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book_n	author_n	history_n	write_v	2,409	5	5.7363	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34454	A true description of the mighty kingdoms of Japan and Siam written originally in Dutch by Francis Caron and Joost Schorten ; and novv rendred into English by Capt. Roger Manley.; Benschrijvinghe van het machtigh coninckrijcke Japan. English	Caron, François, 1600-1673.; Schouten, Joost.; Manley, Roger, Sir, 1626?-1688.	1663 (1663)	Wing C607; ESTC R22918	62,553	163

A true Description OF THE MIGHTY KINGDOMS OF JAPAN AND SIAM Written Originally in Dutch by FRANCIS CARON And JOOST SCHORTEN And novv rendred into English by Capt. ROGER MANLEY LONDON Printed by Samuel Broun and John de l'Ecluse at the Sign of the Queens Arms near the little North-Door of St. Paul's Church 1663. I Finde nothing in this Translation vvhy it may not properly enough be Printed Joseph Williamson By the appointment of the Right Honourable Mr Secretary Witehall November 10. 1662. BENNET To my dear BROTHER Major Francis Manley Dear Brother THe Dedication as vvell as Writing of Books being strongly vvarranted by Custom the great Moderatour of our Affairs and Actions it appeareth not injurious to me that this Translation pass into the World under your conduct vvhose pretentions as they stand fair to the Patronage of more sublime Labours so I am assured they vvill not be vvanting in their Indulgence to the Infirmities of this Trifle upon vvhich the Book-seller having prevailed vvith me to cast avvay some spare hours as a Complement to my Countrey at least to his Interests I vvas more easily tempted to undertake it as vvhat might be advertisement to you so that hovv cheap soever it appear in it self my dear Brother hath goodness enough to consider it as exposing me to the censure of thousands upon the single account of diverting him alone and that having been a principal design of my life I make this address vvhere my affection not my ambition leads me For the Matter it is the Author must stand accountable not I and I can assure you he is of a passable reputation in his ovvn Countrey but for the bad English I hope a Fourteen years Exile may excuse the Errataes in our very Mother-Tongue I vvill not further bespeak your protection left it be judged the effect of my importunity and not your kindeness I therefore commit you to Him vvho hath preserved you and me through no ordinary dangers to see the Land of our Canaan though not to enjoy the fruits of it but the happiness of our Soveraign doth virtually comprehend in it that of all His Creatures in vvhich number as it is your honour and mine upon the score of an unalterable loyalty attended vvith many sufferings and our best services to stand ranked so is it my extream contentment and satisfaction that I may style my self Dear BROTHER Your most faithful and most affectionate Brother and humble Servant Roger Manley The Contents 1. HOw great the Country of Japan is and whether it be an Island or no Page 3. 2. How many Provinces it contains p. 5. 3. VVhat quality and authority the supream Magistrate hath p. 15. 4. His dwelling Place Magnificence and Train p. 16. 5. The number of his Souldiers and their Arms p. 35. 6. The Authority of his Councellours and Vassals p. 37. 7. The quality of his Princes and Lords and their might p. 38. 8. Their manner of Iustice p. 52. 9. VVhat Crimes they punish most severely p. 53. 10. VVhat Divine Service they use p. 62. 11. VVhat Churches they have p. 62. 12. VVhat Priests they entertain p. 63. 13. VVhat Sects are prevalent among them p. 63. 14. The Persecution of the Romish Christians p. 66. 15. How this Nation lives in their Houses and Families p. 71. 16 17. How they receive each other and of their Hospitality p. 73. 18. Of their Conjugal state p. 74. 19. Of the bringing up of their Children p. 75. 20. VVhat Succession ab intestato p. 77. 21. VVhether they be faithful or false in their dealings p. 78. 22. VVhat Traffik and with what Nations p. 80. 23. Of their domestick Trading and Navigation p. 81. 24. The Profits amounting thence p. 84. 25. Their Correspondence with Strangers p. 84. 26. The Commodities which Japan yeilds p. 85. 27. Their Mint Measures and VVeights p. 85. 28. VVhat Beasts and Fowl they have p. 87. 29. VVhat Medicinal VVaters p. 87. 30. How the Kings Princes and Peers of the Kingdom receive Audience from his Imperial Majesty and what Train they must have p. 89. 31. Their Language manner of VVritings Reckonings and how far they transmit their History to Posterity p. 92. Directions for placing the four Figures belonging to the BOOK 1. THe Map of the Country of Iapan between page 2 and 3. 