(letterati, "lettered"), an epithet given to such persons among the Chinese as are able to read and write their language. The literati alone are capable of being made mandarins.

is also the name of a particular sect, either in religion, philosophy, or politics, consisting principally of the learned men of that country; among whom it is called jiaokao, i.e., "learned."

It had its rise in the year of Christ 1400, when the emperor, to awaken the native affection of the people for knowledge, which had been quite banished by the preceding civil wars among them, and to stir up emulation among the mandarins, chose out 42 of the ablest among their doctors, to whom he gave a commission to compose a body of doctrine agreeable to that of the ancients, which was then become the rule or standard of the learned. The delegates applied themselves to the business with very great attention; but some fancied them rather to have wrestled the doctrine of the ancients, to make it consist with theirs, than to have built up theirs on the model of the ancients.

They speak of the Deity, as if it were no more than mere nature or the natural power or virtue that produces, disposes, and preserves, the several parts of the universe. It is, say they, a pure, perfect principle, without beginning or end; it is the source of all things, the essence of every being, and that which determines it to be what it is. They make God the soul of the world; they say, he is diffused through all matter, and produces all the changes that happen there. In short, it is not easy to determine, whether they resolve God into nature, or lift up nature into God; for they ascribe to it many of those things which we attribute to God.

This doctrine, in lieu of the idolatry that prevailed before, introduced a refined kind of atheism. The work, being composed by so many persons of learning and parts, and approved by the emperor himself, was received with infinite applause by all the people. Many were pleased with it, because it seemed to subvert all religion; others approved it, because the little religion that it left them could not give them much trouble. And thus was formed the sect of the Literati: which consists of the maintainers and adherents to this doctrine.

The court, the mandarins, and the persons of fortune and quality, &c., are generally retainers to it; but a great part of the common people still hold to their worship of idols.

The literati freely tolerate the Mahometans, because they adore, with them, the King of heaven, and Author of nature; but they bear a perfect aversion to all sorts of idolaters among them: and it was once resolved to extirpate them. But the disorder this would have occasioned in the empire prevented it; they now content themselves with condemning them, in general, as heretics; which they do solemnly every year at Pekin.

LITERATURE denotes learning or skill in letters.