkoff, «H. P. Blavatsky Collected Writings», vol. 7, p. 356