2. The manner of Cutting up their Bellies between page 50 and 51. 3. The Persecution of the Christians between page 66 and 67. 4. The Emperors Admittance of the Kings Princes and Peers of the Kingdom to his presence between page 88 and 89. Perfeckte Kaert vande gelegentheydt des Landts van IAPAN A True Description of the Mighty Kingdomes of IAPAN SIAM MY fourteene yeares residence in the low Countreys I may rather say my banishement thither being upon the rendition of one of the Kings Garrisons in the yeare 1646 obliged by my Articles to depart the Kingdome within six moneths As it hath in some measure furnished me with the knowledg of the Dutch tongue so hath it given me roome to observe the indefatigable industry of that people who all of them in their severall stations and according to their severall povvers and capacities doe unanimously conspire cooperate to their support and grovvth in the World And that I by their example or rather by the impulse of my owne Genius may cast my mite into the service of my Countrey I judged it not wholy unprofitable to put this short relation of the Great Kingdomes of Japan Siam into the English tongue which for the vastnesse of those Territories scarce knowne to us by name The Reputation of the Authour vvhose Collections are of great credit But principally as a spur to the Improvement of further discoveries Traffick by my ovvne Coūtrey men will not I hope be unacceptable to the Reader who I wish may so far indulge the bad English of one almost degenerated into a forreigner at least in his language that it may receive a faire acceptation which is all I propose to my self in this matter I am not ignorant that amongst the multitude of books under which the Presse groanes it is not enough to write well But I being restrayned to a Translation must not pretend to rise higher then my fountayne head And my Authour having made rather a collectiō then a History wherein he seemes to affect truth and brevity more then the ornament of words I thought it becoming me if I would walke in his ground to tread in his steps wherein if you will please to divert your selfe I shall in his Person proceed to tell you How great the Countrey of Iapan is whether it be an Island or no. THe Countrey of Japan is supposed to bee an Island though there bee no certainty of it this vast territorie not beeing yet wholy discovered to the inhabitants themselves I have often enquired and been informed that Travellers have gone from the Province of Quanto the principal of his Majesties dominions

the like to great persons and truly it is admirable to see how full of substance and with how few words these sort of writings are penned They have not the Italian manner of keeping of Books and yet fail not in their calculations they reckon with little pellets stuck upon little sticks upon a board for the same purpose after the manner of the Chineses wherewith they will add multiply and divide with more facility and certainty then we with Counters They have many Books and Libraries though the common people are most illiterate The Deyro himself writeth the Annales of his Country and all other Books are written by himself or his Lords and Gentlemen which are at least eight hundred strong or by their Wives and Women for these Gallants as well Men as Women being of kin and married into each other do nothing but spend their time in all worldly pleasures and the studies of humain knowledge Men are esteemed and honoured with Titles in this Court according to the merit of their understanding not their births and it happens sometimes that the greatest are by their weakness and folly brought down and unconsidered These Grandees proud with their birth and breeding consider no body but themselves neither converse with any save only their own Comrades for their dwellings and streets joyn upon each other being invironed and shut up from the rest of the world They speak a higher style then the vulgar wherein all their learning is couched and many of them esteem themselves more noble then the Emperour being indeed dignified with higher and more honorable Titles then their Soveraign Printing and Gun-powder was in use in this Nation above one hundred and fifty years before we in Europe had the knowledg of them these they learned from the Chineses who have had them long as their Histories and Chronicles filled with wonders too long for this short relation to mention do abundantly witness An Extract out of the Governour of Indiaes Letter to the Overseers of the East-India-Company touching the Traffick in Japan THis year trade as we mentioned in our last of the twelfth of this instant hath been but little advantagious by reason of the disasters at Sea which hath