Couplet, Philip

, a Jesuit, born at Malines, went to China in quality of missionary in 1659, and returned in 1680. Being embarked in the intention of making a second voyage, he died on his passage in 1693. He composed some works in the Chinese language, and many in Latin; of which are: 1. “Confucius Sinarum philosophus; sive Scientia Sinica Latine exposita,” Paris, 1687, folio. This curious and uncommon work is a compendium of the theology and the ancient history of the Chinese. He extols the morality of that people as excellent, and carries up their annals to a very remote period. 2. “Historia Candidue Hiu, Christianas Sinensis,” translated into French at Paris 1688. 3. “The catalogue (in Latin, Paris, 1688) of the Jesuits that have gone as missionaries to China.” ¹