much weakned and put behinde hand the India Capital or Stock which will without question suddenly change God preserve the Company from more misfortunes at Sea We hope if your Honours will second us this following year with fifteen Tonne of Gold and Merchandise we shall be able to make a return of thirty being the Indian Commodities may probably rise more then they are now fallen Iapan will in all appearance yeild us eleven or twelve Tonne profit Persia at least three hundred thousand and the other indulgent Cantoors above three Tonne The Dutch expences which arose this year will certainly fall being the building and fortification of the dwellings and pack-houses come to cease There is but little hope of advantage from the Enemy nor shall we be able to Cape much this year about Spirito Sancto by reason of the Portugals sufficiency We will endeavour to better all things by an advantagious negotiation hoping much from Iapan It were not strange if the Chineses were hindered to frequent that Kingdom or diverted by us They profit fifty Tonne of Gold every year and more by the Iapan trade for they transport more then for one hundred Tonne yearly God grant that we may enjoy this trade alone and that the Gold Mine in Formosa flourish that the ingaged may once enjoy the fruits of their charges and pains by rich returns without sending any monies out of the low Countries I send you herewith a Copy of Siragemondenne Governour of the Island Kisma in Naviga-sacki where the Companies Servants and Factors do reside and trade his Letter which I mentioned in my last be pleased to consider of the contents thereof with such as understand the affairs of Iapan It seems if we do not meddle with Christianity but behave our selves modestly they will grant us the more liberty and greater freedom in trading we will order all things to the most advantage of the Company and endeavour for as much as it shall be possible that we may enjoy all or at least the principal trading which God grant of A Formosa a Land enriched with Gold near China and lately conquered by the Castlians A short Relation of the Profits and Advantages which the Dutch East-India-Company in Iapan might acquire in case they could compass the China Trade and Commerce By Leonard Camps MAny men are of opinion and have by experience found that during the time it pleased the mighty States General of the united Provinces and his princelie Excellencie to give their Subjects leave to saile into the East-India for the increase of Traffick and the common good that to what place or by what Prince soever we come we were admitted and received for fear of harm or for hopes of profit and yet I believe as my Predecessours did before me that his Imperial Majesty of Iapan suffered us not to harbour and to trade freelie in his Countrie upon these considerations but only to shew the goodness of his Nature the greatness of his Dominions and his civilitie to Strangers especiallie those Nations who came into his Countrie as Friends His Majesties goodness to Foraigners appears abundantly in this in that he still suffers the Chineses to traffick in his Land favouring them in his impositions more then his own Subjects whereas they persecute the Iapaners in their own Territories as Enemies having set a price upon their heads which by mistake hath cost many a Portugal his life further his ambition doth not extend beyond the bounds of his own Empire and contenting himself with those confines God and Nature hath prescribed him he wages no war against his Neighbours neither suffers his Subjects to molest or disturb any out of his obedience No foraign Princes fall out by his instigation neither doth he give or demand help or assistance upon any account His power and might consists in the vastness of his Kingdom and multitudes of his Souldiers he hath arms at will Castles that seem impregnable Provisions in abundance and Treasure without end The plenty of Gold Silver Copper Iron Lead and Pewter Mines is great and the abundance of Silk Cotton Hemp and thousands other commodities incredible Brifley this Countrie wants nothing having no need of its neighbours at all whence his Majesty never sought to foraign Princes and yet received all that came or sent to him with all imaginable civilitie and kindeness The Spaniards and Portugals not ignorant of the commodious scituation might and riches of the Japanish Empire were no less earnest in the enlarging of their own state planting the Christian Religion and advancing their traffick there where other Princes seemed to desire Don Iohn the first of that name and the tenth King of Portugal was very industrious in this Disquisition his Countrey men having in fourscore years